Aladdin Auto Service

Very friendly service. Straight forward pricing and explained what was wrong. Fixed it the same day and didn’t try to over sell me. Actually told me that the other part didn’t need fixing yet. Will be going back again.

I went to Mahmood to keep my beater car running and he did great work at great prices. I found him to be trustworthy and reliable. His welding skills were quite handy when my exhaust pipe rusted through.

I’ve used a number of mechanics throughout my life, but none have been as good as the people I met at Aladdin.
When I showed up with my car that needed a good amount of auto body work, it was clear I had come to the right place. These guys were fast, friendly, very fairly priced, and the outcome looks amazing. They even clued me into some transmission problems other mechanics hadn’t seen that I’ll be taking to the manufacturer, since I’m still under warranty. In my opinion, the most important thing when looking for a good auto service is the trust factor, and these guys have definitely earned my trust!

I came to Aladdin Auto Service based on Unilocal comments. This place has some solid reviews and I totally get why.
This place is kinda hard to find — behind that old movie theatre and to the left. The garage itself made me a little nervous at first… I was like «where the heck am I?» As a young girl I was a little hesitant but within minutes of meeting Mahmood I was put at ease.
First of all, Mahmood is hilarious. He’s blunt, funny, and honest. He’ll immediately greet you and serve you Persian tea and snacks — usually cookies or fruit. There’s always something to nibble on! Then he’ll ask what you’re in for then check out your vehicle.
The first time I went in for an oil change — a quick in and out. But I was so pleased with the service that when it came time for me needing new tires, I knew where to go. I loved that Mahmood recognized me. It makes me laugh how he calls me «Christy Girl» instead of Christina. Not only did he change my tires, but he also checked my oil and my emergency brake cord. I told him my car had rolled downhill a couple times — he told me the cord was fine and I needed to work on my biceps and pull the brake up harder. HA!
In addition to honesty, fair prices, and quick service, you’ll get to hang out in a weirdly cool spot that’s full of art. Mahmood makes these really neat metal sculptures. I always receive some sort of wisdom as well. Sounds weird, but if I were ever having a really bad day, I know I could go to Mahmood and he’d cheer me up. He encourages you to live a full, grateful life and focus on the positive.
tl;dr: friendly service, great auto work, tea & cookies.

It’s hard to say what is more valuable, the world-​class automotive care the team at Aladdin delivers, or the insight and wisdom Aladdin’s shop founder Mahmood offered me. A messenger of Unity and mechanic who defines integrity, Cambridge has indeed received a great gift from the presence of Aladdin Auto Services.
I am ever grateful for the day I visited it and always stop by when ever back in good ol’ MA.

Last and final update of my negative experience with this mechanic. Like I said in the past comments, Mahmoud put a defective oil filter in my car, not to mention «mike’s synthetic oil blend» for my ’05 Mercedes C230 kompressor, oh and by the way I paid $ 100 dollars for that ($ 40 of which was for labor!) The story actually gets better, let me tell you what happened that day. I went to Mahmoud’s shop based on a friends glowing recommendation of his honest business practices and good services –boy was I in for a treat. As is customary with persians (I’m persian from both parents) I brought mahmoud a gift, a ceramic sugar cube holder, and he thanked me. Before we talked about my car he started to talk philosophy and politics with me, did he ever show you the pyramid and capitalism example? Let me cut it short, he takes a pyramid and drops it and it will always land on a base.
So we get to the car, he says that mike’s synthetic oil blend «cheyli aahliyeh» persian for «very good,» yes I bet an oil blend is very good for an all synthetic sports car. The oil filter, well we had to wait for that, and after waiting for about an hour and a half, we hopped into Mahmoud’s truck and drove to get it. While in the car Mahmoud talked to me about how his family worked for the former shah of Iran, and that had he had the chance to give therapy to the shah’s son he probably could’ve saved him. In my mind that was all great and stuff, honestly, but more importantly I wanted my fixed so I can go home. After the defective filter was installed, I paid in cash (like an idiot) and went on my way. Fast forward a year, I drive very little so it’s been less than 3,000 miles, my oil levels are showing up as low –I take my car to the midas in Brookline and the mechanic shows me the broken oil filter and told me that the oil was blacker than my black car.
Two days later I called Mahmoud and told him what happened. «Bring your car in so I can check it» he said. NO dude you fucked my car up why would I bring it back, and even if I did how long would I have to wait this time? I told him that I would take the car to a mechanic and get back to him about it, so he hung up. I called back, he hung up, and I have not spoken to him since. I filed a complaint with the better business bureau, he ignored it. I filed with the attorney generals office, he hired a mouthpiece (attorney) and sent me a letter. To be honest, I’m not a litigious person, all I want is my car to be fixed –my check engine light goes on every two months due to an O2 censor in the engine spitting out data on the condition of the engine thanks to Mahmoud, which according to the mechanics I spoke with mean probably means that my car uses more gas than it should.
Bottom line is as follows. By the way, Mahmoud if you read this far, don’t worry –I’m not answering your attorney or filing a claim in small claims court. If you end up going to Aladdin, good luck cuz you’re going to need it!

Mahmood is truly an honest and trustworthy local mechanic. I literally drive from CT to come and get my major car repairs. He always greets you with a nice cup of Persian tea and other goodies in the sitting area.
I had a tear in my exhaust (middle part from rust) and he fixed it in less than an hr for me. He always remind me to be thankful and not complain which is awesome. Thank you Mahmood.
Oh and he is also a great artist. Check out his shop.

Best mechanic I’ve ever had. Come in for your oil change or tune up or whatever service you need done and Mahmoud will take good care of you and your car. Have a delicious cup of tea and some dates while you wait and enjoy the beautiful sculptures he has all over the shop. I’ve been coming here for a while and figured it was time I added a positive review to the pile already here.

Best mechanic ever!!! Seriously. First Unilocal review I have ever put in but felt compelled to do so.
Last time, he only fixed my car but was so appalled by the mess in my trunk he organized it for me, in nice little boxes.
My car is happy, I am happy, life is good.

I really enjoyed taking my car here. It’s easy to drop it off, leave the key and a note, and call back later in the morning to discuss issues. Mahmood is responsive, tells you what he found, and will tell you if he doesn’t think it’s a big issue. Most of the time I left paying less than what I expected, because he didn’t think the car needed that much work.
I recently moved from Cambridge and experienced a mechanic who was less flexible in terms of when I could drop off and pick up the car, and not as communicative. It makes me appreciate the good service at Aladdin Auto Shop.

Visit Mahmoud’s Aladdin Auto Service. Even if just for an oil change.
Aladdin Auto Service is a place where one must be ready to take a beat. Take a breath. Slow it down.
Or perhaps it’s a place where we need to be reminded to slow down. Solid work can be completed and a fair price can be charged. And it can be accomplished by relaxing rather than rushing.
I called this place to see if they’re open on Saturday:
Mahmoud: Aladdin Auto Service
Me: Hi, what time do you close today?
Mahmoud: We just opened. And you’re calling to see when we close? (laughter)
For some, this isn’t the telephone interaction they desire with a business. Perhaps Mahmoud comes off as flippant and rude. Many people just want the straight answer – dude, what time do you frickin’ close??? Who can blame those people? We feel rushed, under pressure and have lots of things to do.
I have never seen an establishment on Unilocal which receives such a bipolar set of reviews. Mahmoud either gets the full 5 stars OR is relegated to 1 – 2 stars.
He gets 5 right here.
I walked in cautiously a few hours after our phone exchange. Mahmoud offered a hearty welcome, poured tea for me and sat me at a table where tangerines, dates and cookies were laid out. He then proceeded to focus on the current car on which he was working while I looked at his metal sculptures and took in the most unique auto garage I have ever visited.
After 15 minutes, he asked for my car key and focused on my car. I thought my battery was going bad. Mahmoud asked me to stand right next to him while he tested the battery and confirmed that it was fine; in fact, the car required new spark plugs. He then located an oil leak. THIS WAS KEY. See, other mechanics have told me that the car burns oil rapidly but NONE of them ever suggested or seemingly tried to locate a leak. Mahmoud found it in less than 5 minutes. What were these other mechanics even doing? I assume they just don’t care.
And Mahmoud actually frickin’ cares.
I guess as consumers, we’ve been conditioned to be offered a predetermined set of choices. We know which toppings we want on our pizza from the typical set of 15 ingredients. We know we get to choose two sides to go with our entrée. And we pretty much know which dressings can be poured on our salad. It’s all predictable and I guess done in the name of «efficiency.» We’ve been «assembly lined» in so much of our lives.
But with Mahmoud, every car and person are treated as unique. So the exchange is not just about your car. But where you are from? What do you do for a living? Why do you do that? Mahmoud is a businessman and he runs a business. And there will be a transaction which consists of an exchange of services for money. But money and services will not be the only things exchanged.

My review of Aladdin is simple — a great place where you actually are treated respectfully by a very intelligent man who doubles as a mechanic. And you get tea.
My review of the reviews of Aladdin? Well, this is a perfect example of why I can’t trust Unilocal anymore, with anything. See, everyone who didn’t give Aladdin five stars gave it one or two. And if you read their reviews, they gave it one or two because they didn’t like the fact that they went to a mechanic who dared be an individual/​human. I haven’t found a single review complaining about the end result of the quality of his work.
So why does this officially ruin Unilocal?Because it’s the nail in the proverbial coffin proving that humans aren’t reliable reviewers. I used to scoff at the idea that only a single person could be the voice for reviewing a restaurant (like in a newspaper), or a movie reviewer for a movie (as in Siskel and Ebert) — so I was excited when Rotten Tomatoes appeared, and Unilocal came into my life. Until everyone found out about it, and made it impossible to trust the overall stars a place receives.
Now, like with Aladdin, the goal is to find those individuals, who are intelligent, have similar tastes, and who like to share their knowledge. Find those people, find what they like, and follow their recommendations.
So check out what I like, and if you like the same sorts of stuff (good service, kindness, value, uniqueness, independent businesses), then listen to my recommendations — if not, that’s cool too, although the opposite of good service, kindness, value, and unique independent businesses doesn’t sound all that tempting to me…

Wow, beautiful experience matched with excellent pricing. Coming from California, I had to rely on Unilocal to find a place and glad I found this gem. Got my oil changed in a 2000 dodge grand caravan for $ 30. Only took 20 min. Got to sip on some Iranian tea and eat pistachio cookies from whole foods that they had on the table.
Place is surrounded by amazing metal works that are fascinating. There is a very healthy sense of spirituality that really adds to the experience.
After we got our oil changed, we bumped into the owner who blessed us with kind and wise words for my partner and I.
I highly recommend this place for the price, the efficiency, and the overall experience of divinity.

Consulted another mechanic on heat sink for the exhaust system which had come loose recommended to remove it. Took it to Aladdin got it fixed properly in the same appointment, no hassles of asking to come back.
Quick, efficient and accurate diagnose and service !

I went here on the recommendation of a friend who uses this mechanic frequently and checked it against the great reviews here. I was excited about the idea of being able to have a locally trusted mechanic. I needed 2 alternator belts replaced and an oil change. I got a call saying it would be $ 180, which is really expensive for $ 40 worth of belts and an oil change even with a reasonable amount for labor.
I went to pick the car up and he charged me $ 200 because he said that one of the belts was harder to get out because of some rust. Really? Aren’t those services a fixed rate? I never saw the rust, even if I had I don’t think it’s reasonable to tack on an extra $ 20 just because it was more difficult than expected.
I’m not a fan of saying anything negative about someone or a business on Unilocal without trying to resolve the issue with them first. I said that I thought it was odd that he would charge me an extra $ 20 because of that. Mahmoud’s response was for me to consider the guy doing the labor (which was obviously using moral judgement as a tactic trying to distract me from the fact that he was charging me an exorbitant amount of money). I was charged $ 130 for labor to replace 2 belts (one of which was already snapped off and therefore less labor intensive) and change my oil. That is crazy.
Yes, he is a beautiful artist as evidence by his metal sculpture work in and around the shop and he was very polite, even offered me something to drink. I would definitely take your car elsewhere though.

Taking the car in for repairs has never struck me as an artistic and spiritual experience, but then I had never before brought it here
Instead of ordering an expensive part, my car now has a hand forged bracket by a master metal sculptor (total cost of repair $ 45). And I received a cup of tea and a discourse on peace, Jerusalem and a world unifying Messiah.

Came here by reference and what can I say, even without an appointment Mahmoud and his team checked my car right away while I was allowed to watch.
I don’t like the idea of giving your car to a mechanic and have a sales person reporting to you afterwards like most shops do. I do like to talk with the mechanics directly, which is a huge plus!
While waiting Mahmoud offered me some tea and instead of watching stupid TV shows, you can look at his fantastic pieces of art. So you don’t only get your car fixed, you also get an art exhibition for free!
To sum this up: Honest, very reasonable and reliable. Although I hope my car will last for a little while now, I will definitely come back.

You gotta try them. Most of the mechanics I’ve tried don’t even think about fixing anything the first thought is always replacing. Aladdin always looks for what is wrong and if it is fixable or not. They are Honest, trustworthy, skillful and efficient. And Aladdin cares about you and your car so he won’t try to ripe you off.
I finally found the mechanic that I can go to without looking around for better deals or other opinions.

This guy is really good!
Went to six places trying to find someone to do the work my car needed. All said they were too busy, or did not want to do the (tricky and difficult) work, or could not do the job.
Two places simply could not do the job, two were «too busy» (and definitely did not want to do the work), and two gave me quotes and said it would take a day or two in the shop, next week or so.
Aladdin/​Mahmood did the job immediately, which took only one hour while I waited drinking tea, charged half of what the other guys wanted, and did a better, more complete and correct job compared to what the other guys planned to do.
No complaining about the difficulty, just got right to work and did it right. And under-​charged. This «difficult» job that was too much for the other guys, was no problem for Mahmood.
I rarely give five (or even two) stars — but Mahmood deserves ten stars. Where else in this world can you pay less for higher quality?
You can find him directly behind the Fresh Pond Cinema.

I brought my car here early this morning and it only took an hour for him to fix my muffler. Right away they knew what the problem was and he had me look under the car to see it too. Then, he said «I can cut it here and here and weld a new piece in» and that’s $ 75.” If I was to replace the entire muffler, which most places would do, it would cost me $ 700 – 900 for the fix.
Thanks so much! The tea was tasty too. I’ve been in a good mood all day from this!