Mings Auto Repair

Have been going to Ming’s for years. Originally, I lived across the street in Allston and he was the closest repair shop to us. When my VW broke down (this was 2001 or so), I went to who was closest.
That breakdown was the best thing that ever happened to me, since I wouldn’t have found him otherwise (it’s a non-​descript building). Since, he’s been a trusted resource for years.
Then when we moved to Watertown, he was always there for me and my family with reasonable rates, excellent service, painless communication and most importantly honesty and valuable advice. He’ll always drop me off and pick me up from work when a repair is happening, and will even get the car from our house in Watertown and drop it off later that day.
I also like the fact that, unlike many auto repair places, he WILL use email as a primary method of communication if you so choose. Much easier when you’re in the daily grind at work and find it difficult to trade voice mails or phone calls.
We’ve since moved to the ‘burbs, but since I work close-​by we’ll still be using him.
Unless it’s a new car/​dealer warranty issue, there are few other places in the Boston area that I’d consider going to.

Ming has been servicing my cars for 7 years. I find him to be a honest, hardworking professional. He has prioritzed my repairs given my finances and has help us find used parts when possible. I owned a 2001 Audi that was a maintenance nightmare, but Ming kept it going. I also had him do much work on my 1998 Mercedes. These are old cars and they needed many new parts. I found his prices to be reasonable and in line with other privately owned small repair shops, and especially compared with dealers. That’s not to say that I didn’t spend $ 1000s to fix these cars, but I believe these were necessary repairs and I would have paid this amount anywhere I went because of the models and years of my vehicles. I trust Ming to keep my car safe to drive and he will continue to be my go to mechanic.

As others have said, I’m not sure about why the positive reviews are filtered here. Ming is the smartest, most responsible auto mechanic I’ve found in Boston, after nine years of searching. Also, it’s really fun to go in and see all the high-​end cars he works on. I really recommend him and his work.

Ming has twice looked at my car, called me to inform me of his diagnosis, and always been very candid. Both times we decided not to do any work on the car as it was not essential at that time and there was no charge both times! I really appreciate his honest, straight-​shooting attitude.
He also seems very knowledgeable about the car as he describes it. He also has loaners available if you schedule ahead of time. I would highly recommend his services based on my experience! If I had brought it to a dealer they would have told me to replace the brakes.

Went back again for oil change, headlights, & break lights. Ming took care of everything incredibly fast, emailed me updates when the work was done and the price was much better than my previous auto shop in Watertown. I have also recommended several friends to Ming who have all had similar experiences. A+ business owner!

I’m shocked to see a few negative reviews for Ming’s. These guys are great. I have been bringing my Acura and Honda here for several years, and they consistently are honest and reasonably priced. They are clear with estimates, call with questions, and have great hours.
More than once, I have had issues that seemed big (like an alternator) and they call to say it’s something smaller (was a wire for the alternator). Many of my coworkers take their cars here too and we all have had great experiences.

Ming did a great job getting my car tip-​top after a long winter of neglect. He did a full check-​up, an oil change, installed a new battery and checked on some warning lights that had ominously appeared — all with a price tag slightly over $ 200. He even printed out how to spec sheets specific to my car and gave me some tips on some things I should be doing.
If you’re having a car issue, Ming did great work!

I found Ming’s Auto when my Audi A8 came off warranty and I can only say great things about Ming’s. I drive from North Andover and work in Boston. He always figures way to get me to my office and even delivers my car downtown whenever possible when it is done. I had a serious emergency light come on one evening when heading home and I reached Ming in the late evening. He guided me into a service station and walked me through what I needed to do to get home and then he squeezed me in the next morning to fix the problem as I needed my car the next day to drive to New York. He also informs me of any upcoming preventive maintenance needed, and any options to keep costs down. I now have over 110,000 mi on my car and expect, with Ming’s quality work, to keep it until it reaches 200,000 miles! I would recommend Ming to anyone who wants to find an honest, knowledgeable, talented and fairly priced auto repair shop. You may be able to find someone cheaper but you will get what you pay for, and you won’t find a better value for your dollar than you will at Mings.

I’m really surprised at the one star this establishment receives as I have found Ming to be one of the best mechanics I’ve ever had (the other was in CA). Both my husband and I bring our VW Bus & Honda Element to Ming. When my husband first moved here, our VW Bus suddenly developed major problems. Ming’s prices, work and service were just outstanding. Recently, I had a steering wheel problem. Based on the fact that my Honda has 188K miles, Ming suggested I purchase a barely used part, instead of purchasing a brand new part. We have returned again and again, and we aren’t even near Allston.

We just had our Subaru Forester repaired by Ming for a second time (the car has 140,000 miles on it, so it’s just at that stage when parts are wearing out) and were just as blown away with his quality and speed of service, low price and convenience-​factor as the first time.
I wouldn’t bring our car anywhere else. Not that we’re looking forward to putting more money into repairs, but I do look forward to being able to give Ming more business in the future.

I have been an Audi/​VW guy since 1994, my last car was a 2000 Audi S4 before I moved to Asia 8 years ago. I was looking for an Audi/​VW garage thinking I will get an Audi after I moved back to the US. Surprise, I got a Nissan Juke with AWD; it is more fun than my Audi S4 (more fun ≠ faster), mainly due to its stiff suspension and torque vectoring AWD, this thing oversteers a little! Yeah, I am a proud owner of a blue bionic frog! I used to go to Brian’s Garage in Needham but they are a little far and they only work on Audis and VWs. Oh, I highly recommend Brian if you own an Audi or VW, he and his younger brother are pretty cool!
I need an oil change and brighter headlight bulbs for my Juke/​fog, so I stopped by Ming’s since I am still a sucker for Audis/​VWs and I am sure I’ll get an Audi in the near future and Ming specializes in Audi/​VW, but they will work on other brands too. I was greeted by Ming and he was able to put my car on a lift in no time. There was couple other mechanics there, one of them worked on my car. He is professional and detail oriented, he finished the oil change and put in couple new headlight bulbs in about 15 minutes.
I love garages that specialize in certain brands especially Audis and VWs. If you ever owned an out-​of-​warranty Audi/​VW or any other European brands then you know exactly what I am talking about.

I have a 2002 Subaru that I thought was on its last legs but Ming seems to have restored it to health. Prices were reasonable (i had breaks done, fuel lines replaced, battery and wipers replace, and wheel bearing work done), service excellent, and great communication. Ming gave me a written price quote before each job, got confirmation on all work I wanted done, and has stood by the work he’s done. Did the work in a timely fashion with good communication so I could get to work and get the car back in time to pick up my son from school. I feel like I’m driving a new car :)

STAY AWAY
Overprice, incompetent, rude.
They actually broke my car, then blamed me for it.
I even filled out a complaint to the BBB.

Just quoted me $ 475 LABOR to replace front and rear brakes and rotors! Compare this to Foreign Auto which has nearly 5 stars and many more reviews who quoted me $ 140!

Ming’s is Great!
So far, they have been super honest about what my car needs and they never pressure me into anything. They get the car back the same day and call to confirm that you want to go ahead with the changes.
My only compliant is that it is a bit pricey. That said, I am willing to pay the extra for the quality of service I have gotten. THanks for keeping my car in good shape Ming!

I have been going to Ming for close to 8 years. I have recommended him to many friends who are all now loyal customers of his. His service is excellent and his prices are fair. Ming provides detailed explanations of why your car may needs particular services and parts. If something is not fixed properly, his work is guaranteed and will promptly take care of it (I think this has happened to me once). My favorite story to tell about Ming and his level of service is that one time my car work wasn’t completed on time & I had to drive to a wedding in upstate NY. I was a bit frantic about not having my car and Ming actually lent me his car to drive to the wedding. Talk about service! I can’t recommend Ming enough.

After getting a 2600 estimated repair bill for transmission fixes for my 2000 Passat from Boston VW, I decided to try Ming’s Auto Repair. They diagnosed a water leak which was causing my transmission control sensor to malfunction. They fixed the water leak, dried the transmission control sensor and saved me $ 2300. Separately, Boston VW quoted $ 1500 to replace my timing belt. Ming’s crew replaced the timing belt and other parts for much less. Friendly, honest, and competent service. They even offer shuttle rides to Harvard or Central Square.

I took my used car to Ming’s to get an inspection (they offer free inspections for VW owners if you find the ad online). They honored their deal, but the service was sub-​par and the prices expensive. They had my car for the day, were slow in giving me an estimate on repairs (I had to call repeatedly), and I felt like they were hiding something from me. I had a problem with my exhaust and they recommended a full replacement from the catalytic converter back, which was going to cost $ 800, plus a «full tune up» for another $ 800 (I spent $ 2700 on the car). I was aghast, and when I took the car to another mechanic he gave me a price that was a little more than ½ that for both repairs, an inspection, and additional work for my oil tank.
I felt that Ming’s kept me in the dark and tried to exploit my ignorance of cars — they didn’t let me see the underside of the car or the diagnostic for the check engine light. Also, I think they put a big scratch in the side of my car and on the hubcap.
If you need a free inspection for a VW and you think you’ll pass, look online for the ad (search «free MA inspection VW» or something). If you need any other substantial repairs, look somewhere else to get a better deal. I’m sure the quality of work at Ming’s is satisfactory, but I wouldn’t go there for it.

I took my cars to Ming’s for 10 years and always got quality care and repair there. The only reason I don’t go there much anymore is that I moved across the river and I’m in a Mfg. warrantied car at the moment.
I’ve been to garages that use shady methods and prey on people’s ignorance of automotive matters to bleed money out of them. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. If Ming’s tells you there’s a problem they are being honest and that’s a big deal when you’re looking for a good shop.

Located in Allston, Ming’s auto repair is a quick and convenient place to get your car fixed. When you drop your car off just walk into the garage and proceed to the back where the manager’s office is located.
My boyfriend’s car had a brake fluid leak and we took it to Ming’s to get it fixed. It seemed kind of pricey but the service was fast and reliable. We will probably go there again.