We brought our vehicle to German Dreams Automotive in May 2025 for a turbo replacement. The car was running and drivable when my spouse dropped it off. After they completed the initial repair, they told us the car was ready. However, during their own test drive, significant engine damage occurred, and the vehicle became completely inoperable. Instead of taking responsibility for what happened while the car was in their care, the shop downplayed their role and focused on how much time and money they claimed to have invested in the vehicle. We paid them $1,500 to begin service, but the result of their work left us without a working car and facing an even larger repair bill. At no point before the test drive did they warn us of the possibility of engine damage, and their diagnostics prior to beginning the repair failed to flag the very issues they later used to excuse themselves from any responsibility. I do not know if these people are cosplaying as mechanics or what, but their entire operation is a joke. A functioning car became inoperable in the hands of so-called professionals. The salvage car business might suit them better. At least there, destroying cars is part of the process. I strongly advised others to believe the one-star reviews before trusting this place with their car. What happened to us was not just careless, it was unacceptable. This shop has no business working on anyone's vehicle. German Dreams??? More like GERMAN NIGHTMARES! read more

I cannot recommend this establishment's services. My vehicle was held for over three weeks, yet the repairs were never successfully completed. Despite the unresolved issues, I was billed well beyond the initial estimate. Given the poor results, excessive timeframe, and overcharges, I would advise against using this shop for even minor repairs.1 star is generous. read more

I took my Jetta there for the $50 Groupon AC deal, NEVER AGAIN. my car was driving perfect before I took it there, a couple days after my key was getting stuck and not coming out, then my car started shaking & check engine light had came on, made another appointment to get it checked out at 10am, it was around 4:22 and I didn't hear anything back so I texted and asked is my car done, Josh then told me he ran out of time, I told him my car never had any problems before taking it, his reply was " when we serviced your AC it had nothing to do with your engine, it' was bad timing " this place is super sketchy, I wish I never took my car here to begin with because then it would be fine. if I could give 0 stars I would. Spend a little extra money and just go to VW! read more

German Dreams - Lack of communication. - Auto Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Came in to ask about estimates what services they offered and time frames for everything. The man that helped me was super informative and patient to say the least as I had so many questions. Thank you German Dreams for your customer service, Btw best German mechanic shop in town read more

I've brought a couple different cars here and every time I'm Not disappointed they do good quality work r I recently brought my 2016 GTI in for some repairs and it's been running better then ever ever since then and my gas milage has significantly improved as well read more

First class service. Truly impressed. I was referred to German Dreams by a family member and I'm so glad that I tried them out. I have an Audi q5 and went to Audi service and I really didn't get a good feeling there. I was instantly impressed with German Dreams on my first phone call. They were extremely professional and very friendly. When I dropped my car off I asked about how long the repairs would take and they went above and beyond to make sure my car was evaluated and serviced in time for me to get it back before the weekend. Along the way I received phone calls giving me the total cost of services as well as the types of services to be performed on my car. It was a Friday and they stayed late to get my car finished for the weekend. Seriously, the best service ever. I highly recommend them and I will be taking my car here for every service from now on. read more

Very professional with German vehicles and anything exotic recommend German dreams to any exotic vehicle

This shop is the best shop very honest guys very fair and pricing excellent in communications. I will bring my car here for the rest of time on this planet. read more

A big Thank You to German Dreams for fixing my car. Got my car right in diagnosing it repairIng it within 30 minutes. All it was, was a bolt not tight on my alternator ‼ Very friendly and honest business. Five stars if I could I would give them more. read more

I've taken my 2018 Audi S4 B9 to a couple of local shops and have settled on German Dreams. I like their communication. I have received great customer service and will continue to use them in the future. I would and will recommend them to my family and friends. read more

German Dreams - Auto Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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This review is WAY overdue! These guys are awesome!!! Back about a year ago not only did the gentleman at German Dreams transform my 2017 Audi A6 with a Stage 1 APR tune, but they shared stories about their own vehicles, took time to get to know me and my daughter, and even gave my 6 year old daughter a German Dreams hoody for being so patient and respectful while the tune was being flashed!! These guys aren't only mechanics and car enthusiasts they are real people who treated me like a real person. You can tell they understand their roll in the community and the love people have for their vehicles. 5 stars from us. Excited to visit them again soon to go Stage 1 on my S3. Thanks again guys!! read more

German Dreams - German Dreams Hoodies rock! - Auto Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Great group of guys and great customer service. It's starting to heat up in Bako so it was time to get our Sno Shack Sprinter Vans AC tuned up for the summer. Rollin Sno is now blowing a cool 58 degrees.... Thanks guys... Sno Shack read more

German Dreams - Rolling Sno over to our Hageman Shack. 2020... - Auto Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

My brother, who lives in Bakersfield, needed his Volkswagen to be worked on. I live in Austin, TX and I am helping him financially to get his car fixed. He made an appointment for Nov7th on Oct3rd. Yes, over 30days to get in! But, my brother decided to wait, as he was told they were one of the best and hopefully his car will hold up till then. Monday, Nov7th... he goes in and they have no record of his appointment. Very disappointing to say the least...! read more

This place is a total rip off. Sadly I came across this place and had to spend all my savings. My car still doesn't work and they still quoted me over a thousand dollars. Please do not do business with them. I failed to check yelp and google for review . Please don't be the next victim. read more

Took my car for an oil change they didn't do it but they changed me found out 2 weeks later when my car said low on oil and knowing my car gots no oil leaks will never go to this place again and got my car back with my rims scratched i recommended anyone trying to try this place to take your business somewhere else read more

My mom went to this place and they ripped her off. She took her car in to get the engine light checked and to have the problem fixed. They tell her it will be $2800. She pays that, they "fix" the car and then she picks it up, gets in the car and the engine light comes on as soon as she drives off the lot. She takes it back and they say that it's another problem--convenient one that will be another $800. Waste of time, waste of money, don't trust them, do not recommend. read more

Took car in, initial estimate was $900... $2,600 later still no signs of "fixing" the vehicle. Came out worse than it was.

My BMW had broken down on the 5 fwy heading back home to LA. They were able to inspect my car as soon as I got it towed there, which was in a Friday. They were able to diagnose and fix it within a few hours. They didnt charge me an arm and a leg to get it repaired. Everyone there was nice and friendly. Great customer service. There was even a great taco place to eat at close by while I waited. Mr. Clamato! read more

I was traveling from LA to San Francisco in my Audi Q5 when I suddenly noticed a low oil warning light. Close to Grapevine I panicked knowing that I would not make it safely on the remaining 350 mile journey north. A quick Google search recommended German Dreams in Bakersfield. The rest of story is all 5 stars for German Dreams and their team! The specialist found a way of servicing a top-off early that afternoon. Easy and quick access off of Route 99 had me at their shop in 45 minutes. I was safely back on the road 30 minutes later! Thanks German Dreams! read more

My name is Steve I own a independent German Auto repair shop in Anaheim. One of my customers was traveling and had issues with the BMW. They stopped in at German dreams and am delighted to say that they took great care of a person who was stuck in a bad situation. Just wanted to thank the service advisor and crew for a quick and detailed diagnosis and repair in a timely fashion. And as far as the pricing goes super Fair. Easy six star operation if Yelp allowed the extra star... five stars no problem read more

I bought a used Vw Beetle and brought it to George. I told him my situation, which was that I have a very I'll daughter with special needs, and needed them to fix any problems that it had. The engine light was on, the temp light wouldnt go off. The gears, drive, reverse, etc would not go into the right slot, I had to put it in 3rd to drive it, not knowing that it was a potentially expensive transmission problem. That was the beginning of my German Nightmare. After spending over 5000 there, I was told that the transmission was not worth fixing, the temp light was still coming on, and in the meantime they had told me everytime I picked it up that it was fixed, after driving it a day, it would go right back to having the same problems it had before I took it back. Now, my savings are gone, I have no car to drive, and luckily, I have text messages to prove they knew that the car was in limp.mode since the beginning and none if the other work would have been done, had they told me that. I just talked to George and he said they did not initially test drive the car. Or know it was in limp mode! Hes trying to cover himself, but that's not true. I have texts regarding that issue, the first time I took it in. I was told they had it fixed. Then before I picked it up I was told it had started doing it again. I needed my car back to take my daughter to the hospital. I was told it was okay to drive! I was never told what limp.mode was or that it was a transmission issue! I feel raped. I have no car, no money, and even though he said they dropped the ball, he wasnt willing to offer me a refund. He said his livelihood as a business owner is at stake. I asked him what he would want to offer, I wanted my money back, or a partial refund, and he was not even willing to talk to me. He told me to contact the Bureau of Auto Repair. I told him I would give him the car, with all the parts they had put on. Because I cant drive it. He will say the car was a lemon and thats not his fault. But, it was unethical to not tell me there was a transmission problem. And even if it were true that they didnt test drive my car, what kind of place doesnt test drive a car when they work on it? They had to have driven it because it had to be moved in and out of the garage. That proves hes lying about them not knowing about limp mode, they drive it into the garage, and out of the garage! He knows what he is doing. After talking to him, I have no doubt. I cant believe this. They are so nice on the phone and Perry is so convincing. I trusted them. I made the mistake of telling them to make any repairs that it needed, that we borrowed from my husbands retirement to get it to drive reliably. After that, without telling us it was the transmission, they recommended new tires, replaced the radiator, supposedly, to try to get the temp light off, hoses, sensors, etc etc... an oil change, time up! A thousand here a thousand there. And in the end.....my daughter suffers. Yes. I blamed myself for buying a car that needed work. But, we paid them to fix it. It's not fixed. The original problems? Still a problem. Their final opinion was, weve never had a car so dead set on not being fixed, and it will cost you another thousand to fix the problem weve been telling you is fixed, for months, but it never is, and now lets look at the transmission. That could be another 3000 to 4000. Really? You mean the gear problem you lied and said was fixed, then when I picked it up, it wasnt initially? Wow. There is an honest shop that I went to who told me to go to the dealer, in the beginning. If you want a referral, message me. I should have listened to them. I really liked the guys at German Dreams. They were always nice. But then, they got a lot of money from me. I will update this review when and if this is resolved. I had a hard time picking up my car, because my daughter was sick, so they were nice enough to have it towed to my house and left in the street. I dont want to leave out any of the nice things they did. They didnt charge me for the tow. They needed to make room for more cars to fit in their garage. I have heard about repair shops ripping people off. Not telling me about the transmission, and saying every single time that it was fixed, everything was good, until I got it home and it wasnt fixed, was unethical. They blamed my car. Read that again. THEY BLAMED MY CAR. ACCORDING TO THEM, MY CAR DIDNT WANT TO BE FIXED. They are supposed to be car experts. They are charging for their expertise. But, the car fought against them, and they lost?!! Does this make sense to you???? read more

German Dreams - They were nice enough to have my car towed and dumped almost in the middle of the street. - Auto Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I took my Porsche to them because Bakersfield Porsche did not call me back after leaving numerous messages. German dreams did a 40,000 mile service on my car. They did not finish on time and I had to wait in there office for 1.5 hours. After the service I received a to do list of other repairs needed. George said that he would call me to schedule the work but never reached out even after I reminded him with a text and a phone call. I still haven't heard from him so I went somewhere else. I run a business and would never treat my patients this way. I landed at German Dreams because Bakersfield Porsche ignored my business, and ironically I was treated the same by German Dreams. Unfortunate but I'm happy at the new place. read more

I bring my vehicle here for all my automotive needs. George and his team do great work, and take pride in what they do. Highly recommended!

I will NEVER go back to German Dreams. After dealing with German Dreams I finally decided it was cheaper to tow my bug all the way to LA. German dreams quoted me $4,500 to $6,000 to get my bug running again. They told me I needed a rebuilt engine and much more. As it turns out the place in LA determined I didn't need a new engine after all! They even told me my engine seemed to be in pretty good shape and after doing a major tune-up and a couple of other things, they had my bug running around for $2,200 and even got me a new horn, replaced one light and installed my new tires all for that price! They've been there for over 50 years. Definitely worth the drive! I will NEVER go back to German Dreams. I filed a complaint with the Automotive Repair Bureau. read more

They're ok. Come to find out they farmed out the transmission repair labor to another shop. Our car was in their hands two months. With as much business as we gave them in work repairs, they still wanted high diagnostic fees for two unrelated needed repairs that came up. One of which was an electronic issue that was probably triggered by the electrical aspect of the labor they did. In the end, our car was returned with a very dusty/dirty interior and with grease stains on the upholstery. The gear shift handle bar cover was broken. The negative & positive battery cables were loose. Makes me wonder where was the quality control and oversight. In the end, was probably just as well getting this type of service & treatment from the dealership, all things considered. Sadly, we didn't have the time or energy to address these issues with the office staff, because we had already given enough time, energy, and $$$$ on this experience. Next, the manager/owner will probably attach some sort of platitudes and ask to be contacted to discuss how hard they work and want to make things right, to make it look like they really care about their customers and services rendered. read more

Driven by these guys ten thousand times and when the dealership slow played me I gave them a call. Service was good, fair and reasonably priced. Gave suggestions for future maintenance (including pictures) but no pushy sales pitch - appreciated the information and will monitor appropriately. I would recommend German Dreams to anyone with a German car (or other). read more

Not sure if you guys changed my oil on my transmission but i paid around $350 for an oil change and i changed it myself about 2 months after because it still felt hard shifting and my oil was dark brown. i dont believe it was changed i like getting parts from you guys because its a really good deal and fast. but thats my only problem i had woth you guys, hate for it to be true. read more

The guys at German Dreams are awesome! I came across them with a Groupon for AC service. I thought they only worked on Volkswagens. We take all of our vehicles to them even our diesel truck. When my husband has issues with his work truck they get it in right away. Oh and they have the CLEANEST bathroom you will in a mechanic shop. read more

Made an appointment last week to leave my car here today. I used a Groupon for an AC service, unfortunately it didn't include a cleaning of the system, my AC still smells a bit, but at the price I paid I didn't expect it to and just bought a foaming cleaner at Pepboys. Anyway, the staff was incredibly knowledgable, friendly, and kind. They didn't push any extra services on me, but did recommend some and quoted them for future reference. I think I found my new shop for my 2012 VW GTI. They know what they're doing, get it done fast, and at a very reasonable price. read more

Oh my gosh where do I begin. First I have a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle and I needed some work done. Actually it could of been major or minor I didn't know and I've talked to these guys about working on my bug before. Well let me break it down. We going to do a rebuild on our carburetor ourselves and check the spark plugs. Well when my husband went to put one of the plugs back in it wouldn't go back in correctly!! Yikes!!! So I called and they said it could be as simple as a $90 repair or up to dropping the engine and about $500. Well I had to have it done. The next morning I had it towed there and that afternoon I got the call it was the $90 repair!!! Yay...... These guys rock simply wonderful in the repair department. So I had them go ahead and rebuild my carburetor and I couldn't be happier!! My bug runs so good. If you need your german car worked on this is your place these guys are honest, reliable and know what they are doing. read more

George and company are extremely knowledgable and dedicated to their work. Excellent attention to detail and committed to getting the job done no matter what! Very friendly staff, will definitely come here for any future problems I encounter! Thank you! read more

Awesome customer service, Fabulous Mechanics & I most definitely will come back for all my VW Beatles needs...

Best damn shop ever!!! Super friendly staff and very knowledgeable. Tuned my 2013 Jetta Gli. Would highly recommend!

I wish I could give this place a 10 star review !! I will never take my car to any other shop. As long as I own my VW CC. They will have my business. As a women and naive about cars and car repairs, I often feel taken advantage of by mechanics and repair shops ( Family VW and Pep Boys) it was refreshing to speak to George. I instantly felt like I was talking to my brother or a friend. He was patient and let me rant about my situation. When I was done. He took the time to explain each part of the repairs, why they occur and the ramifications of each thing from spark plugs, misfires, carbon cleaning, etc. at the end I felt educated and not so dumb. He spoke to me intelligently and respectfully, he didn't talk down to me or in a condescending manner. Once my car was towed there he charged me a minimal fee to diagnose the car. I was fully prepared to pay in excess of $1000 after Family VW told me that the calibrator light came on due to carbon build up and it was not covered under warranty and considered " Standard Maintenance " I don't consider $1200 standard maintenance on a 2012 car w 40 k miles.. Might I add , I had this same issue happen at 28k miles and it was under warranty ( coils 2&4 were bad) you would think they would have cleaned the carbon at that time.. Anyway, George started with the spark plugs, found that coil 1 was not functioning, replaced it , test drove it and it was back to running perfectly. He told me, I may still may have to get the carbon cleaning but wants me to drive it for a few weeks to make sure I actually need that service. Cold starts , misfires and the warning light returning will indicate these things. How refreshing a shop that doesn't do work just to make $$$ off there customers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. On a side note, if Family VW had diagnosed the problem properly, the coil would have been covered under my extended warranty. They clearly were trying to make $$ off me. You can guess what there review is going to be !! read more

True story... was passing through Bakersfield on my way to Santa Fe when I noticed my temp gauge at full tilt HOT! Quickly found what looked like the best place to pull over to assess the damage/problem... and as luck would have it... I was parked right in front of German Dreams. The Road Trip Gods were with me that day. Not only did Perry and George take care of the problem right away... but they were the coolest/nicest guys to hang with while the work was done. I got lucky finding their shop... but luck had nothing to do with the quality of care and attention my Mini received. Would recommend these guys in a heartbeat! Thanks guys! read more

While they came across profesional , what started as a simple diagnosis for the ac on my Audi turned in to a 4 day ordeal to diagnose the electrical problems on my car. I did not get a call on Friday and then they were closed all weekend while they left my car in the shop without giving me any updates . I called and left several messages and finally showed up on Monday afternoon at 4pm to take my car . Paid $275 to find out the problems I already new about and nothing got fixed . Seems like they left the windows down on the car so it was full of dead bugs read more

Top notch shop with great mechanics and caring customer service. I was traveling through the area and had the oil sensor light/buzzer go off on my VW Vanagon. Concerned with my oil pressure, I called for a late night tow into Bakersfield and my tow truck driver recommended these guys. German dreams took me in first thing in the morning, and we're extremely accommodating and helpful. They were able to track down a new switch for my sensor and did everything they could to get me back on the road as quickly as possible. Thanks you guys so much for the hospitality! Highly recommend. read more

Great service, prompt, friendly, knowledgeable and clearly explained everything. Took amazing care of my 2008 Jetta. Have been here twice. Completely worth it!!! read more

GDP is awesome... they take care of you even if there is no money to be made. I have stopped by with questions countless times about parts, smogs, check engine lights on my vw's. George and Perry will take care of you even if it doesn't benefit them. read more

I moved to Tehachapi just over a year ago and rely on my little 2000 VW Beetle to get me to work in Bakersfield during the week. In my search for a VW mechanic, thank Gad I found George and German Dreams Performance. Thanks to GDP, my little car is still going strong with 309,500 miles on it!! These guys are so knowledgeable and honest. Kasandra T.'s review is so spot on about this place. read more