Chestnut Motors

Paul is an honest, professional, hard working mechanic. He’s always there when you need him and he and his crew do a great job! I have several older vehicles he maintains. I send anyone who asks me for a good mechanic his way.

Chestnut Motors always services our cars. We have received great service from them over the years.

The Honest Shop
I have dealt with Chestnut Motors for fifteen years in Newton, then Needham. These are truly masterful mechanics able to deal with exotics and American street soccer transport. Compared to dealers they are a joy, have loaners, fast service and a fair labor rate. They call with an estimate and save old parts and have made house calls which my doctor does not.

Came in on a whim with a flat tire. Went out of there way to inspect and reset both of my front tires. Very grateful for their quick attention.

Brought my corvette back to Chestnut Motors to have the air conditioner charged. I asked Paul to check the air conditioning as it really did not cool well. Paul called the next day to say it needed about $ 1100. worth of repairs. I authorized the repair and waited for the call to pick it up. Upon getting the call, I went to pick up my corvette. Imagine my surprise when the bill came in at $ 979. It works great.
Paul is honest and friendly – just the right touch in the automotive repair industry.

I drive a little out of my way since they moved from Chestnut Hill to Needham, but it’s worth it. I’ve been going to Chestnut Motors for 13 years and 3 cars. I know me and my car will always be in good hands with Paul and his crew.

Chestnut motors is by far the best in town. I have been using them for years. The customer service as well as attention to detail to the services requested is wonderful. They are honest, trustworthy and transparent about what is genuinely needed on your vehicle. I wouldn’t go to anyone else!

I’ve use Chestnut Motors for a number of cars that I’ve owned. From oil changes and simple (and not so simple) exhaust installs, to a complete rebuild of my brakes and suspension. The owner and staff are always friendly. The work is always well done, and in a timely manner. They go over why a repair is necessary, how it will be performed, and afterwards, are more than willing to answer questions about how it went. They will even show you old parts taken out of your car. They were even honest enough to tell me that I didn’t need a repair the dealer insisted I needed. The cost is what it is. They don’t use cheap parts, often opting for OEM. And labor is a typical ~$ 90/​HR. The $ 90/​HR gets you certified techs. They also have always only charged me actual time spent, instead of rounding up, or using some made up number.

Stopped by mid-​week few weeks back on my lunch break, around 1.15 pm with breaks squeaking. After a quick inspection was told I needed disks and pads and all 4 wheels, a complete break job. No surprise. Was told to leave the car and they will call me back. I left the car at the shop around 1.30 pm. 2 pm, 3 pm pass, no calls. I get my coworker to drive me back to the shop. We get there at 3.50 pm. The car is outside looks like done. I walk inside and the guy tells me it’s all set, here is the bill $ 800!!! I asked why no one called, he said ‘they were very busy’. In disbelieve, I asked why so much, can I have a discount, etc. No to all. And I leave. Only when I get home I realize that I have been basically robbed of $ 300. I look at the bill and see that the parts total around $ 400 which is crazy for a 9 yo Saab that shares the brakes with GM cars. Then I look and according to the bill, they have charged me for over 4 hours of labor!!! (BTW, on their website it says $ 90/​h). My car was there from 1.30−3.45 pm. So even if they worked on it nonstop that’s 2 h max! So, I literally was taken!
To add to the excitement: I get home and look at the wheels to check the disks/​pads and the see that both front caliper retaining spring are just dangling!!! I was able to remove/​push them in with my hands (and you usually need a huge screwdriver to move them). I went back the next morning and the guy tells me ‘oh, sorry, we put them in the wrong side’!!!
From here, you make your decision whether to come here or not.

I called shortly after Chestnut bought out Parker Levine auto (previous shop at this location) about having a sensor replaced in my car, after checking my own engine codes with an inexpensive device that any child could purchase off of Amazon and plug into their car. I then bought the replacement part that I needed, after confirming my issues. This is something many people that know about their car do.
When I called, they were aggressively rude and told me that nobody would help because it’s not their parts and it’s my own diagnosis, so it’s wrong. I was hardly given a chance to talk, and the man with a very heavy accent was entirely unhelpful and rude. They were visibly upset that somebody else might know what was wrong with their own car, and that they weren’t going to be able to rip me off.
If you’re looking for someone to be rude to you, overcharge for parts & labor, all while delivering poor service, this is the shop for you.