I recently had my VW inspected at Paul Witmer's Garage. When I got it home after the second day it wouldn't start. I talked to a mechanic, who's name is Leon. He had no idea what to do. I said I could have it towed and he said he didn't want we to do that. I said why. He said if he can't fix it then want. I said I would get it towed to where ever. I said when can you look at it. Well, he said he would be days, because there were six ahead of me. I said can't you at least give it a quick once over. We'll try, he said. It seems they will do inspections, quick repairs, just to make the quick dollar. I told him, Leon how disappointed I was, but seemed to care less. I would never take any car to them again. If I find out it was their fault, I wouldn't hesitate to sue them. It cost me over $600 for inspection, now they turn their back on me. Donald Strothers read more

When I inherited a family member's 2001 Audi A4 with 120,000 miles, it was like inheriting Zha Zha Gabor as a wife....it is going to cost a lot of money, and it isn't going to end well. True to form, my new high-maintenence girlfriend has kept me busy and has cost me money, but Witmer's Garage is the therapist that has kept the relationship puttering along. Witmer's specializes in Audi and VW. Far be it from me to judge the reliability trends of Audi/VW products (AHEM), but their parking lot of "clients" is always full. I guess others have realized what I have: that these are the best specialists in Ephrata. They are priced much more reasonably than other local Audi/VW specialists, and they will save you a dime where they can...and they have. They generally have the car done on time, and call before additional expenses are thrown on the bill. I have also found them to know their stuff well and to trouble shoot problems with a pretty high degree of accuracy. Lots of practice, I suppose. As you probably can tell if you have read between the lines, the only thing holding me back from driving the Audi off cliffs of the Shoeneck quarry are theyse guys. Some people swear by Audis; others swear at them. So long as this love to hate relationship persists, Witmer's garage will be the garage of choice, hands down. read more

Not sure where to start... but we LOVE Witmer's Garage! We live right around the corner from them and I recall on one occasion I was outside checking my oil on my car between oil changes about 10 years ago or so (not a VW or Audi, nor were we customers at the time) and they stopped during an inspection test drive and asked if I needed any assistance. They're not just a business, they are nice, decent people! My family members have been customers of Witmer's for nearly 20 years. When my husband and I both purchased Jetta TDIs, we knew we were going to go to Witmer's for maintenance. They are reasonable, honest and do an exceptional job! When the check engine light came on in my Jetta, I dropped it off. Unbeknownst to me, the issue was covered under an extended warranty and the dealership would cover the repair. They didn't charge me anything for looking at it. Saved me at least $600! I appreciate their honesty and integrity!! We loved our diesels so much, we purchased a 2015 Audi Q7 TDI. It had been in an accident prior to our purchase and had an AC leak. We had taken it to Autohaus because of their advanced equipment and since another Audi dealership completed the repair after the accident and missed the hairline crack. Autohaus couldn't find it even though I specifically stated I was confident it was behind the driver's side. They charged us $200 for a recharge and a few weeks later the AC died again, so we took it back. It was hot and Autohaus had our vehicle for 4 days without a loaner and never even looked at it!! Based on the fuel gauge and mileage, it appears someone at Autohaus was drove it approximately 200 miles too. (I was BEYOND angry and will never return!) We decided to make an appointment at Witmer's before taking it to another Audi dealer. About 15-20 minutes after we dropped it off, Witmer's found the leak and had the part on order. The AC recharge was $20 and immediately was pumping ICE COLD air. When we needed a new battery and couldn't move it our of the garage, they came down to help get it started. (Again, we live right around the corner) We were still unsuccessful, so they came by picked it up and swapped it out. They go ABOVE and beyond! They are AMAZING! Highly recommend for any VW or Audi owner! read more

The good: This is the place Ephrata goes for obsolete or used parts for VW and a cheap labor rate. The not good: One reason their lot is always full, I paid for their mistakes with extra trips to the shop and risked a breakdown on the road and towing bills. I've been taking vehicles here for decades and it's sad to see the quality of work decline over the last 3 years. I first noticed the less skilled mechanic work when they had me coming every 1,000 miles to replace an alternator belt that kept breaking (5 times). The first time I took it to another, non-VW specific shop, it was fixed right, and has been good for 2 years now..... When, for the 1st time I mentioned an issue with workmanship, a recent issue, of leaking coolant in to the shop for the 3rd time, and requested a specific worker (Jonathan is knowledgeable), I found the office policy is "I can't promise that", even if I was willing to be inconvenienced and wait an extra day or 2, or more beyond the 2 week wait, so Jonathan could work it in when he's available. When there's an office policy, you know they've had LOTS of issues with their other mechanics and everyone is requesting a different one. Otherwise, why would they be on the same page and obviously with the same exact wording from one staff to the next and no room for actually helping the customer in any other way than an additional appointment at their mercy. 30 seconds after speaking with a manager, I was told he was not available and was promised a call back from a manager that must have been forgotten. If the first issue in 20+ years of patronage is treated with non-nonchalance and I'm expected to pay for their mistakes and risk breakdowns, I can't give 4 or 5 stars. "Dave's World" in Duncannon is not much further from Lancaster and offers certified VW tech help and can handle more involved engine work. They work at a fantastic rate for the expertise and service. read more

I brought my 2000 Jetta 2.0 into the shop for state inspection and to get a few things fixed. I knew going in what was wrong with the car. I never told them what I knew, but when they called me and told me what the car needed, they did not try to sell me things I didn't need. They were HONEST and my car was only in the shop for a day or so. My car runs great now and I will be bringing my Volkswagen back to them in the future. Great mechanics, great shop, very honest, and good pricing. read more

Ridiculously honest mechanics. They use original parts, knows VW as good as if not better than the dealers. I take both of my VWs there, always fixed the problem. Very honest charging for labor cost. I highly recommend this shop. read more

If you own a car, this is the place to go! They went above and beyond for me. I needed what I thought was just a wheel bearing and rear brakes and rotors. Well I called yesterday LAST MINUTE and told them I couldn't wait 2 more weeks because I thought my car would fall apart and they got me in yesterday afternoon and had the car done for me to pick up TODAY. When I got the phone call, I asked to speak to the owner because I had a few questions. The owner got on the phone and spent about 10 minutes listening and answering all my questions and explaining everything thoroughly. He didn't rush me or make me feel dumb. GREAT customer service! They ended up replacing two wheel bearing, Brakes and rotors, installing my engine air filter, balancing my tires, and checking over my car. I expected the bill to be over $600 but turns out I was only charged a little over $400! I haven't had better service at any other garage and with owning nothing but VWs since I've been driving you can imagine I've been to quite a few. Highly recommend Paul E Witmers in Ephrata and I will definitely be coming back from now on. Thanks again guys! 5 stars! read more

Wow. Talk about going downhill fast. The quality of work here is no longer acceptable for an autoshop. Either their technicians aren't trained at all or they are purposely damaging vehicles in for routine maintenance. Do yourself a huge favor and take your business elsewhere, it cost you much less in the end. read more

We brought my wife's car in for regular maintenance and to investigate a clicking sound. We were told that the problem might be a timing belt due to the age of the car so we gave the garage permission to correct that problem. Upon further investigation we were told that it was not the timing belt it was in fact the crank shaft which we were told was worn and needed to be replaced. We asked for an estimate on the cost and were told that with parts and labor it would cost about $1,500. We decided to have the garage complete the work. While they were completing the work they informed us that we should consider a new clutch which would be an additional $200-300, for a total of an $1800 at the top end estimate. We agreed to the work. When my wife picked up the car, the bill was $2,238, or $438 more than the estimate. My wife paid the bill and began driving home. She made one stop about 2 miles from the garage and noticed a puddle of liquid on the pavement, but assumed that it was from the air conditioner since it was a very hot day. When she arrived home she again saw dripping liquid but assumed it was the air conditioner again. The following day she drove the car about one mile and the dashboard lights came on saying that the car was over heating. She stopped the car and when she opened the hood she observed coolant fluid leaking from a pipe near where the engine work was performed. We called the garage and they admitted that this pipe was not broken when we brought the car to them, and that it was damaged by them while they were working on the car, however they also stated that we would need to pay an additional $87 for the part and an estimated $100 in labor for them tho fix the car that was now not drivable unlike when we brought the car to them originally. And the clicking sound is still there, and another mechanic said that it is form the TDI waste pump...and not a problem. These guys are not good or trustworthy find another place and avoid the headaches. read more