Benchmark Complete Auto Care

The negative reviews for this establishment are confusing; my personal experience has been 5 stars all the way and reflect the other 5 star reviewer’s views of this place.
One thing to keep in mind is the negativity that Groupon brings into any Unilocal review equation — there’s always someone, somewhere, that didn’t get exactly what they read and from there expectations aren’t satisfied. But if you were to go in there without a 3^rd party platform/​company being involved in your overall experience then I think you’ll find yourself happy to have found a solid auto-​body shop in the STL area. A professional oil change+car wash/​vacuum is less than $ 30…I’d question someone’s ethics if they’re trying to apply even MORE value into the equation. It’s also a shame that these negative reviews in relation to Groupon are often one-​time visits, not necessarily a reflection of the other 364 days a business is operational. Too often Groupon and reviewers who rely on it give solid Unilocal businesses a bad reputation; the polarity of Benchmark’s reviews should serve as a good case study to this.
That said (and Groupon users aside), Benchmark was a place that a friend referred me to. I’ve since referred at least 5 friends who have had a great experience and dozens more that have yet to confirm. Living in the Hill neighborhood I feel good supporting local businesses. The fact that the service has always been top quality at a fair price makes this place even easier to go to and recommend. I’ve had oil changes, wheel bearing replacements, windshield wiper tune-​ups, and other items worked on. In my opinion the staff is always quick and knowledgeable, with the owner being down to earth and trustworthy. Remember, anything mechanical will eventually wear down over time and it is an auto-​body shop’s responsibility, arguably by definition of their craft, to inform you of this.
Moving to STL 3 years ago I needed to find a solid barber, a solid watering hole, a solid Mexican joint, and a proper mechanic to service my vehicle. Benchmark knocks one of those off the list and is absolutely a 5 star establishment.

Nice place! Friendly ppl got my oil change for just $ 24 which included a free car wash! I would deff recommend friends and family.

You know the news channel that highlighted all those businesses that charged you for things they never actually do? Well this is one of those! They will claim they do all these services when they haven’t done a single thing!
I went in with a groupon to get my oil changed. Tim took my 2010 prius back and after about 45 minutes came back in to give me an update and ask if I wanted my tires rotated. I told him I would and he went back to work. I heard the impact wrench go for Maybe a tire and a half and it stopped. Then I decided to pay attention and watched out a little window as the mechanic tried to get my oil filter off. He used every tool under the sun (including a monkey wrench!) other than the actual tool you HAVE to use. My car requires a specific wrench head. So I videoed him struggling for over 45 minutes with it. He seemed to give up and lowered my car and came back in to tell me I was all set. I couldn’t believe he lied straight to my face that he was done! I called him out of it and after denying it, I showed him the video. Then he admitted he couldn’t get my oil filter off and told me he would get the correct wrench and I could come back tomorrow. I came back the next day and watched him struggle again (lied that he got the correct wrench head– manager told me they didn’t have it at all later). I finally told him to put my car back down and I wasn’t paying for anything but the oil. I later got home and realized he hadn’t rotated my tires at all as I have one tire missing a hubcap and it was still in the same wheel well as it was before. I called the manager and all he could offer was for him to try. I wasn’t chancing it and went to the dealership. My oil filter cover was ruined and they had to work very hard to get it off. They even asked if a monkey wrench had been used. DO NOT GO TO THESE GUYS! They will lie to you and rip you off. I’m not even sure they even changed my oil!

This place is such a rip off. Never buy theirs oil change groupon! I bought it & it was a mistake! When I called in and make an appointment, the guy asked me what kind of car I have. It was a Toyota Corolla 2009. He said there is 2 kinds of oil that can be used for my car, for the special kind… I have to pay extra $ 40, but for the cheaper kind… it is $ 20. Therefore I already paid $ 15 for the groupon, which is an oil change & 27 point inspection. They did not mention any additional charge for the oil. Who would wanna pay $ 35 or $ 55 just for oil change? I can just go to Toyota & pay $ 30 for a good oil change. I guess you get what you pay for, lesson learned :(

It’s difficult to find an auto repair shop that you trust, so finding a place like this that is both honest and close to home was a huge win.
The mechanic was so friendly — not condescending in any way. He clearly explained what needed to be done and why, and gave me several options to consider. The work was completed when he said it would be and there were no surprise charges.
What really sets this place apart is the customer service. The owner threw in a complete car wash (my car hasn’t looked that good in a long time) and one of the employees waited around to keep an eye on my car because I had to pick it up after hours, even though he didn’t have to. So nice, I can’t say enough.
I strongly recommend this place — they are a great local business and need our support.