Ben Nielsen's Alexandria Automotive

Reviews

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

  Ann Agnew
2 days ago
I ve been going to Ben Nielsen s for the last two years. What matters most to me is being able to trust that the service recommended is what is actually needed. Ben Nielsen tells you what needs to be done now and lets you know what is likely coming but can wait. They re professional, provide the service quickly and beyond that the people there are friendly and take a genuine interest in you. My car has a permanent new care giver!

  Doreca Delbridge
2 weeks ago
I came to them for a pre-purchase inspection. I was test driving a car that I liked and needed some reassurance whether it would make a good buy or not. They were friendly, quick and transparent in their process and report. The report they provided helped me make a decision on my car purchase. I'm thankful that they were able to accommodate me on a short notice which helped me to close the deal on my car purchase that day.

  Matt Carlino
4 months ago
This company, & all the employees I interacted with, are excellent. I would give them 10 stars. My truck broke down just as I entered a parking garage for Reagan airport. Once I got to the gate for my flight I started researching garages in the area and found Ben Nielsen's. I'm from DE and my return flight landed at noon the next Saturday. From the first phone call, to driving my truck back home to DE at 3:30 that Saturday afternoon, these guys were professional, super helpful, and cared about my dilemma. They lined me up with a great towing service (shout out A's Affordable Towing and Mike the driver!), asked me enough questions to diagnosis what was wrong with the truck, made sure I had the truck towed to one of their locations that had a good mechanic working until 4 that Saturday, and communicated with me via phone and text the entire time. I was very impressed with the level of customer service, and would highly recommend Ben Nielsen's to anyone. Special thanks to Pat, Katie, and Mara for all your help and patience. And of course the mechanic, unfortunately I did not get his name - but BIG thanks to you!

  Amber Lufkins
2 months ago
These guys were absolutely amazing and I will definitely bring any of my car troubles to them. They were honest with me and really worked to find out what was wrong with my Buick enclave . Pat dealt with my back to back phone calls even after my car left to answer my questions and Charlie would check on anything I asked about when my car was there. If you re trying to find a mechanic that works with you and doesn t try to lie for more money this is the place to go! Thanks guys!!!!

  Alex W
5 months ago
Recently visited Alexandria Automotive (Colvin St.) for the first time for an oil change and check up. Couldn t be more impressed; they are both experienced and have integrity (not a combination I ve seen often in the auto repair industry) and made sure they addressed all my concerns. The manager, Katie Quinn, was extremely helpful and responsive; I am thrilled to have found them.

  Joseph Maher
5 months ago
Hello Northern Virginia. FYI . By far the best experience and amazing customer service I ve ever had at an Automotive Shop , is Ben Nielsens in Alexandria. We have family in town and were passing through on our way back to Colorado. We needed some service quickly, but I never ever thought they would complete it the same day I called. Totally amazing. Awesome people. Thanks

  Erin Jensen
4 months ago
Best experience I ve had at a mechanic! Katie is knowledgeable and friendly. The guys in the garage are thorough and polite. Reasonable rates and efficient work. A great experience all around. I will definitely be bringing my car back for maintenance and check ups. Yay!

  Zach R
5 months ago
If I would have walked out of there fixing everything thing that was wrong it would have been almost 7k could have bought anther car at that point places is an insane rip off would not recommend at all! Price gouging to the max! They also lie and claim things are wrong with your car that are not like lights being out and saying I needed an oil change even though I got one 2 weeks prior and tried to sell me a 200$ synthetic oil change. I went in with what I thought was a transmission problem and turned out only to be battery and charged me 600$ for a new battery what kind of people charge that for a freaking battery change!! Could have done it myself!! Ugh

  Dustin Young
2 months ago
This is my second time coming to Ben Nelson s on Colvin St and each time has been an amazing experience with them! My 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX had lots and lots of issues from the dealership and they took my car did their inspection and gave me an accurate quote for both of the times I brought my car in. They do excellent work and I highly recommend this shop if you are looking for someone you can trust and call home for all your auto needs.

  brent sessions
a month ago
Everyone was very professional and a pleasure to work with while dealing with my car issues. Also the service time was a quicker turn around time than I anticipated. What I thought would take 4 days only took 2.

  Russ Mykytyn
a month ago
Cost of replacing a starter was 2x higher than other shops. If I hadn t towed my car to the shop, I would have towed it elsewhere to get it repaired.Charging $180+ for connecting and reading an ODB II device is insane. Buy FIXD online and walk in knowing what s wrong with your car before they charge you $180 and tell you the same thing.Would not recommend ..

  Heather Young
3 months ago
Great experience! Needed a major fix fast due to holiday travel and was scheduled, in, and done before I knew it. Left with full confidence that my car was good to go the 800 miles it needed to go. Thank you, thank you!

  Adrienne Moore
a month ago
Wonderful experience! They were able to quickly fit me in on a Saturday afternoon! Price was very reasonable. Highly recommend.

  Kenny Gallardo
4 months ago
Car Inspected with Dion Mino,he wa very honest about the status of our vehicle. Great estimate and help. The service was too long for a full repair because of OUR travel needs. Would have selected service otherwise.

  Anna Mulamba
6 months ago
Such as great shop! As a woman going to a body shop solo can often be intimidating and feel like I m getting screwed over. But they did a great job of helping me make an informed decision about fixes to my car. Also worked within my budget. I ll be back for all my car needs in the future!Services: Vehicle Inspection, Brake service & repair, Auto brake replacement, Oil changeServices: Vehicle Inspection, Brake service & repair, Auto brake replacement, Oil change

  Christopher D'Amico
6 months ago
For my first time visiting BNAA, I had great, informal interaction with manager Katie and she took good care of me and alleviated any worries I had regarding my repairs. She was upfront with pricing and using my phone to approve repairs. Very simple from start to finish and very professional. I'll plan to use them again!Service: Auto power window repairService: Auto power window repair

  Scott Bainer
7 months ago
Outstanding service!The manager (Katie) made sure the problem with my truck was fully understood and promptly addressed. She kept me informed of the status of the repair and called when it was ready.That may sound pretty obvious, but I had my truck in to two other businesses - one was a dealership - and got nowhere with them.It is refreshing to have serious customer care such as this.Services: Steering & suspension repair, Steering & suspension replacement, Auto brake repair, Brakes, Wiper blade installation, Brake service & repair, Oil change

  Shiela Corley
a week ago
Pat and team provided exceptional service and explained to me everything that they did. Best service that I have had in this area!

  Sean McElrath
7 months ago
! I ve been in to this auto shop multiple times in the past few weeks and Katie and the rest of the team at Ben Nielsen s have been nothing short of top-notch! So friendly and helpful and in my few brief interactions they ve gone out of their way multiple times to go above and beyond to make my experience great. Whether it was giving me a discount if there was a slight inconvenience, letting me come in 30 minutes early to still make it to work on time, or offering to set up a ride to get me to where I needed to go, they really know how to treat customers with the best service. Highly recommend and will definitely be coming back!

  Carlos Augusto Jimenez Delgado
6 months ago
They were so friendly and incredible efficient! They gave me a list of everything that I needed to perform on my car. They also provide you with a ride to get back home and to the body shop as well. Super recommend.

  Liza Karras
7 months ago
I took my 12 year car in for an inspection and found out there were a few critical issues that needed to be fixed. Ben Niehlsen a sent me a detailed report of all the issues, broken down from most to least critical. Katie was so helpful and walked me through the whole process. She and the team made everything easy and painless - even sending a ride to pick me up when my car was ready. I will definitely be back!

  Steve Nelson
a month ago
Heard about Ben Nielson Auto for a long time from friends. After the dealer-maintenance plan ran out I switched. So far very impressed.

  Nicholas Crawford
7 months ago
Cody helped me so much today. Often people with little car experience can feel quite intimidated when it comes to getting automotive work done but Cody was so kind, welcoming, and honest that I truly felt I was in great hands. I'm very thankful for places like this and people like Cody. I hope they take good care of him there. Anyway, this experience was great and I'll definitely be back. Thank you all so much!!!Service: Electrical repair

  Veronica Evans
10 months ago
My service here was excellent to say the least. I came in to get a tail light fixed and they took the courtesy of doing a full inspection of my car on top of that without any extra charges. The staff has great communication regarding the status of your vehicle. Lena was an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond with her customer service. I will definitely be returning next time I need my car serviced.Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Samantha Rowland
11 months ago
Second time coming back! Customer service was phenomenal. I highly recommend working with Lena at the front desk. She greeted me and was super pleasant and she also thoughtfully listened to my concerns about my car. She was able to provide accurate info as to the wait time, issue, and estimated cost for repair. She got my car seen and fixed within 4 hours.

  Connor Jacob
8 months ago
Highly recommended! I dropped my truck off early in the morning for an alignment and Katie at the front desk called me a Lyft to and from work and my truck was ready by midday. She was very knowledgeable and explained the services performed and overall went above and beyond.Service: Wheel alignmentService: Wheel alignment

  M R
2 years ago
James and Nick are great guys. I take my vehicles there over the dealerships in Alexandria. Quick and first rate service. Recommending to my friends. Thanks guys!

  V
8 months ago
I unfortunately, had some bad experiences with random people working on my car about two years ago before discovering Ben Nielsen Automotive the beginning of this year and I m now suffering from the issues, but I m very grateful for the work that Katie and Charlie were able to do to thoroughly figure out the ongoing problem and put me in a better situation than any other mechanical shop, I ve done business with! Katie is very communicative at explaining all the various ways they try to figure out what causes the problem and how to go about solving it and while I m so young to understand, it still puts me at ease that she tells me the details. I almost gave up on my car at one point, but I m glad I didn t. I m going to keep going to them as long I keep driving.

  Samantha McCullough
10 months ago
After years of trying to find an honest auto shop, I think my search is over. Their detailed report (with pics) gave me clear info about my car's problem areas. And Lena was fabulous at explaining everything in detail and helping me choose what needed to be done right away vs. a few months down the line. And I can vouch for their honesty because another local shop said I needed a new battery and spark plugs ASAP. But Nielsen's report showed that my battery was fine and that the spark plugs could wait another few months. Nielsen's also caught my worn front brakes, which the other shop either overlooked or didn't check at all. I definitely recommend them, especially if you're a woman looking for a place that won't try to lie to you or steal your money.

  Sahil Malhotra
6 months ago
First time here and really appreciated the honest price & advice for my car s repair. The front desk is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Will be coming back in the future.Services: Steering & suspension repair, Auto exhaust system repair, Vehicle InspectionServices: Steering & suspension repair, Auto exhaust system repair, Vehicle Inspection