I simply cannot say enough about Jerome and everyone at Ben White Automotive. Honest, thorough and efficient. I have been coming here for everything from regular oil changes to bigger jobs like the timing belt, brake work and suspension work. Their pricing is fair and unless something unforeseen happens, the estimate for both time and price are dead on. They send you a text with pictures and a full explanation of what was looked at and what repairs need to be done and when. That helps you budget time and money and keeps you abreast of any potential issues down the road. Excellent mechanics and top notch customer service. Don't hesitate to bring your car here. read more

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Great experience at this auto shop. They were fast, honest, and didn't try to upsell anything I didn't need. Prices were fair and the work was done right the first time. I'll definitely be coming back for future service read more

So far my experience has been exceptional. I found out about them after receiving coupons in the mail. I went to get my car checked, and they listed out all the things wrong with my car, organizing the priority issues. Austin at the front desk was able to cut me a deal so that I can get my engine light turned off. It's nice knowing what I need to get done next. Plus they have shuttle service so if you live near by, they will take you home. Thank you Ben White! read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. I have services performed that I was quoted 2-3 times more than I was charged here. This is not half fast work either they do excellent work . I have take multiple vehicles and have been pleased everytime. If you think if it's worth towing to have checked it is ! Everyone was so nice and informative. I will only come here from now on for all my automotive needs. read more

Vehicle brought in for thermostat installment. Owner wanted me to pay prior to pick up and called me the night before. That was odd. Upon arrival to pick up my vehicle I was told it won't start and maybe the fob keys. I just changed the Fob key batteries. Then they said it was the car battery. They wanted to order a new battery and charge me $$$$. I said no! Miraculously they gave me my car and it started!! This was last year! No battery problem. . However my engine lights came on and it was still showing a thermostat issue!!' That they installed?? They had a warranty for it and said bring it back!! No! I cannot trust them!!! Now I have the dealer putting in a new thermostat. I'm very Leary of them! read more

I couldn't get the online appointment to go through so I drove parked went inside wasn't even greeted. The guy asked what do you need I said an oil change. He says I don't have anything available until 1 o'clock. The online appointments were all free and open so I went over to Jiffy Lube and he matched the coupon price of $39. Ben White automotive are jerks and I will not recommend this business to anyone here in Austin. read more

Outstanding service and excellent staff! Jerome, The manager, is an intelligent man with outstanding CustomerCare. They certainly wear thorough in their inspection of my car and performed excellent repairs and oil change in most effective and efficient ways. The staff is really nice and pleasant to work with! I highly recommend Ben White, Automotive and will definitely go back for my future regular maintenance and any mechanical issue I may have. Thank you, Jerome read more

Hey I don't chat companies up much but the owners care about the service you get , inform me when I needed to attend to real issues not fluffy possible things that would make a bigger ticket and I felt like they did what I needed and still helpful to my needs . Good job guys read more

Ben White Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Austin, Texas

This was my first time using Ben White Automotive, and I couldn't be happier! The AC in my 10-year old Honda Fit couldn't keep the car cool, but the service department at Howdy Honda claimed it was working fine when I had the car serviced in April. After suffering through the June-July heat, when I got Ben White Automotive's flyer in the mail offering a free AC check I decided to give them a shot. I was able to bring my car in the same day, was there for at most an hour, and I drove off with the car icy cold again. Wow! Everyone at Ben White Automotive is very friendly and courteous, and they took the time to explain what was being done and fixed. The interior has a nice waiting area with cushy seats, vending machine, coffee, water cooler, WiFi, and restroom, so I was plenty comfy while I waited. I only wish I'd discovered these guys sooner! I highly recommend Ben White Automotive A+++ read more

Polite, helpful and efficient. This was my first visit to the new location of Ben White Automotive. I needed an oil change so I stopped by and scheduled an appointment. Price was fair. Returned the next day and got the oil change. Took about 45 minutes. I was concerned about some of the yelp reviews I had seen but after this experience I intend to return for other services. Nuff Said! read more

RUN the other way. RUN RUN RUN COMPLETELY WASTE OF MY TIME. I put my vehicle in their trust to be honest, truthful, follow through and get it done. NOPE Do they have a business model? I was not treat as valued customer. Many times they said they would do this and by this time. NOPE not done. Company could not call with updates or what the company needed permission to do. The company would say they will call in the morning. Never heard from them. Do not go to this place if you Mexican and female. Do not go this place if you are female. This business is master of using spoken language to be genuine. Complete Facade. Complete rip off. Some would say this is fake business. Could say m_ney la_nd_ring? Psst. I am filing a complaint to Better Business Bureau. read more

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE CROOKS!!! They are dishonest and will straight up lie to you about what parts they are putting in your vehicle. I have proof of all of it posted here. Follow along if you'd like. Back in Sept. 2021 my transmission went out on my Silverado 1500. I am from Dallas but was visiting in Austin and so was forced to have it repaired there unless I got it towed all the way back. I found South Austin Auto Repair shop and took my truck in. I was given the option to put in a rebuilt transmission (less expensive, less reliable, shorter lifespan, about 30k+ miles) or a remanufactured transmission (more expensive, more reliable, longer lifespan, about 80k+ miles). I opted to pay the shop more for the reman transmission because I planned to drive my truck for many more years. I pick my truck up about a week later after they call me to let me know it is ready and when I show up the motor to roll up/down my driver window has stopped working while in their possession and we argue back and forth and they refuse to fix it so I pay them to do that too so I can drive back to Dallas without my window down the entire way up I-35. Fast forward 2 years and probably about 20k miles (max) later, and my transmission is slipping again, exactly how it felt right before it went out last time. I took it to get diagnosed and sure enough they told me it is failing. I call the shop, which is now Ben White Automotive, to let them know of the issue and check the warranty. This shop and South Austin Auto Repair have the same owner (Ron Stanley) as I have proof based on the BBB listings. I speak with Jerome (see our text conversation) there who at first tells me they only have a 2 year warranty on the work/parts. I then asked where the remanufactured transmission came from because there could be a manufacturer warranty that covers it. (GM warranty is 3 yr/100K miles on reman transmission purchased from them) He proceeds to confirm to me that it is in fact a reman. transmission and where they bought it from (Capitol Chevrolet in Austin). This is all shown in texts between Jerome and I. To get to the end of this, I dug and dug, called the dealership, GM, and Ben White Automotive trying to get answers. Everyone seemed to not have record of a reman. transmission ever being purchased for my truck except conveniently the ones who I paid to put it in. Somehow Jerome was able to "confirm" that they did in fact put a reman. transmission in my truck and where it was purchased from, but when pressed to show me where he found that info. he continued to make the excuse that "South Austin Auto Repair shut down so we don't have records from back then because the business shut down." Well then how were you able to tell me what type of transmission was put in and where it was purchased at? Make that make sense Jerome. I pressed this question and he blocked my number shortly after. Basically Ron Stanley and his dishonest team will lie to you, cover things up, and then essentially tell you to get lost when you start having issues. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE CROOKS!!! read more

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Not happy so far. I had to return my Mazda truck back in to Ben White auto to fix the issue I just payed $1000 to have fixed 4 days ago. The fuel pump was supposedly replaced (did not git old unit back). Truck HAS hard starts when and runs rough at idle. $125.00 for LEVEL 1 TESTING !! I was told the fuel pump was bad and needed to be replaced and that WILL fix the hard start and rough Idle issue. AFTER the commitment to replace pump was made a MYSTERY "Y" connector (No PART # ) that is only available in a WHOLE KIT and again (NP PART OR KIT #), NOW IT WILL BE $900.00 more TOTAL $1900.00 !!! I SAID "FINE FIX MY TRUCK" Now it gets better the MYSTERY "Y" connector only in WHOLE PART KIT ---Kit is not available. Austin J. Service Mgr. said The fuel pump would fix the hard start and rough running issue But I will need to find the "Y" connector (NO PART #). Replacing the fuel pump OR WHATEVER the Mechanic did did not fix the issue. Called Monday (Truck was picked up late on Friday) talked to Austin to return my Mazda truck and was told the mechanic that repaired Truck would check it out. The Mec. had scheduled to leave early Monday I replayed "I will bring it in Tuesday at around 4PM I am Not angry yet. People make mistakes and I Thought it would be made right . On Tuesday Austin was no in and New service Mgr. said the mechanic would TALK TO ME when I bring the truck in. The mechanic Wanted to tell me "STORY'S of ALL the Ford Rangers HE HAD (PAST) AND ALL had the MYSTERY "Y" issue. I asked REPEATEDLY --- "WHAT IS THE PART NUMBER" he supposedly had so many with the SAME issue. He got angry and said " I CANT WORK ON YOUR TRUCK YOU TALK MEAN TO ME" I spoke with the shop Mgr. and agreed to leave the truck so it can be checked after sitting for several hours. Now we see what happens next -- Will Ben White Auto fix the issue or will the mechanic say the Mystery "Y" issue is at fault. $125.00 Level 1 test FEE. $900.00 Repair FEE all paid. Having a problem is not the issue NOT TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM I PAID FOR IS THE ISSUE ! read more

I was blown away by the service of this place. I got a car through carvana which was a nightmare. there were so many problems with it and I took it into Ben White Automotive. Austin was there to help me and gave me a diagnosis of the car, and Jerome was on the phone with the Carvana insurance over an hour to make sure it didn't come out of my pocket. They go above and beyond. Extremely qualified, and I got my car back with a very quick turnaround. I will be going here for as long as I'm living in Austin. read more

Terrible customer service from the manager, Brent. Aweful experience. Do no recommend Ben White Automotive. Take your car or truck anywhere else in South Austin. Lopez Automotive and Autotek have both provided excellent service to me in the past. I would recommend both Lopez and Autotek. read more

I can not express in words how happy I am that I called Ben White Automotive! This was actually my second opinion after I felt scammed by a different AAA endorsed company. BWA was able to get my original quote from $4000 down to about $1400 including parts and labor. They were extremely helpful in helping me find the replacement drive train and then honest enough to tell me that I didn't need to replace the transfer case (like the original quote from a different auto shop included). I felt like I was treated extremely fairly and treated like an equal person instead of a customer with a blank check. There aren't many people or things that I would endorse with 100% confidence, but after my first experience with Ben White Automotive I will definitely come here with any future car and truck needs. I will also be recommending them to all of my friends too. read more

Avoid this mechanic at all costs. They took 3 attempts to find the issue with my vehicle and still did not fix it. Waste of time and money.

Who in the world works on OLD cars anymore?!?!? I ran into Gary and his right hand man Rick by sheer luck and what a lucky accident it was. I have a 1977 El Camino and I for on have been screwed and tattooed by shops that work on classic cars and keep your whip for MONTHS at a time. One shop put transmission fluid down the carb so when I picked it up it was super SMOKEY (an old repair shop trick) but as luck would have it the owner had a crate motor ready to go at $4K.....and they did this to my dad with his 78 El Camino. Talk about embarrassing as we had to wait until the transmission fluid "burned off". (Chris at Classic Automotive are you paying attention?) No tricks, no BS, just rock solid advise and experience from an owner who cares about his reputation. Rick his lead service tech said it best. I've been working on cars since I was 13 and I have worked for Gary Anders since 1982........ They will fix your car and come hell or high water will do the right thing by you. read more

I took in my Pathfinder to get a thermostat issue resolved. Cost me a whopping near $600. Paid the cost with no arguments and nice response to receiving payment. When I finally drove off, a squeaking sound emerged. I turned right around and showed Gary the problem. His mechanic said it was the belt. The same belt was fine before I took it there. I tried to argue it but he wasn't gonna do anything about it for free. He refused to fix it. He just washed their hands. Horrible Service. I will never go back unless the thermostat blows out because it has a warranty! Other than that never again! I said my piece. read more

Ben White Automotive - Expensive Cost with bad Customer Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Austin, Texas

These are the best, most honest mechanics I've ever come across. On multiple occasions they have bent over backwards to accommodate whatever the situation. I can't believe I've found a mechanic shop that's good enough to recommend but this is the place. I was sent here originally by a friend who is a mechanic so they had my trust from Day One and have done nothing to squander it. read more

AVOID THIS SHOP AT ALL COSTS - WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dropped my car off with Gary Anders at Ben White Automotive on February 20, 2019. I called in regarding an engine check light and that I needed an engine flush. I mentioned the light came on right after I received an oil change and air filter replacement from Jiffy Lube and that it might be related to needing a flush since they recommended I needed one at my current mileage. Gary performed the engine flush per my request, but when I arrived to pay my bill, I noticed on my invoice he wrote under the labor description that code PO442 was for a faulty air filter being installed. He charged me $121.10 to check the engine light plus an additional $60.55 to turn the light off (which should have been included in the $121.10 cost.) I also was charged Synthetic for my Transmission Flush which I did not authorize the use of that expensive fluid, I have a 2013 Chevy Cruze, all I needed was conventional oil. This all came out to $500.15! I knew something wasn't right with the bill and disputed the charges with Gary, but he kept giving me some crap excuse and told me to get a refund for the check engine light from Jiffy Lube since they installed my air filter incorrectly, which caused the light to turn on. I have been to this shop before and typically if I purchase a service they will include the engine light check for free, otherwise I typically bring my car to Autozone for that since they do that for free. I went ahead and paid so I could get the hell out of there and three days after leaving the shop, my engine light came back on. I took it to Autozone for a free check this time and they pulled the same code PO442, but the description was for an Evaporative Emission System Leak Detection and I needed a new Canister Purge Valve which costs $20 and you can install it by hand with no tools (I ended up doing it myself it was so easy). I noticed the same PO442 code was written on my invoice from Gary but for a faulty air filter being installed. I know that the codes are specific and this looks like Gary took my story about the air filter and used it for the reasoning behind the check engine light being on. I actually did further research and found out a check engine light would never kick on from an air filter. There is no sensor associated with that unit. Gary completely fabricated my invoice and I have proof of it Attached. Gary took complete advantage of me and committed fraud. I have already filed a complaint with this company through the BBB and the owner, Tomas Dalin is not resolving this case. He keeps giving me a generic response saying those are their prices and I can bring my car back and they will perform a free engine check this time... yeah right! I only brought my car here because they've helped me in the past. This was my first time ever dealing with Gary and I did more research and found out that Ben White Automotive use to be owned by two other shops, but recently sold them and they are all owned individually now. I actually called one of the other shops to get some information and they actually asked if I was dealing with Gary and I told them yes and they said that he used to work at their shop and used to pull this crap on customers all of the time so they fired him!! I am in the process of pursuing legal action now to make sure this shop takes responsibility for their actions and stops screwing anyone else over. Keep you guys posted. read more

Ben White Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Austin, Texas

Started taking my 2005 Tundra to Ben White Automotive when my regular mechanic shop closed. Gary, at Ben White Auto, has helped me address several major issues with my truck and has dealt with these issues in a straightforward, honest manner. In my view, it's not easy to find reliable, honest mechanics these days. I'd recommend Gary and Ben White Auto to anyone without reservation. read more

My experiences at Ben White Automotive haven't been nearly as dramatic as the first two reviews, but they weren't smooth, either. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought that in this day in age, it should be known that women know more about automobiles than ever before, and are more savvy in general about what to expect from any specialty service, like a mechanic. The good ole boys at Ben White Automotive, however, seem to think that women are still clueless about their cars, and can be bullshitted just like it's the damn 1950s. I had two prior services on my 1999 Hyundai, and those had gone well. I thought the price was fair (I actually work at a generator company wherein we service machines) for the labor and parts, and everything was explained to me fully. The technician even came in on a Saturday to finish the work on my car that time and to release it to me. Nice! This time, I had a fuel line and a tensioner replaced on my car. The mechanic assigned to my job said my car would be ready on a Monday, and the Monday came and went. To me, if you're going to be longer than you've quoted someone, a simple phone call is the least you can do to tell them they'll be without their vehicle another day. The very next day after I got my car back, I was experiencing the same issue with the tensioner. Due to time constraints, I couldn't bring my car in for about a week. When I did finally bring it in at about noon on a weekday, I was told that they would get around to looking at it "after lunch," and they didn't give me any kind of ETA on when I could expect the problem to be fixed. There was never an apology or sense of remorse. I didn't hear anything back from them all afternoon. At 4:30 PM, I still hadn't heard back. I was expressing this concern to a male coworker, who asked that I dial the company. We decided to hold a little social experiment: He pretended to be my husband, and here's how that conversation went: Male Coworker: "Yes, my wife brought her Hyundai in today. Is it fixed?" Mechanic: "Yes, the part was under warranty. You know, you had some problems with this car." M C: "I know, and we brought it to you all to have that taken care of. Why haven't you notified my wife? It's 4:30 PM, four-and-a-half hours after she dropped off her car, and she's worried." Mechanic: "Uh, I'm sorry about that, sir." When I went to pick up my car, the mechanic told me that the the belt on the tensioner had a tear in it. A BRAND NEW BELT. That THEIR PEOPLE INSTALLED around the tensioner that THEIR PEOPLE INSTALLED. The mechanic then told me to come back in a week so that they can check under the hood, just to make sure everything was working properly, a courtesy that was never extended to me before, when I was the person they were dealing with. The guys at Ben White Automotive are complacent, is my best guess. They're lazy and old-world in their idea of how to deal with female customers. read more

Here's an update and oh, where to begin. Today I received an email(https://www.dropbox.com/s/swqz561maopp3nh/Screenshot%202014-10-12%2017.25.49.png?dl=0) saying : Hi a-Ron, Tomas D. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Your Review "Hey Ron, I'll give you $100.00 to remove or rewrite your review. We have new management and are wanting to get a better Yelp rating." First off, who's Ron? Secondly, this is pretty frowned upon according to https://biz.yelp.com/support/review_solicitation where it clearly says : "2. Solicited reviews are less likely to be recommended by our automated software, and that will drive you crazy. Why aren't these reviews recommended? Well, we have the unfortunate task of trying to help our users distinguish between real and fake reviews, and while we think we do a pretty good job at it with our fancy computer algorithms, the harsh reality is that solicited reviews often fall somewhere in between. Imagine, for example, the business owner who "asks" for a review by sticking a laptop in front of a customer and smilingly invites her to write a review while he looks over her shoulder. We don't need these kinds of reviews, so it shouldn't be a surprise when they aren't recommended." Thirdly, this is a review from 6 years ago. SIX YEARS! I don't even live in Austin any longer. This is so long ago that my life doesn't even involve the ridiculous maintenence cost of a car any longer!! I.DIDN'T.CARE.....until I got an email from the owner trying to "bribe" me into a better/removed review. You have better management? That's fine! Great! Prove it! Prove it by being a better company. Prove it by going above and beyond for your customers. Don't send me an email 6 years later trying to change my mind without even so much as an apology. Take a look at the rest of the reviews here. All of the bad reviews here within the past year or so are commented by management and NOT taking any responsibility for the employees. Management is saying "We didn't do anything wrong. The customer is wrong." This is just bad business practice. Yelp was created with the sole purpose of creating honest reviews that a community can view. Paying me to rewrite/remove a review isn't honest. Again, this is so long ago, I don't really care, but it annoys me that businesses still operate with the mentality that they think this can happen. A company should become smarter and better as it grows. No company is perfect. It's progress, not perfection. They will get good reviews and bad reviews. That's just business, but what a company should do is take feedback and say, "How can improve on this? What can we do to show customers that we don't really deserve this 1 star review or maybe we did deserve that review and it's our fault! What can we do?" BUT instead I just recieved an email trying to pay me off. That's not a company looking to improve it's ratings through hard work and turn its business image around. That's a company looking for an easy way out. That's a company that's trying to scam people. Take what you will from this. Based off the owner's comments on other reviews, he's going to have some snarky remark about this too. I don't care, but as a potential customer, YOU should care. read more

Straight shooters. They fixed my transmission for $300 (after another shop said it was ruined and would have to be rebuilt and that it would cost at least $1200). Two years later, my car is running like a top! I love these guys. read more

Horrid, horrid, horrid. If I could give them 0 stars I would. My car was making a whistling noise and they said I just needed to replace the belt. They then said that it was because of my tensioner that it was happening. They already ordered the parts before asking me, and $500 later I get a belt and tensioner installed. What's the problem? My car still makes the whistling noise. Never coming back here again. read more

Can I give ZERO STARS? Nope, I tried, and Yelp insists I give 'em at least ONE UNDESERVED STAR! That's how I wound up feeling by the end of my relationship with Ben White Automotive: like they were a big Zero, and that they felt the same about me and my patronage: a BIG ZERO CUSTOMER. I used these guys for YEARS. I first started using Ben White Automotive (from this point on: BWA) when the manufacturer's 7/70 warranty ran out on my car. Things started off very well, actually. My rapport with the owner (Thomas Dalin) was good, and with the Service Manager as well. That is, the ORIGINAL Svc Mgr, when I first started taking my car there. Seemed like a good, reliable establishment. However, eventually the original Service Manager left and was replaced with a new guy. THAT'S when things began to change for the worse. For me, at least. It started out as just a "personality clash" between the two of us, the SM and I. I can tolerate that, as long as the REPAIRS are done properly. But over time little items seemed to get overlooked, and when I would mention, however politely, it was met with resistance on his part. It never came even close to blows, but a very HOSTILE relationship by the end, most hostility coming from him. But I still had faith in their COMPETENCY, if not their CHARM. We don't have to LIKE each other, just please fix my car, please... But it was about to get MUCH worse. At just over 200,000 miles, my original American-made Chrysler motor croaked. Remember the "American-made" part. It's a factor. If I wanted to keep the car (and I did), I had 2 options: (1) Have existing motor rebuilt, or (2) Swap out for rebuilt engine from out-of-state. I chose option 2; THEY made a big mistake suggesting it. I made a bigger mistake by AGREEING to it. Between shipping of the motor to Austin and the work to install, it took WEEKS AND WEEKS, much longer than it should've for a QUALIFIED mechanic. Thomas, EVENTUALLY realized this, and loaned me his personal vehicle so I could get around, something I'd never heard of them doing at the time. He was doing what he could to try to smooth over a bad situation, but he was who was doing the installation. It was his crew. FINALLY I get the car back. Between parts & labor, costs were OVER FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. That's what I was quoted; no surprise there. Now, with a rebuilt engine, built to the same specs as the original (allegedly), you'd expect a "running-like-new" vehicle, right? That's what I expected. WRONG. After all the expense & waiting, car never ran right from day 1. For one thing, motor was DETONATING; that's when the spark plug's firing too early in the stroke, sending the piston and crankshaft back the WRONG direction. Very BAD for a motor. Plus it had no power. It's Turbocharged, and used to SCREAM before the new motor. I took it back time & time again. They didn't charge me for successive visits but it didn't matter. THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. In addition, they dented my hood due to carelessness and DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME! I noticed it myself & showed it to 'em. They KNEW what they had done, but not a word. Once I brought it up it was something like: "Oh yeah, we meant to tell you." SURE ya did... They gave me a discount, but hood's not fixable; new one has yet to turn up. It's an '88, and Chrysler doesn't make 'em anymore, junkyards are the only option; so far no luck. Motor detonated so much, the cylinder head burned up. Rebuilder blamed it on ME, wouldn't honor their warranty, & I had to spend ANOTHER $1400 on new one. I finally gave up & took it to another shop. Next mechanic gave me disturbing news: Engine block I'd swapped for was AFTERMARKET, MEXICAN-MADE BLOCK. That wasn't the whole problem, but it sure wasn't the "exact replacement" promised by BWA. They chose vendor for the motor, not me, & did the installation. But when I got blamed for the failure of the cyl head, BWA didn't have my back, or bear even part of the expense for the new one. Hey, I'm not a mechanic; that's why I HIRE someone to do the work. Later on, I discovered other things BWA had done to my car. The repl motor doesn't have all the same connections. One of the PCV hoses has nothing to attach to, so now I have to sneak it through smog inspections. For some unknown reason, they unhooked my O2 sensor, again causing emission problems. Just plain pure INCOMPETENCE. Maybe things have changed since 2004, when I quit using BWA; there are some high Yelp ratings, but MORE 1-STAR RATINGS than any other. Me, I can't afford the RISK, & if you ask me, YOU can't afford it either. Read my other reviews & you'll see who I use NOW. Bottom Line: TAKE YOUR CAR ANYWHERE BUT BEN WHITE AUTOMOTIVE, ON BEN WHITE BLVD!!! If BWA reads this (and I hope they do), they'll know who I am. BTW, in the end, Thomas took the side of his rude, incompetent Service Manager, and between that and repair issues, I'm just plain DONE with BWA. larrythediner read more

These guys have been straight shooters with me, so far. If I have demanded lengthy explanations, they have always been willing to slow down and walk through what's being done and why, step by step with me. (I never get anything done without first researching on my own to be somewhat conversant and know what prices are reasonable: http://repairpal.com/). The last time I went in, I asked if it were something I might be able to repair myself, which they confirmed for me after a brief diagnosis without charging me. It's worth noting that all their mechanics are master certified, which is something else I look for (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_Service_Excellence). read more

I have used Ben White Auto a few times now for major repairs (AC, timing belt replacement etc...), and both times the work was completed quickly and thoroughly. I am sure there are others cheaper out there, but you get what you pay for. Ben White Auto - Quality new parts and solid fast service. read more

Awesome service and they stand behind their work. I went in this week to get my A/C repaired and they are awesome! Explained every step and didn't try to talk over me. I'm not a car expert so this was big. They did exactly what they said they would do and got me out in record time. Ron, Adam and Mike do outstanding work and you'll be treated fairly. If you don't know a lot about cars, they won't try to sell you what you don't need and you'll get a really good explanation of what's wrong and what it will take to fix your car. Trust these guys. You'll be very glad you went there. Master Certified mechanics and BBB top rated members. This all means a lot to me. Oh and the A/C, it was so cold in the way home I had to turn it down. Man that was a great feeling! Thanks guys! I'll be back. read more

These guys are very knowledgeable and care about the work they do. My pickup has had 2 major repairs and in both cases I have been very pleased with the outcome. My latest work was a complete rebuilding of the Fron end and my vehicle is working FANTASTIC. ITS GOT 185000 miles and it drives like 5000 miles. read more

During a recent drive with my Chevy Cruze, my brakes started sticking and even vibrated whenever I pressed on them. The dashboard gave me a warning that said "Service Brake Assist". This problem persisted throughout the entirety of the drive (the roads were not wet at the time either), but all the subsequent times I used my car, the brakes functioned normally again. Weird situation, right? I brought my car to Ben White Automotive today for a diagnostic of my brakes (in case there was an unforeseen mechanical problem that may cause them to malfunction every now and then). They said the diagnosis will take about 2 hours, so they called and informed me afterwards that they were not able to reproduce the problem, but that there was a computer bug problem with the brake pressure vacuum sensor circuit. They also let me know that my car is still good under warranty with GM (which I did not know) in case this problem comes up again. The best thing they told me is that they were not going to charge me anything, even though they discovered the bug and provided me with possible actions I can take in the future. I feel like most repair shops would still charge the diagnostic fee, but it's great to know that Ben White Automotive assesses each problem differently and charges people on what they genuinely deem is fair. All in all, staff was very friendly and accommodating and performed diagnostics promptly. read more

Wow wow wow! What else can I say, I was really in a urgent need to get my my windshield wiper hose fixed. I was leaving for out of town, to take a 19 hour drive to my destination. My windshield wiper fluid was leaking and would not hold any fluid. Every mechanic I called couldn't get to me until a later date, but I needed my situation fixed ASAP. I googled mechanics and this was like the 6th place I called around the Austin area. I called the number and the front desk lady told me to come in so they can check it out and see if they could at least fix it for me. I came in she took my car keys right away and drove my car into the service ramp so the mechanic can take a look at it. After for waiting for only about 20 minutes, she came back to me and told me that they fixed my hose for me and it was free of charge. I was like WOWW, OMG, Thank you!!! I was really having a bad morning that day searching for someone to fix my issue, her and this establishment was Angels to me. Thank God for still having genuine people that really looks out for you and truly cares about your situation. There's so many crooked mechanics out there and this place is sure not one of them!! I'll definitely be back again, if I have any other problems with my car. Thank you Ben White Automotive read more

I took my truck in to get a quote due to worn out brakes and a damaged rear shock. I had already assessed the damage myself and just wanted a quote. I dropped it off at 9 a.m. and was told I would be called back promptly with the price. I did not get a call back until almost 4 p.m. This is after I waited a day for a call back on a preliminary quote they were going to give me before taking it in, which I never got. Not only was their pricing astronomical, my grandfather has a truck shop near San Antonio, so I know my prices for labor and parts and what is and is not fair, and they wanted to charge me nearly $500 over the actual cost of the parts, and almost $1,200 in labor, to change out 1 brake rotor, caliper, and shock..... To top it off when I went in the next morning to pick it up, someone had rifled through my center console, some of its contents were in the back seat and I had brought it in completely clean, and a very special custom Buck knife was missing. When I asked the older gentleman upfront about this, he said: "Well I can not be held liable for what happens before we actually bring it inside while it sits in front, and my guys would not steal. If you have an issue with this and do not believe me you will have to obtain the address of the owner and send in a letter, but he probably will not do anything about it." Now shame on me for leaving it in there in the first place, I did not think I needed to worry about it, but the attitude I was given when I asked thoroughly irked me. I will not be going back, and I WILL deter anyone who asks about a mechanic or otherwise from visiting. Keep your money, and your belongings safe, go elsewhere! read more

These guys are amazing and don't try to fix what isn't wrong just to make an extra buck. Ron will go out of his way to give you the best price. They have been fixing my vehicles for over 2 years now and I have not had a problem with any work they have performed. read more

I don't write reviews, and am pretty patient when it comes to customer service because I'm in customer service myself, but car stuff is a total mindf&%# for consumers so I think it's important. I would rather pay more and get solid service than price compare, shop around, and wonder what's happening with my long term means of transportation. Whole experience posted below, but in a nutshell I had ongoing issues with my car after an alternator change. Ben White Automotive demonstrated that they either did lazy or careless troubleshooting, or that they're untrustworthy. -Car's charging system clearly had issues - Lights were starting to dim, battery wasn't showing much of a charge when tested, and the alternator not showing a charge at all. I had the alternator changed earlier in the year, so I figured the cheap alternator I had put in was bad. -Take it in, get a call confirming what I suspected. Paid $600 for the new alternator install. That's cool, just please get it done so I can get myself to work and not get in trouble, please. -The night I got it back - Car would not turn at all, no lights whatsoever. After a while this resolved itself, but now it had a really intense rattling that was shaking the whole car. Checked the belts and connections, everything seemed fine from my total novice perspective. -Drove it for a few days, no issues except the really intense rattling, then I took it in. They kept my car for a day (no call all day). I called at the end of the day and they said they could not replicate the issue and didn't know what was wrong. I picked it up the next morning and the rattling was gone (was it something they overlooked and didn't mention to me, or was I imagining the rattling?) -Week later, car won't start, but the battery will take a boost. I give them a call, explain the situation, and comment on the fact that this service has been a lot of trouble and that the overall diagnostics don't seem like they've been thorough. I get a defensive response about how good their mechanics are, how it might be a bad battery or a bad starter. No mention of the possibility that something could have been overlooked, no ownership for the work done so far, and no comment on the rebuilt alternator they put in *possibly* having an issue. -I take it back in, and then they tell me the battery has a bad cell. Did they miss this during the initial diagnostics, did I come in with a bad alternator and an *almost* bad battery? (battery is a year old) Three visits for one alternator job seems excessive . I don't like shopping around, I don't like not trusting, and I don't like being stranded. I don't have a relationship with them to trust that they did honest, thorough work here, and I would not recommend you give them a shot. read more

I would like to say that I had heard about problems at this business before yet for some reason I was like *hey I will form my own opinion about them* I had my car towed to them to get my timing belt replaced. The tow service arrived at 9:30am and had my vehicle at Ben White Automotive by 10:00am. So they fix my belt blah blah blah and call me to go get my car. I paid exactly what they quoted me. So all is good so far. I get in my car and its hot as heck outside and my and my husband are a little upset about dishing out so much cash. Well here's the problem, we had our car brought to them on a Thursday and when we picked it up, paid and then started to leave the parking lot I stopped. SOMETHING WAS WEIRD! I immediately started looking around and bam it hit me. My freaking Vehicle inspection AND registration stickers were missing!! What the hell!?!? I was so so so so so mad I went in and asked the guy and I quote *Where the hell are my stickers?* While hes blubbering I state *YOU were letting me drive off with no stickers? What is wrong with you?* He is still blubbering and I tell him to give me his phone and I call 911. I file a report and guess what, they tell me someone at the location already filed a report!! Okay so now I am steamed right. I was so furious I just started crying. My husband looked like he was about to clock the guy so we went outside. The problem is that they only offered to replace the stickers *IF* they were under 20 dollars. We were missing fishing equipment, a hydraulic jack over 200 Cd's and other miscellaneous things. The police officer arrives and he basically mediates and I wanted the replacement value of all the things taken. I told the guy that it wasn't about the money but how could someones car be broken into and they don't even get a call?? And in addition they are allowed to pay then *almost* leave with no mention of the break-in? The employee stated that the tow company brought my car in after hours. Which is a flat out lie. It was 10am. So basically we got screwed, the owner NEVER returned our calls and never paid us any refund or anything. All we got was lies and BS. If you value your car do not take it to these lying windbags. They likely did it themselves in my opinion. read more

I needed some minor work done on my car, and went to Ben White Auto based on several recomidations. I wasn't disappointed. I knew exactly what needed to be fixed and how much it would cost. Not Only did B.W.A quote me a great price, but not one person tried to up sale me anything or try to tell me additional things needed to be fixed. I know this sounds like a simple thing, but being a young woman, almost every car shop I have EVER been to has tried to take advantage of me thinking I know nothing about cars. I would recommend this place to my mother/ sister/ friends in a heart beat. read more

I went in first thing in the morning to get my A/C checked. I had a pretty good idea of what needed to be done but when trying to make arrangements to get the work done it was clear they obviously didn't want the business. I came in prepared to wait but he wanted me to leave my car there and leave. The hours show they open at 8 AM but then they have to get the shop ready and look at what they have for the day and the he was talking about how the lady with breakfast tacos comes in between 9-9:30. So you open at 8 but pretty much don't start working on cars until almost 10AM. This was my first time using them for any work as I like to give my business to places other than the dealership. But you just made the dealership look amazing. I may be a girl but I don't bull shit. Treat me like the rest of customers. read more

I dedided to try a new mechanic closer to home instead of going to my usual quite far from me. This was a very bad choice. The mechanic Oscar told me my car would be ready on the following day. I advised I would pick up my car in two days instead. 2 days later when I get there my car is barely being worked on. Keep in mind that I had to take a taxi to get to them. I was very upset for I had taken the afternoon off just to pick up my car for I do not have any other means of transportation and had to use my own money to get to this mechanic. In other words I had to plan everything in advance and use my own resources just to get back my car and when I get there is still not done and no one had the decency to call me and let me know that the car was not ready. If only they had picked up the phone and called me they would have prevented me from going through so much hassle. What is worse, when I get there Oscar the man at front does not seem to care one bit; he is sharp tongued and unapologetic. I wished I had read other peoples' reviews earlier and would have taken my vehicle somewhere else. Moreover, when I asked them that I wanted an alignment done to my vehicle, they responded: What kind of alignment do you want frontal or rear-ended alignment? I've never heard ever that alignments are done in parts most car shops just do them in one package. What is more, they wanted to charge $99.99 for just a partial alignment. Where have peoples' morals gone? read more