Ben Nielsen's 10th Street Automotive

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Marco Monti
a week ago
These people are the worst mechanic on the planet. They took advantage of my situation and scammed me to the moon. It was my first time visiting DC and my rear brake started acting weird as I was approaching the city. I called my mechanic in NYC and she suggested I get it fixed in DC for safety reasons.I needed the rotor caliper and brake pads replaced on the rear 2 wheels only and Ben Nielsen Automotive charged me 2 thousand dollars!!!For a job in New York, they quoted me $750. For safety reasons, I couldn't drive my car back to NY so I had to pay them.Cherry on top, the guy was laughing at how good the food is in NYC while he was charging me 1000 dollars in labor for a morning of work.Edit: just went to my mechanic in NYC for Inspection and charged me $350 for the same job but front axel. These people in DC are the worst. Stay away!

  Justine H
a month ago
Had a dead battery that needed changing - they were able to do that within 24 hours and also completed a free inspection that noticed a few other things we should / could get done. I never felt pressured to get additional work done, and the communication and pricing was both transparent and quick. They are easily reachable by phone and text message which made making decisions during the work day really easy.All in all, great service at fair prices - and not the pressure / scare tactics of dealerships or other shops. Will be back!

  Henry Sookram
4 weeks ago
Great team! I had a car breakdown in a parking lot nearby. They were the closest repair shop, so I called to see if they had vacancy for the towed vehicle. They were super friendly and accommodating; I knew right away that I would be in good hands. They were communicative and attentive throughout my car's repair, and they gave me a full report of optional other repairs they suggested, but I didn't feel too pressured to get them done at the same visit, given the costs. They were a little pricier than other shops I've used in the past, but their attention and attitude made it so worth it to support a smaller business. I highly recommend!

  Karri Brady
2 months ago
Normally great service was missing this time around. Service took longer than expected, no communication. I was on a deadline and had to track down my car only to find out it was finished. When I came to pick it up you guys recommended an additional $1000 in service. This happens every time I come in. Granted, I have an older car, so I expect it to need service. But some care could be taken in communicating to your customers. I want to believe the best, but it s hard not to feel gouged.

  Don & Laura Whittaker
a month ago
This will be another posting from me in support of this fine group. Chris and company are the best. If you waste time looking around or nickel-diming other garages, you re doing that wasting your time. Keep your car running by a team that cares AND stands behind their work. They truly are the best! I have 200,000+ miles on my BMW and they are the only folks who will ever touch it.

  Julie Sanders
3 days ago
I took my Honda Fit in for a checkup recently. Thoughtful customer service and attention and really good communication made the experience pleasant and the car seems good so far! I'll be going back.

  Mark Orebiyi
2 months ago
I visited 10th street Automotive shop recently to get an oil change and I was fortunate to get a spot for maintenance. The person at the front desk (Chris) was extremely patient with me which I appreciated. This was the first time visiting this shop. I ll be honest, this was the most THROUGH review of my car that has ever been done. I was truly impressed. Their analysis of my vehicle was so detailed and documented I was basically in surprised. The oil change was about $110 in total. They pointed out items in my car to look out for and items that need to be addressed immediately. This location is right off H street and close to my place. Look forward to going back.

  Catboy
a month ago
car was toast after it got towed. was in the shop for 2 days and all of the crew were very helpful, respectful, and they communicated what they were doing on my car effectively. would highly recommend their services to somebody in NE DC

  Samantha Deur
2 weeks ago
Overpriced services - seems they may try to take advantage of people who don t know anything about cars. I came here for the first time and they gave me a full diagnostic claiming my car needed urgent repairs equating to about $3K. I called the mechanic from my old town and had him take a look and he said it would be only a few hundred dollars - not because of a friends and family deal but because my car did not need such severe repairs that they were claiming, at only under 27,000 miles. They claimed I fully needed to replace my suspension control arm when it was nowhere near a level of needing complete replacement.UPDATE: Updating my review to 3 stars because the general manager Mike called me to discuss this. He confirmed that the diagnostic was not done properly and alerts were flagged for items that were not in need of immediate repair. He assured me that training would be given to the staff who conducted my inspection.

  Wei Hong
7 months ago
I permanently lost our beloved silver Hyundai Elantra, one day after I dropped my car key to Ben Nielsen's 10th Street Automotive on August 25, 2023 morning. What a sad and awful experience to a Canadian family with two young kids on a vacation trip to the US capital city!After a long road trip, we arrived in Washington DC on August 23, 2023, Wednesday. We enjoyed the sight-seeings in DC, and had planned for our returning trip on August 25, Friday. However, I found my engine light was on in the evening of August 24, Thursday. The engine light was off on Friday early morning, but to ensure a safe returning, I still drove it to the parking lot of Ben Nielsen's 10th Street Automotive at 7:15am to have it checked. I told them I came because of their good google reviews, and because they open on Saturday as I could not afford to stay in DC to next Monday. They told me they would try their best to check and fix my car by the end of Saturday, even they are very busy, and they would give me a phone call to follow up. I thanked them and left my car key to them, and replanned for one more day staying in DC.In the whole day of Friday, I did not receive their phone call. I called them twice at 11:34am and 4:02pm that day, and both times they told me they had not had a chance to look at my car, but would call me back as soon as they start to check my car.On August 26, Saturday morning I called them again at 8:52am, and I got the same answer as on Friday afternoon. At 9:27am, I finally receive their phone call. What I heard in that phone call! They told me that my car was vandalized by thieves during the night, one window was smashed, the igition part of the car was damaged and it was totally undrivable. I was extremely shocked, and asked them how this could happen, and their answer was "well, this is a common problem in Downtown DC". They asked me to come to their place as soon as possible.When I arrived at the scene, I found the car was not in their parking lot where I parked one day ago, but had been moved by them to the road side near the intersection of 9 ST NE and F ST NE, about 1 minute walking distance to their garage. I was told it was a common practice because they do not have a big parking lot. I would never forget the miserable scene when I saw my car being vandalized. I asked them if this happened to them before, they said it was the first time for them, but it is a very common problem in DC, and that it was all due to my bad luck.I spent the whole Saturday to deal with the unexpected loss of my car: calling the police, calling the insurance company, calling to find a tow truck company and a Hyundai dealer to trade-in my damaged car. My two young kids had to stay with mom for the whole day in one place because of lack of mobility. When I tried to talk to Ben Nielsen's 10th Street Automotive about their responsibility for moving the car, they looked so indifferent and did not want to talk to me anymore.After leaving my damaged car to a Hyundai dealer, I had to book a flight for our family and returned to Canada on August 27, Sunday morning. Still, our US trip awarded us many warm and beautiful memories. But our experience with Ben Nielsen's 10th Street Automotive was really a nightmare to us.Service: Auto engine diagnostic

  Julianne Schrack
3 months ago
Amazing service! They helped me in a pinch and despite filing my tank with a few quarts of oil to ensure it was ok over the holidays, they didn t charge me. We take our car here for all services and trust their advice. Always happy with their service and will continue to go there for our car needs.

  Angelina Guarino
a month ago
This is my go to shop for maintenance and repair. I recommend to any other single woman who wants a mechanic that is thorough, professional, and honest. They always talk through repairs and strategize what's needed now, never trying to upsell. Flexible around work time, they have never failed to take of what I needed 100%.

  Christy Baker-Smith
3 months ago
Chris and the rest of the team were amazing. Super friendly and clear and a great report system that makes it easy to understand how your car is and what needs to be done. They are also great at communicating with calls, texts and email.

  Andy McKinley
2 months ago
A very friendly and competent auto shop. They changed brakes and rotors on my car at a very reasonable and competitive price.I dropped the car off in the morning and the shop gave me a lift to the Metro. Very convenient.

  Michael Kowalcyk
4 months ago
Took my Subaru for a minor wheel repair and periodic maintenance. They were very thorough and provided prompt feedback when finding any other issues with the car. A few days later, a minor electronic issue was discovered and they were very quick to respond and squeeze me in last minute to diagnose and address. Fortunately it was a battery issue and easily resolved.

  Lindsay Jenkins
3 months ago
I was stranded with a dead battery on a cold morning. The 10th Street Automotive team jumped to action and got me to their shop and off to work on a fast turn around. They were professional, straightforward, and affordable. Definitely grateful to have found them and will use them again!

  Ethan Dunn
4 months ago
Peace of mind. My son's 2005 Mustang broke down during a trip to DC. The team at 10th Street Automotive was super helpful in managing this repair long distance. Communication was excellent, diagnostic was comprehensive, repairs were thorough. I feel like the car is in even better shape than it was before. We were incredibly lucky to find this business during our difficult time.

  Adam Kerns
4 months ago
Great neighborhood auto shop! Took my 2016 Mazda CX-5 for an oil change and annual check-up. Easy drop-off and pick-up. Friendly service and I didn t feel like they were trying to upsell me on unnecessary repairs. I had been taking my car to the dealer for maintenance but will now be going here as it was the same cost if not slightly less and more convenient! Highly recommended!

  Megan Max
5 months ago
I just started going to Ben Nielsen s on 10th, and I ve been twice now. As much as I want to keep this a secret because I want to keep this gem to myself, that would be unfair. The staff makes every aspect of getting my car fixed so easy and understandable. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and I m glad I found this place! I highly recommend checking them out!!

  Larissa Johnstone
4 months ago
I specifically drove from Indian head to DC to get the best in the business from Javier Uribe. Definitely recommend him for any of your future car needs. He will give you a HONEST, EDUCATED, EXCELLENT transaction.He doesn t just try to make a sale out of his customers but rather treats them like his family. As a chick, it s nice to know he doesn t mansplain either.Only car guy I trust.Services: General repairs & maintenance, Auto interior vacuuming, Oil change

  Rebecca Grandahl
5 months ago
Got my two front tires replaced, an oil change, and a rear differential axel seal from leaking I didn't know I had until they did a full inspection. They did a thorough job, provided me a detailed report with multiple photos, and kept me up to date. They met my deadlines at every turn and did a quick yet quality job. Very impressed!Services: Auto water leak repair, Vehicle Inspection, Wheel alignment, Auto tire replacement, Oil changeServices: Auto water leak repair, Vehicle Inspection, Wheel alignment, Auto tire replacement, Oil change

  Erin Fusco
5 months ago
Great experience bringing my car here for the first time! The team was able to fit me in the same day I called, and the work was completed the next day. Hayden was kind, professional, and so helpful. Very impressed with the service and will be bringing my car back here again!Services: Auto brake repair, Auto maintenance, BatteryServices: Auto brake repair, Auto maintenance, Battery

  Michelle Jiles
6 days ago
2nd visit returned to get my car checked out before going on a long drive, got it back same day, detailed report on issues, fixed quickly, great people.1st visit Had a flat, quick replacement, good price. Will definitely return for other services.Service: Auto maintenanceService: Auto maintenance

  PH
4 months ago
I had the best experience here. I called in about replacing my car breaks and they made it their priority to get my car completed in no time. Thank you all for your communication, professionalism and efficiency.

  Johnathan Edmund
2 months ago
Detailed. I appreciate them so much for the comprehensive look at my car when I came in for service. Identifying things to be completed and giving reasonable solutions. Cheers to 10th st Automotive which is a gem of an auto shop located on Capitol Hill.

  unclejulz
5 months ago
I noticed my front left headlight was out. I called and was able to get an appointment nice and quick. They do a great job of letting you know how your car is generally doing and which problems should be addressed first in order of safety.Services: Tires, Steering & suspension replacement, Auto brake repair, Brakes, Auto maintenanceServices: Tires, Steering & suspension replacement, Auto brake repair, Brakes, Auto maintenance

  Jayla Poindexter
5 months ago
I've used 10th Street Automotive twice now and it's been great and professional service both times! They made me feel comfortable and provided fast service. I will continue to use them in the future for any car needs.Services: Auto windshield repair, General repairs & maintenance, Transmission repair, Oil changeServices: Auto windshield repair, General repairs & maintenance, Transmission repair, Oil change

  Casey Contres
a month ago
The customer service here is very friendly and transparent about the work that needs done along with their timeline. Would absolutely take my car back there in the future.

  Ross Gianfortune
4 months ago
I've been taking my Prius to 10th Street Automotive since I bought it six years ago. They've always been clear with me, addressed my problems quickly and effectively listened to my concerns. It's a great shop.

  Hannah B
a month ago
Very kind group of folks that communicated very well throughout the entire diagnostic/repair process. Clearly empathetic to the stress and frustration of needing auto repairs. Highly recommend this shop.