Monro Muffler Brake & Service

The staff here is rude and try to over upsell you on every thing I will not return. While here they lost a lady’s tire lock and she is terribly upset, now she will be unable to change her tire if she has a flat. I will not be returning. I would be cautious coming here if you have no automotive knowledge.

Have you ever heard of a hundred dollar oil change? Stay away from this place, no integrity
That’s what they charged my wife who is bit naïve and Chinese. This used to be a good place but the manager has changed to a guy named Nick who overcharges.
I checked the competition and found the highest prices was $ 41 dollars for the same thing at Pep Boys
I had to go to the trouble of getting a comparison price from pepboys in hopes of getting a refund

I used to love this place. I’d go just for oil changes, but I wound up trusting the manager, Larry, and one of the other guys that worked there, Curtis. If I was having any question about my car (a weird smell, a shaking noise, anything), they’d be happy to take a quick look, tell me it’s something easy (nope, no dead animals in the engine), and not charge me. Both of them are no longer there and I had a bad experience today.
My oil change went fine and was quick, but that was the only positive I really had. I asked to have the tires balanced and the guy working there now starting telling me (without even looking), that I’d probably need new struts. Then after the oil change I’m told I need new brakes. I did know this. The price quote was ridiculously high though, and I was not planning on doing the brakes today. So I started calling around to other places, including the dealership. Everywhere else was much lower. I called Monro back to see if they match prices and told him about a coupon special I found online for another place that will do it for $ 99.99 per axle with resurfacing (not new rotors). The guy at Monro then proceeds to tell me that this means $ 400 plus parts (so closer to $ 600) because «each wheel has an axle.» Riiiiiight. Because you think I’m a complete idiot apparently. I had already called the place with that special and got a full quote for the special plus parts and the entire thing, with new parts, was $ 488.89 plus tax. Even the dealership quoted me over $ 100 less than Monro! Then, all of a sudden, even «after giving me 40% off the whole cost anyways, to get it to $ 647,» he can take off «maybe another $ 80» to help me out, but «no savings anywhere will get you hundreds of dollars lower.» False. Just straight up false. Not only should they realize that people actually can go home and go online and research the stuff themselves, but it might help them out to realize that women aren’t complete morons. The axle thing really just sends me over the edge with this and is getting me to change up my old 4 star review.
I have no idea why all of a sudden Monro would start employing people who will outright lie about really simple things. I hear that they try ripping off women. I had never experienced it there before today. So disappointed and outraged.

I got my car 2 – 3 months ago. They replaced the discs and the break pads front and back. after that my car was shaking each time i break I was driving with the kids when the calipers broke. I told them that it was shaking that it was never fixed in the first place. They told me that I broke the calipers because i put the parking break. This was a lie I never use it. They refused to say that this is because they put me the wrong discs in a first place. My first visit was 650 USD. Then I thought that the discs are covered they replace them for free (this is what I was told by Curtis). But guess what the new manager Tom told me that he does not care about what’s happened or what was said previously. So I had to pay for the discs, the calipers, the e-​kit. Total over 1,000 USD. And of course it took two days and not very poly actually Tom the new manager is quiet aggressive. When you enter he will give you a big smile. Once your tires are out and your car is up… you better behave. I got the car and guess what It is still shaking. My dealer told me that now the front discs are bad quality and they have to be replaced. Of course Monro Waltham told me that they are fine. Well I have been there at several occasions and I have seen many customers coming back for some new problems appearing after leaving their cars for repair. Don’t say that you were not warned. If you get your car there they will destroy it.

I have been taking my car to Monro for the past 4 or 5 years, and things were ok when Larry was the manager there. I had a terrible experience this Saturday when i took my car in because it was making some humming noise when accelerating. I dropped my car off and asked Curtis (the new manager) to give me a call once they had investigated it. He called a little while later to say the muffler needed replacing (which is what we expected) but then he quoted the repair cost to be close to $ 700, stating it would be covered by a lifetime warranty. I told him if it wasn’t a safety issue i wanted to put the repair off by a few days because i wanted to make sure the muffler hadn’t been replaced in the past and covered by warranty. He said that would be fine. My problems started after i picked the car up around closing time. the car was now making a lot of noise, a constant very loud knocking/​rattling from the center of the car, which did not exist before. I checked my maintenance records and sure enough the muffler had been replaced in the past at the same Monro and for half the price quoted. My husband took the car back first thing in the morning on monday and asked what was causing this new noise and to request a repair under warranty since they claim a lifetime warranty on their mufflers. Curtis stated that the mid-​pipe connecting the muffler to the catalytic converter had also broken and the entire assembly would need replacing. On our asking him how that broke considering it was fine when we brought it in on saturday, he kept going back and forth with excuses and kept saying that in any case it would have had to be replaced because had they welded the new muffler to the old pipe, it may have broken down the line. That is not an acceptable response as to why they broke something which was working fine earlier. With respect to the warranty, they still charged us over $ 350, stating the muffler was covered but the new pipe (which they broke) was not.
I can only draw two conclusions from their treatment of us. Either they create issues on purpose to charge customers more for repairs, or they are so incompetent that they ended up accidentally breaking something when doing the diagnostics and then refused to acknowledge their mistake. In either case I will never be taking my car to this place again and would urge other readers to not trust them either.

Great service! I’ve been here twice, once for brakes and once for a check engine light, and always felt comfortable that I wasn’t getting ripped off (as far as auto services go) as both times I asked specific questions about what was being done to my car and I always got a detailed response.

Had a fuel pump and fuel line replaced by Monro, it lasted 1 month. The place we had our car towed to laughed in our face and said the parts that were used were cheap and that we got ripped off. Will not be going back to Monro again

Came in for a wheel swap, winter to summer. The swap was fine — but they broke my hubcap, by dropping a wheel on it. Didn’t apologize, and despite my trying to track down the owner and asking to cover the cost of the broken hubcap, never got any resolution.

I just wanted to make sure I took the time to review these guys again. I have been there 4 or 5 times now and every time has been good. Twice I went in for oil changes which were quick, thorough, and convenient. Once I went in to have my brakes done and paid less than I expected to. Then today really sealed the deal for me. Driving home from work last night I noticed a burning smell which was very strong. No lights came on and my engine temperature did not go above normal, but I noticed that one of my headlights was out. I was fearing something bad, like a fluid leak causing an electrical short or something. I got to Monro the minute they opened and they took me right in. Larry immediately eased my mind, saying that when the type of bulb my car has burns out it causes a burning smell. He checked my car over anyway and assured me there were no fluid leaks or other concerns. Then he replaced the bulb for me. What I feared would be a major, expensive repair, turned into a $ 30 bulb change. It was quick, easy, and very reassuring. On my drive to work I noticed the smell was gone and my car was running great. Such a relief!!!

I had a horrible experience at the Watertown location, had new breaks put in, but had to go back three times because they did something wrong and the brakes weren’t working properly. I ended up calling the corporate office, who suggested that I visit the Waltham location. The management and staff were terrific and very understanding, and they fixed the problem with no problem and of course didn’t charge me. I definitely recommend the Waltham location and won’t hesitate going back to them for future service.

Let me weave you a tale of agonizing waiting and general dissatisfaction.
This place is, simply put, terrible. The word «service» doesn’t belong anywhere near this alleged business. I have seen fewer people waiting in agony at an ER on St. Patty’s day than I did at Monro. I went here twice — fool me once, can’t get fooled again, right? Except I did.
First time around I went in for an oil change. Took over 2 hours. I waited 90 minutes until my car even made it in the bay. This after I called before coming and being told, «Yeah bring it in, we’ll take care of it real quick for ya!» Well guess what, they didn’t. Mother Teresa could have changed my oil faster. Ultimately they changed it, and I left. Missed an appointment at work because they took at least twice as long as they should have.
The second episode was yesterday. I took a day to try to cool off and see if that would help, but even this polar vortex couldn’t quell my fiery rage. I had a flat tire. Simple. Take it in, drop the tire off to (hopefully) salvage it, but if they can’t just suck it up and replace it. Well big surprise, it couldn’t be salvaged — even though it was a slow leak, not a blow out, and I drove all of about 10 feet on the flat. I’ll accept that I have no way of knowing if a mechanic is lying to me or not though, so let’s write that off.
I dropped the tire off, drove back home to continue doing telecommute work. I get a call at 5:30pm from Monro saying that the tire is ready, mounted on the rim and ready to be slapped right on the car. He said to me, «We close at 6 so try to hurry down here, we’ll throw your car right on the lift and get you out of here.» Something rang familiar, but optimism trumped reason. I jumped in my car and rushed to the shop, got there at 5:35pm. Here’s where things took a real turn.
5:35pm — Enter shop, gentleman behind the desk is hyper-​focused on putting piece of paper into a 3-​ring binder. I stand directly in front of him as he struggles, looking at him but not daring to interrupt. There is a bell on the door, which is 8 feet from him, so he knows I’m there. 45 seconds pass before he graces me with an acknowledgement of my presence.
5:36pm — Gentleman takes my keys, sits behind desk. My car waits outside and just now I notice that all the bays are full. One mechanic is working, 4 cars are in the bays. My brain starts doing the math, and while I didn’t ace my SAT’s I know I’m in trouble.
5:50pm — No updates, no time estimate, no progress. My car waits exactly where I parked it, no one seems to have any sense of urgency except for the nice cabby waiting for his car next to me. He looks at me and sighs. God only knows how long he had been waiting — and I didn’t want to think about it.
5:57pm — No progress. I’m still optimistic, thinking, «Well if they’re about to close, they’ll want to rush my car just to get the tire on, it’s got to be super fast and easy for them.»
5:59pm — My courage falters, fear begins to grip my heart with icy fingers as I rot in the yellowed flourescent glow of the lights. Suddenly an elderly man walks in, shouting about his alternator. He asked desk-​man, «How late you guys gonna be here?» Desk-​man says, «Well we’re already closed (my heart leaps), but we’ll be here at least another 30 minutes.» I can hear my spirit shatter on the dirty clay tiles of the waiting room.
The next 27 minutes are a blur of rage and despair.
6:26pm — My car enters the bay, not a word from anyone in the whole shop apologizing — or even just explaining — the wait. Tire gets put on, I go home, my heart filled with hate.
I can now say with confidence that this is a typical experience at Monro (at least this location). At least one positive thing came out of my experience though, I realized there is a tremendous hole in the marketplace. It’s 2014, for God’s sake, and you mean to tell me that this is the best, most efficient and modern way to handle getting a flat tire fixed? THIS PROCESS HASN’T CHANGED SINCE MY DAD DUCKED THE ‘NAM DRAFT! Please, PLEASE someone make this process easier and faster.
Until that day comes, avoid Monro at all costs.

I don’t understand the great reviews. I only go here for my oil changes. I feel that since I am a young woman, they think they can trick me into getting things done that don’t need it such as a steering wheel reflush and something involving my ABS light. He even told me that I would not get my inspection sticker if it wasn’t done which was a total lie, I got my sticker with no problem. After reading the reviews I think I may have been overcharged for my brakes, I got one side done for 1450.

I feel like I got hosed here. On the phone I was quoted a very reasonable price for brakes, and since brakes are a relatively straightforward job, I took the gamble on Monro rather than my regular mechanic.
Once they did their free inspection, the price tripled. Dude… I didn’t ask you how much it would cost to have EVERY SINGLE PART of my brakes replaced. They tried to tell me I needed all types of repairs when I knew for a fact that things like the calipers were not at the point of needing full replacement.
Given that I did not have the $ 1000 to drop on entirely new brakes, I requested that they just do a tire balancing, oil change, and brake pad/​rotor job. I sat in the waiting area and watched the mechanic beat my rear brakes with what appeared to be a sledgehammer. Uh, that doesn’t look good… or necessary…
Although the guy at the front desk (Curtis?) was nice and knowledgeable, I detected an air of condescension when he told me that «as soon as [I] get [my] finances together» I could come back to get everything else done, as he insisted that those parts would need to be serviced ASAP.
When it came time to pay, I presented an internet coupon that was apparently not valid with any other offers. I was not aware that the price of the brakes was already a promotional price. Curtis applied the coupon for me anyway though, which he didn’t have to do and I was thankful for.
As I drove away, I noticed smoke and a burning smell coming out from under my hood. I stopped and called them to ask if this was normal. Curtis told me that the mechanic spilled oil on my manifold and that I’d just have to let it burn off. Perhaps the simplest car service imaginable, and yet they still managed to mess that up. This did not instill confidence in the quality of the brake job I was cruising on the freeway with.
Also, minor point, but I can’t stand it when mechanics leave grease all over your car. Would you want your car returned to you in filthy condition? No? Then don’t do it to my car.
Overall, I felt misled. I was misled by the positive Unilocal reviews, misled by the price quoted over the phone, and misled by the «deals» they offered. I felt there was no attention to detail in the actual service, either. Their late hours were certainly convenient, but I honestly don’t think I’d come back.
My brakes sound worse than they did before, though they do function, thus earning Monro their two stars from me. Good job, Monro — you didn’t kill me!

Good and Quick Service.

Drove up from DC to Boston. Woke up with a flat tire. Called Monro, received an appointment within 15 minutes. Had to pump up my tire (it was a slow leak) and ultimately made it 10 minutes late. Curtis at the desk was awesome. I told him I had a coupon for a free flat fix and it was on my phone. He said it wasn’t a problem. I then decided to get my oil changed since it was significantly less than getting it at the dealership. The only downside was that it took 1 hour to get the wheel off the car (the lug nuts were put on at another place and were way too tight), and I had initially been told the wait would be 30 minutes. Curtis explained this to me and was pretty straightforward about the costs. I got out with a fixed tire and oil change for under 100 dollars. If you own a VW and bring it in for service they easily charge you two or three hundred for any work.
They were fast, honest, and cheap. If I ever have service that needs to be done, I will go to Curtis and crew at Monro when I’m back in Boston.

I’ve gone Monro for my last three oil changes, and I have no complaints. The service is courteous, professional, and fast (under a half hour, even when there were others waiting). Unlike other nearby auto service places, they didn’t try to sell me stuff I didn’t need, charge excessive extra fees, or treat me like a lesser species on account of my gender. An oil change and tire rotation cost around $ 20 – 27 (there are usually coupons online). Thumbs up for respectful people and reasonable prices!

Been there a couple times and finally realized that every time they have been trying to rip me off. Went to another place to see if what I needed done was the same as what they said at monro and it was way off. It was an easy cheap fix at the other place, while monro wanted to try and charge $ 1000 for something I didn’t need. I always was skeptical that they were trying to rip me off and finally I caught them.
Do not go there for service. You cannot trust them!

The guy at the front, Larry, he’s the nicest guy ever. So many car places are rude and un-​inviting but this guy really takes the cake for customer service, seriously. He was so professional, no bull, the price was exactly what he said it would be and when something didn’t go exactly as planned he gave me a loaner car to use for the day (just a few hours) so i wouldn’t have to find a ride to drop me off/​pick me up. He also recommended the Monro Muffler in Watertown on Arsenal st when i needed to get me AC recharged (the waltham location didn’t offer that service). The watertown guy was also nice and polite. Overall, awesome experience with my car which is rare.

«Front desk guy» gets 0 stars (I’d take away stars from him too) for ignoring me while trying to sell another person tires on the phone. Granted someone who’s interested in buying 2 – 4 tires may bring in more business, but couldn’t he at least nod and nudge me to have a seat, and motion that he’d be with me in a few minutes?
Mr. Mechanic guy was not so bad — he did ignore me for about 10 mins as well, but he looked busy (entering paperwork in) and I was waiting patiently, sitting very quietly, but staring at them to see if any would make eye contact.
When Mr. Mechanic is done entering the paper, I ask politely for an estimate on bulbs for my car, and he quotes me a price that includes parts and labor. But they only had 1 bulb in stock (I needed two). So I couldn’t get my car fixed here, but I appreciated the straight up price quote and so they get 3 stars from me.

The dealership told me 3 months ago that my pads were about 80−90% worn so I should get them replaced the next time I brought the car in. Fast forward to now, where after a week of squeaky brakes, I brought it to Monroe. Simple brake pad replacement = trip to local auto chain.
Long story short, my pads were FINE. Monroe charged me $ 35 for a brake cleaning. I balked a little at the charge, but hey, they could have ripped $ 100 off my dumb ass by replacing the pads and not telling me, which is probably what would have happened had I gone to the dealership. Plus, my brakes didn’t squeak anymore.
Conclusions:
1. Fuck you, Honda Village of Newtonville.
2. The guys at Monroe are really nice. The guy who answers the phone, Bob, may be an odd bird, but he’s fairly amusing.
3. They didn’t talk down to me, which is also nice and still managed to explain why my brakes might squeak (dirty brakes, arctic cold, etc) and got me into the garage to show me how good my pads looked and shared my anger with the dealership.
4. Seriously, fuck you, Honda Village of Newtonville.