Benchmark Transmission & Auto Care in
Middletown (DE)

I was going to take down the original review, but I think this serves as a valuable teaching moment for anyone who owns a business. Hours after I posted, the owner personally called me and expressed his deepest apologies. He explained that he was unaware of what had happened and made it clear that he does not condone the behavior of his employee. Donte — thank you for the attention you gave to this matter. From the personal phone call to the handwritten note and thoughtful gift, your response truly reflects your integrity. Thank you for making this right.

My car was having transmission issues. We took our car to Benchmark since they honor max care warranty. The person in the office advise my husband that there will be 170$ diagnostic fee that will be applied to the bill and if we choose not to use Benchmark we would be responsible for the 170. If we move forward we will need to pay the $300 deductible. The gentleman called the insurance company and got the ok to move forward. About two weeks later we got word from Benchmark that the car is ready for pick up. I called the insurance company to let them know that Benchmark submit the invoice and was informed that it takes 24 for payment to be released. I waited the 24 hour period as I was really anxious to get my car back so i can stop paying for the rental in addition to that i was going out of town and needed my car. I called the insurance company to follow up and was told it was in cue and in order to get it expedited the mechanic would need to call in and would be in cue for 25 min before someone would be able to assist. I called benchmark to explain what i was told and offered to sit on the phone to with them to help escalate if need be. I was told by the person at benchmark that there will be a $50 admissions fee for every half hour he has to sit on the phone with the insurance company and that I’m already at an extra 100 on top of my $300 deductible. He then said he explain everything to my husband in the beginning. I called my husband on three way with and just as I suspected by husband was not told about the administration fee. So i asked the person at benchmark why work with insurance companies if you are not going to do the work to secure payment and or business. He’s said because they send out adjusters and they drag out the process and time is money so we charge the customer for having to call the insurance company. It should be noted the Mechanics are required to speak with the insurance company once a claim has been submitted and in my case he got the go ahead the same without having to work with adjusters. So order to get my car released and to Avoid being charged extra I had to call the insurance company on Benchmark behave to escalate the situation. The insurance agent was taking back by me being charged extra for by the mechanic for speaking to them. Ultimately believe it or not the insurance company was very accommodating and sympathetic to my situation to get cleared up and was able to get his payment released. Needless to say I will be filing a complaint with the insurance company’s vendor management department.

I took an axle shaft to Mitch and his crew. All I needed was a bearing retainer pressed on, and they were able to do it quickly and efficiently, and then didn’t even charge me for it because it “ only took 10 minutes” That tells me all I need to know about this business. I would definitely trust them with any car repair I needed. These guys are honest and definitely want to help you out.

If you want it done right, at a fair price, and professional service, THIS is the place. Mitch was helpful, professional, and courteous from start to finish. I can’t say enough and there aren’t enough stars to put on a review!!! Had a transmission start to go on a 2018 Suburban, and left it in the lot on a Sunday after speaking with Mitch on Friday. I did not expect them to even get to it on Monday since this was not scheduled or anything. Got a call Monday with diagnosis, estimate, and an expected completion date. He called a few days later to update me on the progress and even confirmed it would be done sooner than initially expected. The rebuild included road testing, and the odometer proved that was done sufficiently. The bill came in just a bit lower than the estimate. I had done my research on this beforehand, and spoken to others with the same vehicle and knew this was a fair price. I am confident I wasn’t ripped off. No BS, not shady, no surprises. Just fair, honest business. This place is one of very few left out there that you can trust.

Mitch and his crew are straight forward on detailing what’s needed to fix your cars problem and delivers result quickly and at the price quoted. Very happy with multiple encounters

This is an unfortunate circumstance that the store was offered and opportunity to resolve then declined to make their mistake correct. My 2015 Tahoe with transmission issues needed transmission work. Benchmark was close to my home and I decided to give them the business being locally owned and operated. Their price was fair for the work and fixed my transmission. However, as part of the work the exhaust has to be removed. In removing or installing the exhaust the pipe was broken. I was phoned to pick up the vehicle and Mitch did stay late for me to pick it up. I heard the broken pipe immediately. Today I had the opportunity to bring it back and point out the issue. I was told that I could buy the part and they would install it. I explained that it does not seem fair that your guy knowingly broke a part and did not report it then I have to pay to replace it. **NOTE the part they broke is $854.00!!!** I would not recommend this place to others as they will take your money and not accept accountability for correcting issues that they cause. Go to Del-Trans.

Mitch was kind, helpful and patient. We discovered our car had 3 busted spark plugs and a check engine light on when leaving from a family vacation on our way back to NYC. Mitch and team fit us in, in a moments notice and: - unlike 3 other auto repair places scheduled us in and completed all work on the same day. - gave a fair price for the work, which included a lifetime warranty (through autozone) on new coils. He mentioned, “call me if these ever need replacing, I just got someone a free battery in Texas from a from years back!” Would recommend for last minute repairs in the area. PS. We were able to walk around the area, eat and enjoy drinks while waiting. Would recommend taking back roads when walking into Middletown

I brought my car in for a transmission diagnostic test. They had it for two days never look at it and told me nothing was wrong. I picked my car up and my transmission slipped out of gear the same day and I took it to A1 Auto in Dover they fixed the trouble in two days.

Benchmark saved me alot of money!!! I went to 6 other transmission shops and they either wouldn't work on my CVT Subaru transmission or they wanted me replace it, Benchmark was able to do the reapirs without me having to replace the transmission and saving me 1000s of dollars, the transmission hasn't given me any issues since, this was over year ago now, and I've put over 20,000 miles on the car and again no issues.... they now have become my go to mechanic, not just for transmission work. There prices are fair, the customer service is top notch, and there mechanics are very knowledgeable. I highly recommend.

This has to be one of the best places that I have had my car serviced. I highly recommend Benchmark. I had a transmission replaced here almost 130k miles ago and it is running better than the transmission that Nissan originally installed.

Straight to the point no trying to sell me on things that I didn't. Got me in and on the road fast . They specialize in transmissions and drivetrains but they take care of other problems as well definitely worth looking into if you need work done

Do not use this company! Long story short, my vehicle was NOT fixed and came back worse than when I took it. They didn't accept responsibility. Blame me. But want me to trust them to pay more money to "fix it". There is no way they fully inspected my vehicle without seeing what they claim is now wrong. Not to mention awful at updating and doing all of this in a timely manner. Lost a lot of money in repairs and income.

Shop was busy but they were able to fit me in the very next day and check my vehicle out. Excellent customer service. They take pride in what they do and took the time to go over everything with me.

I have had problems for over a month with my vehicle I was trying to get it fixed to pass inspection but one thing after another was stopping the process. I had my car towed to Benchmark transmission and Mitch seriously helped me he was honest and knowledgeable.

Mitch was fantastic. Complete engine replacement...not cheap, but up front with both analysis and price estimate. Came in a bit under, and finished job in time frame as promised. Overall very trustworthy...and to me that's the most important quality in auto repair. Will revisit and re-review with an amendment after 1 year/ 20k or so miles on used Kia engine that he lowered in. Hopefully time will tell favorably after this nightmare ordeal that just cost me $5,600.

Mitch is the absolute best. You can see my other reviews, I call balls and strikes. I have worked on old cars for more than 40 years, but I get much of my work done. There is no person that is more fair, or gets the job done right.

I got my car towed here. I figured it would be expensive, as it completely broke down and was not under any warranty, to my knowledge. The guys looked at my car almost right away, diagnosed it, and even took the time to look it up by VIN number and make some calls to see if there was anything they could do. They found out that there was just a few weeks left on my warranty. They made an appointment for me at the dealership, got me all set up with the info I needed, and they didn’t charge me A CENT! Couldn’t believe it. They could’ve easily taken advantage, but instead they were honest and went above and beyond in a major way. As the MOT area grows, we are lucky to have this shop in town. Give these guys your business!

Great technical and customer service. This was the second opinion on my car (vs dealership), and Mitch found out that the issue was not a 4K fix but a 400 fix. The difference between a broken clutch and an axle. This might not be the case for everyone out there but having someone able to do a correct diagnosis is a game changer. Also very fast service and great ppl skills.

Mitch and his team where great. My family and I were on our way to the beach when my transmission went out in my Explorer. He helped us find a way home and they did the repair in the next few days. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing transmission repairs.

Have been to this shop multiple times with 2 different cars. Through all my experiences here I was treated frantastic. Very professional staff that are willing to go above and beyond to help and give you the best experience possible. Will continue to go here and recommend highly.

I had the pleasure of rec'g service from Benchmark Transmission and would recommend their service to all. My car broke down Friday afternoon, I called a friend in Middletown and without hesitation he recommended Benchmark Transmission for my issue. It was close of business day around 4 pm on Friday. I spoke to Don who assured me that they could take care of all my car services including the transmission which made me decreased my stress level. I am not from Middletown. Me and my family just moved to the area 6 months ago. I really need my car to get around to care for myself and my family. They helped me make arrangements for my car to get towed to their facility. Called me on Saturday giving me updates concerning the progress for my car. I rec'd a call me from Mitch, the owner, today (Monday) with not so good news but he gave me ever better news during our conversation. It was my transmission. He took the time to call the dealership to check on my warranty status and told me...No worries, it's covered. I feel really blessed that my journey took me to Benchmark Transmission. I really appreciate him taking the extra steps. One, I did not even think of. Keeping me informed thru the process, coming up with a plan for me to get my car fixed at a great price...FREE!!!! Thank you so much. Ulanda B. Middletown, DE

What can I say that already hasn't been conveyed by others. I noticed a "whine" sound while driving to Harrington. Thinking that it was a water pump or alternator whine, I stopped by Mr. Tire in Smyrna for an evaluation. They determined that it was coming from my differential and that they were unable to tackle this type of repair. They suggested a transmission specialist and I was lucky enough to find Benchmark in Middletown. I called Mitch and asked if they would/could evaluate this concern. They advised that although they were still open (it was @ 4 pm, they close at 5pm) they would keep it overnight in their secure location and look at it the next day. Well, they kept to their word and determined that, yes, it was the rear differential and provided a fair quote. They also asked a few more questions and stated that this quote was the best case scenario and that if the damage was greater, than the cost could rise. Mitch was extremely professional, spoke on terms that did not overwhelm the customer and kept in contact with me during the 5 days that he had my truck, He honors AAA and espouses the values that AAA members have come to expect with membership and recommendations. Mitch knows cars and trucks and his years of experience are an attribute that is reassuring to the customer. I would recommend Benchmark Transmission for all your transmission/drivetrain concerns. Oh and by the way, they are a full service maintenance facility in addition to transmissions. Thank you for an excellent and worry-free experience. John W

I brought my nissan Maxima 2006 to Benchmark Transmission in Middletown because transmission was slipping, had a burnt smell and was just not right. I purchased the car for my Son however did not know yhe transmission was bad. It became apparent after I drove longer with the car. Mitch who attended me was very cordial/respectful and knew transmissions. Got a good deal to repair the transmission and I can say that Mitch and Benchmark went the extra mile to make sure I was happy with the transmission. He even repaired something that broke(not related to the transmission) free of charge as long as I was good with the complete repair. Thank you Mitch and Benchmark! You guys Rock!

THANK YOU MITCH! So we bought our son a previously owned car. Looked good and had few mileage for that age, 2006. Car was parked for about an hour before hubby took it for a spin. Seemed good and we bought it. Next day drove with it and yup, transmission issues. As soon as the car warmed up it started giving issues. Sucks that people aren't honest even when you tell them it's for your kid and he needs to be safe on the road. New transmission at dealer was around $3500 excluding labor. So yeah, more $ than the car was worth. Asked around and got reffered to Benchmark Transmission here in M'town. Gave us their quote including labor but it was still more than our budget. Luckily this guy Mitch who works there, worked something out for us and fixed the car. Point of the story? Shoutout to Benchmark Transmission and Mitch for helping us out! You guys rock! The end!

Honest and friendly people. Went in with the possibility of a major problem but was checked out and found it to be a minor problem saving thousands!! Car was back in the road quickly and have no issues since being in the shop! Would definitely go back to have them work on my cars again.

Amaizing customer service! We were in a rush and had to get service for our brakes, as tourists we didn't know any place nearby that could handle our RV, so the manager sat down and called every single place he knew nearby and eventually found one that could handle our RV, and we did not even buy anything.

The greatest work and best customer service I've ever experienced. They've helped me pin point all problems and mechanical issues with my vehicle and the costs are extremely reasonable. I drive a 2006 Chevy Impala ss. They commonly have transmission issues. The guys here at benchmark make sure I don't have any reoccurring issues with regularly scheduled maintenance.