These people are the best. I just had them rebuild the transmission in my 1981 Porsche 911SC. Ken is a really personable, knowledgeable, and fastidious transaxle guy and businessman. He walked me through every step of rebuilding my transmission. I bought WEVO 915 Gateshift for my build. Ken had not installed one before. He liked the idea and didn't charge me any extra even though it was more work. The shop and the whole staff is first rate. The car feels absolutely great now. I forgot what a great shifting gearbox was after owning this car for 45 years. Now I know again. The shop was very transparent with pricing up front, and there were no surprises. The job was done in a very readable amount of time also. I wish that I could find an air-cooled Porsche engine rebuilder who could match my satisfaction with German Transaxle of Bend. Couldn't be happier. read more

German Transaxle of America - Transmission Repair Near Me - Bend, Oregon

**READ YOUR WARRANTY** GTA will pay $60/hr up to $500 dollars if anything goes wrong. Nobody works on transmissions for under $90/hr and you definitely can't remove and replace a transmission for $500. It is MUCH more than that. I'm trying to keep this short and to the point. I purchased a rebuilt trans from GTA and drove my VW Eurovan RV (see photo) to the east coast to visit my mom and my 90 year old grandparents. By the time I got from California to New Jersey the transmission failed. A bearing started making an incredible grinding noise and was getting louder and louder every mile. So there I was, stuck in Jersey in the middle of the winter. I exhausted a multitude of expensive transport options. I needed to swap the faulty transmission for a new one. The most logical option was to have GTA send a new one to a shop in Jersey and to send the old one back. GTA absolutely WOULD NOT send me a new transmission until they had the old one in their possession. (??) It made me feel like they didn't trust that I would give them my old core back? What do I know? I don't know how things go in the world of used transmissions. At any rate, no shop in Jersey was going to let my RV sit on their lift for 3 weeks while I shipped the old one and waited for a new one. Every shop reasoned that an immobilized lift would cost them thousands of $$ and apparently you can't just take out the transmission and move the vehicle off the lift, because the transmission bolts into the sub-frame and things get real loosey-goosey when you take the transmission out. My other option was to flatbed my RV from coast to coast. The cost for that is astronomical. I didn't have an extra $10,000 laying around. I seriously thought I was going to lose my RV ($30,000). I ended up ditching my plan to see family and had to limp my RV to a storage yard and fly home ($400) to CA and get back to work. 2 months later I formed a plan that I think no sane person in their 40's would do. I talked to one of the transmission shops I had talked to and asked them if they would help me save my RV. He thought I was crazy but he was aware of my position. He said he didn't want to see me lose my RV and if I really was going to do it, he would let my vehicle sit in his lift for 8 days, no charge. PCT Transmissions Pompton Plains, NJ Joseph Sirugo He rebuilds and guarantees better prices, better warranty %. (973)628-0678 Anyways, I flew back to Jersey ($400), rented a car, put the old transmission in the back of the rental and drove and slept next to a transmission on the side of the interstate for 8 days (see photo) from Jersey to Bend and back to Jersey. ($800 rental + 7,000+/- miles of fuel) GTA inspected and agreed that their product failed. They said they weren't going to charge me the $1100 +/- for the damaged parts but they WERE going to deduct the mileage I put on the old transmission from the new transmission's warranty. (??) I was really surprised when they told me they could charge me. The owner helped me load the new transmission into my vehicle and after seeing my sleeping bag next to it, laughingly said "now, get to work"... I then drove all the way back across the United States. This an unemotional, factual account of a 5 month ordeal from me finding GTA online, getting my old transmission replaced with them, having the new transmission fail, almost losing my RV and, against all odds, figuring out a solution. Like I told GTA, if I owned their company, I would have sent my customer a new transmission without question right away and done everything in my power to make it right. I guess since they have the market cornered on the west coast, they don't really have to worry about that. Either way, my experience with GTA was costly, frustrating and time consuming. I don't hold grudges, but as a consumer, I feel it my duty to unemotionally relay to other consumers the facts here. My new transmission has performed well, but I would strongly encourage anyone working with GTA to: ***READ YOUR WARRANTY*** This can happen to you. read more

German Transaxle of America - Transmission Repair Near Me - Bend, Oregon

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As someone else said in his review: **READ YOUR WARRANTY** I got a rebuilt transaxle from GTA as part of a Subaru engine conversion on my 1990 Vanagon. I wasn't aware that the GTA warranty was on a pro-rated basis until I picked up the vehicle after all work was done (my bad). Anyway, I was 9 months into the warranty period with only 3000 miles on the vehicle when I saw an ATF leak from the transaxle. It was only ATF and not differential fluid, so I suspected a bad seal. I contacted GTA and was amazed at what they would (or wouldn't) cover for repairs. They sent me the following as an estimate for repair costs: "GTAs obligation is the original purchase price of $1595.00 multiplied by the fraction of months remaining .25 = $398.75 Original purchase price of $1595.00 minus $398.75 = $1196.26 due from customer (plus and hard part damages/oil) If this unit is being shipped in via truck freight GTA will cover up to $200.00 in round trip shipping (to be taken off customers invoice). Round trip shipping for this transaxle is $764.57. $1196.26 warranty plus $564.57 shipping = $1760.83 due from you plus both ATF and Gear oil (as it is being shipped drained) and then once the work is completed and the transaxle is reinstalled and working properly with no leaks GTA will issue a check back to you in the amount of $285.00." So, I would basically be paying more for a repaired core than what I originally paid for it. And I would only be covered for the remainder of my original warranty (in this case, 3 months). I took it to a shop near me and they confirmed that a seal had blown. Further, the shop found: "Upon removing transmission (separating from differential) found that the seal (089409529D) on the transmission side (same seal as differential) was not pressed all the way into place and could be pulled out by hand, with ATF dripping out around seal. Identical seal on the differential side was seated and not leaking gear oil. Fluid in diff was checked and was not contaminated with ATF and differential section appeared to have no leaks." So, the original problem was due to faulty seal installation by GTA. I saved a lot of money having the local shop repair the seal rather than going with the expense of shipping it up to GTA. And since I let another shop work on the transaxle and repair the seal, that voids the remainder on my warranty. To which I say: BIG DEAL! A warranty is only worth having if a shop can stand behind their work instead of pushing too much repair costs back on the customer. I will never deal with GTA again! read more

A couple of months ago, when we had our 85 Vanagon upgraded to a 2.5L Subaru engine, we wanted to have a fresh transaxle built to maximize dependability and manage the new power supply. Our goal, a higher top end, and lower low end. After a few conversations with Frank, and a few days in the shop, we are set. GTA put together the custom 5 speed of our dreams! We now have several K on the conversion (Small Car) and transaxle, without any issues. These people are awesome, and I can say from first hand experience that they are dedicated to providing quality work. Those conversations with Frank were all to decide what gearing we wanted, and they built it, installed it, and upon test driving and realizing that the gearing was not correct for our van- they uninstalled, and regeared. It took a few extra days, but in the end we have an amazing Syncro like, granny with a four speed on top. They nailed it!! read more

This outfit is first rate. Our 2003 Eurovan had issues with the transmission and we couldn't find anyone locally who could fix it and felt we were out of options. Finally, we were referred to German Transaxle. We drove the 7 hours from Bellingham WA to Bend and a couple of weeks later we returned to pick her up. Our car is driving smoothly and we couldn't be more pleased. Taketa is the contact person and she is an excellent communicator. She explained clearly their protocol and a list of options for repair. The cost was not cheap but our Eurovan was definitely worth it. We would highly recommend German Transaxle. read more

I shipped my VW here and am impressed with the transmission repair. They did a good job of explaining what needed to be done. The shop tour was informative. read more

Listen, I wouldn't wish transaxle problems on anyone. But if you end up in need, there is no better place to get help than German Transaxle of America. The folks here are not only experts in the industry, but are great people! I was faced with a number of roadblocks getting my van back on the road and some had nothing to do with GTA or my transaxle. They not only helped me with every one of them, they showed up with a sledge hammer to help me break down the roadblocks. I couldn't recommend them enough. read more

So many vanagons in Oregon, but so few reliable mechanics. These guys are the best. Amazing customer service too. Syncro and I are thankful for the transmission and adjustment. read more

Thank you GTA for all the years of service and great transmission builds! I put the test to the latest ProStreet Trans build this past Sat. night @ PIR. I am thrilled with how well everything works from smooth shifting to no noise and most important the drive-ability. This is the 6th transmission in 5 different cars you're company has provided over the past 14 yrs. I cannot thank you enough for your knowledge and expertise, asking what my build entails, making sure the gearing will work with it and stocking quality gear oil that you trust with your products. You've got my business for life. Keep up the quality craftsmanship. read more

Its been 15 months and 15,000 miles since these guys rebuilt the transaxle on my 2002 VW Eurovan. I have had no issues with their work in that time. The service experience was among the best I've had. We drove up from SF Bay Area to drop off our van and I came up several weeks later on the Amtrak to pick it up. Their communication was excellent from day one (thank you Kateka) and when I picked up the van I got a mini-tour of their facility including a detailed look at the work cell where my trans was rebuilt and the well worn parts that came out of it. I am a life-time hobbyist mechanic and was impressed by their level of knowledge, organization, interest and sense of customer service. They knew I would be driving it home more than 500 miles so they pointed out a couple of minor problems that I needed to be aware of. My AC compressor was making horrible noises, and they offered to have a nearby AC guy fix that so I took them up on that as well. When I got home and noticed my battery cover missing they boxed it up and mailed it to me. Nice :). I just did my first trans fluid/filter service since the rebuild and was happy to see transparent red fluid coming out instead of the black overheated stuff I was accustomed to seeing before the rebuild. The transaxle still looks like new. The experience was worth every penny. read more

It might seem odd to gush about a transmission service, but I'm about to do just that. I own a 2002 Rialta RV. These are wonderful smaller RVs, but it is not easy to find someone to work on one. When my transmission started slipping, I went to the Rialta owners' sites and was pointed to German Transaxle of America in Bend, Oregon. I drove my Rialta to Bend, on a "wing and a prayer" and was rewarded with a discount for getting it there from out of state. Kateka, the "Wonder Woman" office manager, and I had been emailing so I was aware of what I was looking at regarding cost getting a rebuilt transmission. She went over everything with me again explaining it to me like I was 5, because that is my age when discussing engines and such. She is remarkable in her knowledge and ability to help even me understand what was needed and how until they got the transmission apart, we wouldn't really know what work needed to be done. I returned home knowing this would be a serious investment, but I love my RV and they are not easy to find. When Ken, the owner, got a chance to work on my transmission it was discovered that the "core" and "hard parts" (it's all "hard parts" to me) were not destroyed and rebuilding the transmission would not be as costly as I had been prepared to pay. Kateka went over all the reasons why and I pretended to listen, but all I could think of was how much I saved on getting the transmission rebuilt! The truth is, I was going in blind, and I could have been taken advantage of, but Ken and Kateka are honest, kind, ethical people and I am grateful for them. They celebrated with me that my RV was back on the road at a much lower cost than I'd imagined. I will be returning to them when it is time to service my transmission and look forward to seeing them again! read more

When our 2003 Eurovan MV Weekender's transaxle finally died, I began the stressful search for a solution. My stress quickly went away when I met the folks at German Transaxle. From the first time I spoke with Kateka on the phone I knew this was an organization I could trust. I was not disappointed. Kateka and Ken were extremely professional and customer friendly. They were careful to make sure I fully understood their process and warranty policy. When I ran into shipping issues, they offered to coordinate it for me. The new transaxle arrived on time and they provided ongoing technical support to my local mechanic. The new transaxle runs great, my wife has her "Evie" back and the van runs better than it has for a very long time. I highly recommend German Transaxle! Time to go camping! read more

Simply great customer service. I have a 91 Vanagon with an engine swap. Got my transmission rebuilt and ran into several small issues after due to having a ford engine inside. Every time I contacted them, they had me bring in the vehicle right away despite that they are very busy. It's cool to see a company that 100% stands behind their product and services it with a smile. read more

GTA is the bee's knee's. They rebuilt my 2005 passat tdi transmission. They were great to work with. The gals at the front are real nice. John was very commutative during the whole process. Even with a couple complications that needed to be addressed once he got the transaxle out. They still had it done when they said it would be done. I will be taking all my VW transmission work to GTA. Thanks! read more

GTA did a great job with the work as far as i can tell. I bought a 1985 VW vanagon from a guy in bend and he had the work done at GTA. I then drove the van about 4000 miles and heard a little bit of a whine in the gearbox. I called GTA and Ken took the time to explain to me what the noise was, why it was present and that it was normal and related to the work they had done. (they make cards on every job they do so they can refer to the information later if need be. I thought that was pretty cool and thoughtful of them for the long run and evident that they care about the work they put out, even after it leaves their shop). Ken's advice really helped a lot and he gave me some things to look for in the future to make sure everything was still operating normally. Good work and great follow through. They care about the products they put out. read more

Their transmission work seems to be satisfactory but I questioned an additional charge and got blown off. I think they need a little customer service course. read more

Stay away from these guys. I lost $1700 with these guys!!!. It took a week to rebuild the transmission on the Volkswagen, but it only lased about 3 days and 400 miles. They blamed me for the failure, They would only refund 3300 dollar out of a 5000 dollar bill. The worst experience of my life. read more

Three different VW transaxles have failed many times after GTA repaired them after just a few thousand miles. The one thing they did that upset me the most when they cancel my extended warranty with no reason and no refund. GTA unable to correct problems stemming from their lack of attention to detail and always quick to blame me for their mistake. They told me my bad experience with their service was the luck of the draw. I will never recommend them to anyone. read more

We paid $5000 for our Volkswagen transmission to be rebuilt, unfortunately it only lasted about 5 days and 400 miles, before the transmission failed again. When we asked for a refund, they would only agree to refund $3400 saying we were somehow at fault . It took them a week to complete the work, they had plenty of time to do the work correctly. Absolutely the worst experience we have had with a vehicle repair. read more

GTA changed hands 4-5 years ago. The previous owner was great, the new on reminds me a of Wells Fargo, selling you things you don't need. In 2011 GTA did a fine job rebuilding our 1984 automatic Vanagon transmission for about $2,500. Torque converter had to be repaired a couple years later for about $500, no warranty coverage but OK. Call in 2017 to install a Peloquins® PTD positraction differential, which they also sell. I had my own part. This is typically about a two hour job or so. Remove four bots, drop the tranny, remove a couple gears put in the PTD and test. Here is the rub, instead of scheduling an appointment for that, GTA insisted on spending a week rebuilding my transmission again even though there was nothing wrong with it! Note, this is their transmission work that they had rebuilt themselves. I had put only about 8,000 miles a year on it for 50,000 miles since the rebuild and about 25,000 since the last re-service. I called my import mechanic in Ashland who referred me to GTA back in 2011 and they confirmed the same story. Consider going somewhere else. read more

Outstanding service! They rebuilt the automatic transmission in my 1991 Vanagon and I am a happy camper. There are so many hacks out there who do terrible work. German Transaxle was a refreshing experience. Great people, quality work done on time for the price they quoted. What more can anyone ask for? read more

Recently I had to replace the transmission on my 2002 Eurovan. If your dealing with this you know what a royal pain this repair can be. Making the best of a bad situation the folks at German Transaxle did a GREAT job helping me out. Kateka is a great communicator and kept me in the loop and helped with the logistics of getting the trans to my shop in Portland. The warranty offered by GT exceed what I was able to find elsewhere. I highly recommend talking to GT if your VW trans goes kaput! read more

These guys are great! They rebuilt the transmission on my 06 cummins. I've had a couple l little issues come up with it and they have taken care of them no questions asked. read more