Sears Auto Center

I dropped in a bit before 10am for an oil change and they were able to fit me in. They do recommend making an appointment but I lucked out.
They found an issue with my alignment and fixed it. The car did go over the curb a few weeks ago so it wasn’t a surprise.
Received great service — thank you Derek!

So far every time me or my wife have needed tires or have had a mechanical issue with our 3 vehicles they did well. I dealt with Barry and Ronnie the service writers, Robbie the mechanic and once with George the mechanic. They were all friendly and professional. Prices are fair. Just make an appointment because the place can get busy. I’ll keep going back. I suppose they are due for a mistake because that is what it is in the auto repair business. I am 58 and I have just about seen it all. No one is ever perfect for very long periods of time. I will ride this wave. I would give them a five but I hate long waits. Oh, don’t buy the hand held jumper pack. Both me and my tenant had trouble with them. The Batteries are real good and great front end alinements!

I am here at Sears for the 5^th time for them to find out why I got a flat tire, they said that it was the sensors and then I replaced it, every time they say something, they are really bad. Tired… never going back here, they should close the doors.

Only place that can get my tires within 24hrs. They have even taken care of me after the shop is closed. Every time I call they take care of me just fine. The wait is always long and not every employee is great but overall I find them helpful.

I went to gett new tires put on. I had an appointment so I didn’t wait long to be served. Of course they tried to up-​sell me on insurances etc. I agreed when he told me I had a month to change my mind and get a refund. I went and read the fine print and realized it was a waste f my money. I called the location, and someone claiming to be a supervisor told me I can’t change the warranty I purchased, then while on hold I was hung up on. I tried calling again with no luck.
I filled out the Sears satisfaction survey with this problem and indicated I would like to be contacted about this to help resolve the issue. I’ve never heard back. Npw it’s past the window and not sure I can do anything about it.

Not the greatest experience at all. I made an appointment on Friday night for 8 am on Saturday. I was told there were no other appointments, so it shouldn’t take too long. I told them I needed an oil change and to check the brakes.
I get there Saturday morning and tell the rep that my break pedal was legit going to the floor and that I was told my front brakes were going. He said not a problem, they would check it out. Finally at 10:30 (2 and a half hours later) I was informed that I needed front brakes and rotors. I was quoted about $ 365. Not a problem. I had a friend pick me up because I had to be somewhere at 11. I get a call at 430 pm saying the work was done, but they noticed a hole in the brake line. I asked why they didn’t catch it during the brake inspection and didn’t really get an answer. I asked how much it would cost to replace the brake line and I was told at least $ 300. I said I would call them back.
I called my father to get his opinion and he flipped out like I did and called them himself. The manager wasn’t very helpful at first and said he would have to look into it and would call us back the next day. Sunday rolls around and my father calls up and again gets into an argument with the manager who tells him I need to go there since I dropped it off. While I’m getting ready to go, my father called corporate and they basically said there was nothing they could do.
Long story short, I get a ride and I speak with the manager and told him that they clearly didn’t do the proper brake inspection. I referred back to their website where it clearly states that brake lines are included in the inspection. I also showed him the paperwork in which the rep entered in my comment of «the brake went to the floor». When they showed me the car and what it needed, no one ever mentioned the brake line. The manager said they could replace the part that was bad, but said the rest of the brake line was badly rusted and could break if they just fix the one part. I then asked why nobody mentioned the rusted brake line the day before. He had no answer. We ended up replacing the entire brake line for more than 50% off. The manager owned up to their mistake.
I gave them two stars because they owed up to the error and gave me a big discount on the remaining work. Also, they were suppose to close at 5 pm on Sunday, but they stayed open to finish my car (and one or two others). I didn’t leave till about 645. So I was grateful for that.

Wanted to inspect a tire (due to Michelline tires warranty), when I check the work hour on the website and it showed 8pm, and stopped by there 7:30 pm
a worker told me that it was closed, so come back tomorrow which is Saturday.
i explained the reason why i was there for the tire insoection, and left there. On Saturday morning with 12 miles driving, i went there. The first person was no idea what the tire inspection is. The second person told me that the Michellin service was closed on Saturdays???
And I ask them why someone asked me to come Saturday morning for the inspection
The answer was” I have no idea“
No apologize at all, but they wanted to inspect my car. I’ve just stepped out of the shop.
Period.

Worst auto experience yet. They did a poor job evaluating the problem with our car (we asked for a full diagnostic test, which they didn’t do well apparently), overcharged us (based on comparable places in the area), told me I had asked them to fix something and that was why they didn’t diagnose the real problem, and we ended up paying way more than we had initially agreed to put into the car.
After 3 visits, the same problem persisted. Flash forward to dealing with customer service, the manager of the center screamed at me on the phone, calling me a liar and refused to issue any kind of refund on the over $ 400 in service fees we had already paid. Dealt with customer service for 3+ hours only to be told the auto center manager was the only one who could do anything. Absolutely horrible experience, felt cheated and lied to, no confidence in their service or their customer service.
What made it worse was I had been happy to go in, wait 2+ hours for their first two services, but after the 3^rd service when they were actually able to diagnose the issue which they claimed was hard to diagnose (I’m sorry but when is a job being hard an excuse for just not doing it??) I had had enough ! And it was made better by the fact that they said the final service would be $ 340 ($ 99 for the part and $ 250 for service) but they would give us the part for free– well funny enough, we asked at Joe’s Autoshop on the corner of Pine and Ames– the part was actually $ 79 and the service was $ 120, they were able to do it that day, and it took about 45 minutes.
I sincerely recommend that you find service elsewhere– Sears is a massive corporation that is failing, and for good reason. There is no accountability to their customers. We did end up getting a small refund after speaking with 5 different customer service reps over the course of 4 days. Not to mention being hung up on my their corporate secretary 10+ times !!
For people who have had the misfortune of dealing with Sears, here is the number to call, but if at all possible– AVOID !!!:
ACTUAL customer service person, who was nice, but it did not make up for the horrible experience: 1 (888) 266‑4043 ext. 52

I got a quote of $ 1200 from my local mechanic to replace my exhaust. Sears gave me a lower price. I got my exhaust replaced by Sears on 12/​26/​2013. After saying that it would be $ 700 – 800, the total was $ 1,005.14. So, ABOVE what they said it would be.
After getting it replaced and spending more than what they said it would be, my car was so, so, so loud. It sounded like a motorcycle.
In March, I brought it back to Sears thinking that they installed a faulty muffler. They told me I need a new flex pipe. Sucking more money out of me. The total with labor came to $ 372.26 So, that is a total of $ 1377.40 on my exhaust.
It is now early April and my car literally sounds like an airplane landing. I brought it back to Sears once again. They took if for a ride and looked at my car and told me nothing is wrong with it. Really? It sounds horrible. My car gives me a headache when I drive it. I have had three people in my car who agree it is insanely loud. There is something wrong with it STILL.
In mid April, I went back to Sears once again and took my brother with me. Came to the conclusion that I unfortunately needed a man with me for the mechanics to take me seriously. We requested to be in the car when they took it out for a test drive. The guy admitted he heard the noise we were talking about. They then tell me that they are replacing the whole exhaust free of charge because there is a leak. I said, last time I took my car here I was told nothing is wrong and now you tell me that there is a leak in the exhaust? And he said, yes, now there is a leak. (bullshit) There has been a leak since day one – they just did not want to do anything about it. But now, since I came with a man, they admit there is something wrong.
At the end of April I picked up my car. they replaced the entire exhaust. I took it out for a test drive and thought it still sounded loud. Then a mechanic went out with me for a test drive and he said the noise is the wheel bearing. I was tempted to have them just fix it right there an then, but I decided that Sears and I had to do some «Conscious Uncoupling.»

I wish I could tell all of you that I had a fantastic experience here. But I felt like they wanted to rip me off from the beginning… I should’ve listened to my gut feeling and left.
The first issue was $ 80 for diagnostics. I requested for that charge to go towards the repair. Many dealerships charge $ 99.00 for diagnostics, but if you do the work, they waive that fee, not here at sears. Well, they finally agreed to waive the diagnostic fee if I do the job there, and I said that’s fine and fair.
10 minutes later they came back with the solution to my problem. They said I need to replace spark plugs, wires, and coil pack… The manager orders the parts and writes them down in front of me,
Spark plugs —– $ 6.99 each x 4 = $ 28
Wires — — — — $ 12.00 each x4 = $ 48
Coil pack — — - $ 122×1 = $ 122
Total $ 198.00
I said great, how much is that gonna cost me (I am thinking this is basic tune up and an experienced mechanic should be able to do this job within an hour– hour and a half at the most). I get the estimate back and it is $ 800.98, I said how can this be, I asked them if I could see the breakdown of how it came out to be $ 800. When I looked at the estimate, I realized that they had also charged that they had added 100−150% on the parts, so spark plugs were 15 bucks each, wires were 30 bucks each and coil pack is around 250 and about 4 hours of labor, totaling $ 800.98… I could not believe when I looked at the estimate. I can understand charging a little extra on the parts, but 100−150%, I think that’s abuse. Then 4 hours of labor to change spark plugs, some wires and coil pack??? SERIOUSLY??? I told the manager if any of your mechanics are taking close to 4 hours to change a few spark plugs and wires and coil pack, you need to let them go. Then he says, what if it took them 6 hours, will you pay extra? No, It should NEVER take 6 hours, and if your man is going on the 3^rd hour, YOU, the manager, needs to let that man go already because your man is slacking.
I paid the diagnostics fee $ 80, and I left. I wouldn’t go back. I wouldn’t recommend you go to Sears Auto Center. But if you have money to waste, Sears Auto Center would be a great place to go waste your money.
Good luck.

Do NOT go here unless you like waiting 1.5−2 hours for simple things like oil changes or tire rotations to be completed. This is the second time I tried this location and the second time I waited unreasonably long amounts of time. I should also note that both times I have come have been weekdays, before 4pm which you would assume would be slower times.

I really liked the service i received here. The guys were really nice and friendly. I’ve honestly never felt more catered to in life. I am your average female who probably doesn’t know as much as I’m supposed to know about cars after having one for so long. The men there answered all my questions (unfortunately there was a lot) very throughly and kind. They got me in and out rapidly and it is very budget friendly. I can’t believe the deal I got. I know all their names and can’t wait to go back to get more service done to my car. They don’t even charge extra for checking your car out throughly. I really liked these guys and would recommend getting anything your car needs from them. I really feel like I paid nothing for the service my baby got.

Never again. My truck break went off and we were lucky to be parked in the dedham mall. It was 7pm and they were closing. they said they will check (charge you $ 15) to give us an estimate tomorrow morning so we left the truck. In the morning we got a call from them saying that they need to change brakes on all sides (wheras i know i have changed other sides recently and not the one that blasted) which will cost $ 700. I requested a change on just 1 side and they refused to do it and told me to come get my truck. I got the truck and get it fixed for $ 150 (like i said it was only a problem on 1 side). Save yourself time and money!

Not sure what these other reviews are talking about. I needed or more like wanted new tires for my Honda Pilot and had never been to a Sears Auto Center before. This location sits in the old Dedham Mall and is smaller in size compared to other locations. The Manager and staff were both friendly and knew me by a first name basis within minutes. They set me up with some new tires and within a little more than 1 hour I was on my way. Plus the manager informed me about extra savings and knocked some dollars off the total price, saving me some money. He also let me know about rebates and seemed like an all around genuine employee caring about Customer Service. Price was reasonable and competitive and I even earned extra rewards for visiting. I would highly recommend this location since I was treated like a customer should be treated, decent.

I would not send my kids or wife there with out them knowing to call me if Sears guys suggest more than they went there for, because as so many others have said, they are paid to get you to do as much as possible. Thats how they make money. But if you have basic car knowledge and understand a few key things, you can get them to do what needs done and they will do a very good job. Problem is they are always busy, because we are not the only ones who know about them. But if you get there early, and stay in their face, you will most likely get your work done in a reasonable time and they will use VERY GOOD parts. Die Hard batteries rock. They may be 10 – 15 more than other quality batteries, but I have gone back when I left a car un driven for 2 years and they replaced the battery for almost nothing. Sears brake pads come in 3 or more flavors, If you do not drive a Ferrari you probably do not need the gold plated, ceramic pads with free hotel… the upper mid range stuff will last years. These guys do not get paid what a shop OWNER would make so if they do not always hustle as you might wish they would, but if you establish yourself with them, and they get to know you, and you tip for good service, they take very good care of you.
David from Norwood

I went to Sears for a slow tire leak. They said they inspected the tire, cleaned the rim lip, and replaced the valve stem for $ 20. Not bad I thought.
Few weeks later, I was still having the same slow leak! I went to a Ashmont Tire for a second opinion, and when they dismounted the tire, the tech showed me how the rim was never cleaned properly because the rim lip was full of dirt!
WTH SEARS?!?

Worst customer service I have ever experienced.
It’s pretty obvious that the employees at this Sears Auto Center hate themselves but just haven’t built up enough courage to just end it all. They all move and talk in slow motion. Upon entering, it took 15 minutes before I was able to explain my problem to someone and the shop was not even busy. While I was waiting for another customer in the store to finish talking to one of the guys at the desk, there were two other employees at their desks doing nothing besides discussing when they were going to take their lunch breaks and the «fine shorty» that just walked out the door.
I had a flat tire in the trunk that they said they would have no problem repairing and was told that it shouldn’t take more than an hour. 1.5 hours later, I got up to see what was taking so long and saw that my car was still parked in the exact same spot that I had left it in the parking lot. I asked them how much longer it would take and the guy told me another hour (no apology). One of the mechanics finally drives my car into the garage 30 minutes later. Another 15 minutes went by and they called me up to tell me that the damage could not be repaired and that I would need new tires.
They then began trying to sell me new tires and said that they had a special on some of the tires sitting in the shop. I took a look at them and saw that these tires were manufactured EIGHT YEARS AGO IN 2004!!! Tires should be replaced no later than 5 years after the date of manufacture regardless of tread wear because the rubber breaks down and becomes unstable. The guy said that if I wanted the same tire model with a 2012 manufacture date, he would not be able to give me the special discount. I got out of there ASAP and ordered my tires at The Tire Rack instead.
So during this visit, not only did the scumbags here waste 2 hours and 15 minutes of my time without getting anything done, they also tried to put my life in danger by selling me tires that are 3 years past its useful life. STAY AWAY from this place if you value your time and safety. The only people that deserve this kind of treatment are the employees who are working here.

Let me be honest: the event I’m about to describe happened about 20 years ago. It’s quite possible that no one who was involved works there any more; for all I know, things may have changed a great deal.
On the other hand, Sears did *literally put my life in real danger*, and gave me a lot of grief to boot. So that’s something to consider, too.
I was young and driving a pile of junk. The car ran, but the muffler was attached to the body of the car with metal straps and wires, and didn’t actually connect to the engine in any way. But it was the brakes that worried me; they were shot. So I took my car to the Sears Auto Center at the Dedham Mall for repair.
They spent a few hours doing expensive work. The bill was $ 550, as I recall; drums and rotors, everything needed to be redone. When they finished, they left the car in the parking lot for me to pick up.
I got in, started up, headed home. At the first red light, I had a sudden surprise: THE BRAKES DIDN’T WORK. Only by pumping them like a madman on speed did I manage to bring the car to a very s-​l-​o-​o-​o-​w halt. At which point I was sticking more then half-​way out into the intersection.
I should have pulled over (carefully) and called a tow truck. But I was young and poor; the $ 550 I’d paid for my wonderful new brakes was everything I had. So I finished driving home, in a state of mortal terror all the way.
My father knows cars, so I gave him a call. «They didn’t pump the air out of the system,» he said immediately. «it’s obvious.»
«Is that hard to do?» I asked.
«No, not at all!»
So I called Sears, and told them that they had given me back my car with no brakes. They weren’t very polite, but eventually told me to bring the car back the next day. Now, let me be clear about this: THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK. THEY DID NOT — REPEAT, *NOT* — OFFER TO HAVE IT TOWED. And they knew that the brakes didn’t work. That’s where the «putting my life in jeopardy» comes in. Not to mention the life of everyone else who was on the road when I was!
Okay, yes, I was being an idiot too. But they’d taken my money to fix my brakes, and returned the car, supposedly fixed, without testing the brakes or doing a simple procedure which every mechanic I’ve spoken to since assures me is absolutely routine: pumping the air out of the brake fluid system.
Like a fool, I drove it back to them the next day, terrified every inch of the way. They told me it would take an hour or so. I walked around the mall for a while, and came back to pick up the car. Once again, it was out in the parking lot.
I got in, started it up, tested the brakes. They worked. But when I pulled forward, there was a scraping noise from beneath the car. When I got out and took a look, MY MUFFLER WAS LYING ON THE GROUND.
Now, the muffler had been securely attached to the car when I had brought it in. How did it end up lying on the ground, completely detached from my car? I don’t know, and neither, apparently, did anyone at the Sears Auto Center. I went back in and explained that my muffler had been attached to my car when I’d brought it in, and I would like it to leave their shop the same way.
What ensued was what I can only call an auto-​center wilding. After quite a lot of screaming — from them, not me, I was shy and retiring back then — they put my car up on a lift and wired the muffler loosely back onto the undercarriage. During that ENTIRE PROCEDURE, one of the employees made himself some brownie points by literally screaming at me, over and over, that I was a sleaze artist who was trying to scam a free repair out of a wonderful man, his manager, who was standing right there glowering.
Somewhere in there, I lost it. I finally raised my voice. «Get it off that lift NOW!» I shouted, «Put the damn muffler in the trunk, I don’t care. I want it back NOW!».
But they wouldn’t — said something about safety, so perhaps they were thinking about the lawsuit I could file (I wish I’d thought of that). So I had to stand there, being yelled at, while they finished.
Mind you, they did NOT repair the muffler — I didn’t ask them to. I just wanted it connected back to my car, as it had been. And as soon as I got it out of that shop, I drove down the street and put a complete new muffler system on my credit card. I really couldn’t afford it, but I was absolutely pissed off.
I swore never to do business with Sears again. Years later, at the behest of my wife, I did. And that turned out even WORSE. But that’s a story for another time!

I went in to Sears Auto Center today armed with a recent «safety» report from my local Hyundai dealer indicating that the brakes and tires were in need of replacement. I’ve been to Sears before and agree that the «intake» can be chaotic and slow compared to others, but it turns out that Wed at 9:30 am was a good time and I was helped by Rodney almost immediately. He made some good suggestions and when they got the wheels off the car discovered that brakes where fine and not even close to needing replacement. I ended up replacing 2 tires at a reasonable price and had an alignment which was based on a computer report quantifying the need for this car. The process took a little over an hour.

It really felt like this place tried to prescribe $ 750 in additional repairs I didn’t need.
It’s hard to be sure because they’re certified and I’m not. But I went in to get my brake pads done because I felt like it was time and they recommended that I also change the rotors, struts, flush the brake lines, and replace one of the stabilizer bars on a front brake. The car had been working fine. The rotors were a little rusty, but they always are.
I declined all but replacing the pads, and then it was another two hours until I could leave. All the technicians broke for lunch and I was left sitting the in waiting room with other car owners while the technicians were out to lunch. I had to approach several managers to ask if they could please complete my job.
When I tried to talk with my manager, he was either gone for the day or out to lunch.
Total time from entry to exit: 3 hours. And only brake pads replaced.
Usually Sears repair is excellent. But this one didn’t work out for me. I hope that either I was a fluke or that this franchisee improves.