Portland Auto Repair

I have never written a review for an auto shop before, but the service I received at Heckmann and Thiemann Motors has motivated me to do so. Initially, I had looked on Yelp for an auto shop to get my '81 VW Vanagon running again, and I called up another shop who had equally high ratings as H&T, but many, many more reviews. After listening to my description of the problem, the other shop actually referred me to Heckmann and Thiemann - props to Green Drop Auto for that, and for sending me to mechanics who really know their stuff when it comes to VW vans! So, the long and medium of it is that my '81, California model (that will only mean something to those who have the "pleasure" of owning one) had been sitting for about a year. Last year, it had been running rough, stalling, and finally would not start, and then, as happens with life, a year passed before I got serious about trying to get it started again. I tried my hardest to figure out the problem myself, looking first at the fuel system, and then moving on to the ignition system, and thought I had it fixed when I got it started and was able to drive it around awhile. Unfortunately, the next day it was back to not starting and running rough, so I thought it was finally time to call in the professionals. Right off the bat, the folks at Heckmann and Thiemann were kind and courteous on the phone, and reassured me that I was talking to the right people for the job. AND they were able to get me in to the shop within a matter of days! They were able to figure out the problem and had it fixed and ready to go within 24 hours, and for a very reasonable price! "Marvin" is now back in full effect, and I was very impressed with the professionalism, skill, and courtesy I received from everyone with whom I interacted at Heckmann and Thiemann Motors. All I can say is: THANK YOU, HECKMANN AND THIEMANN for getting me back in my beloved van, and back on the road to adventure!

Did a free quick job on my Audi. Nice guys. Definitely bringing the car there when it breaks down... which shouldn't be too far in the future.

Short review: If you drive a Vanagon and live near the Portland area, this is the ONLY place you should ever let service it. Their skills and customer service are unparalleled. Longer review: I drive a 1984 Volkswagen Vanagon. All but considered a lemon when it first came out, these cars are now considered serviceable (and fashionable, in Portland) now that all the design flaws and workarounds are known. But even still, these cars are prone to problems, and at least once a year something will go awry that requires a professional to address. Enter Heckmann & Thiemann. I first visiting them three years ago after having visited a half dozen other "mechanics" in the area. And this is where Heckmann first distinguished themselves. Those other guys? Younger know nothings who did their "repair work" while keeping a copy of the manual open. H&T? Trained and certified by Volkswagen IN GERMANY. No posers here, their knowledge is bonafide. Over time, it became apparent when H&T fixes a car, it STAYS fixed. This is especially commendable considering VW vans are not only lemons, but old lemons. Keeping them running well takes a lot of effort. But these guys diagnose the problem right out of the gate, often before I finish describing the problem. And like I said, the problem stays fixed. I've never had to take my car back to H&T because of a botched repair job. Given the above, you might expect H&T to be a little bit on the cocky side and dismissive of their customers, but nope. Even their customer service and prices are excellent. They give equal time to every customer, and honest counseling for every problem. And their prices are fair. You pay for quality service, but you'll pay market prices on parts. So if you have a Volkswagen giving you problems, call H&T and ask for Ward. Tell them Eric sent you.

I take my 84 Carerra in routinely and they have been fantastic. They are thorough and don't look for things that don't need to be done. Very professional. Can't imagine a better place to take my old lovely car!

When I moved to Portland in 1995, I had to find a new doctor, a new dentist and a new VW mechanic. I’ve been through seven or eight doctors and dentists but consider myself extremely lucky to have found you soon after I arrived.

I just wanted to thank you for the perfect job you did on my classic van. Keeping vehicles this original and dependable through the use of correct quality parts and experienced technicians is hard to do these days.

You are absolutely the best! Your business has provided me with peace of mind knowing what ever done was done with the level of quality and that it should be. I have cherished working with businesses that are honest like yours”

Took one of the Subarus here for an oil change, found them to be very professional and easy to work with. Will definitely be back. A bit more expensive than the dealer and worth it.

In the last 30 years I'ved owned a VW Beetle, Rabbit, and GTI, and now three Porsches (two 356s, one Boxster). They have all gone to Heckmann & Thiemann. For care of German cars, these guys can't be beat. They're not always the cheapest, but the do absolutely the best work in the city. For Porsches, they are way, way, way better than Sunset. Now, they do get busy, so it's not always a drop-in-today kind of place, but you cannot beat a mechanic who has 100+ loyal customers who come to a rally every summer.

I needed wiper blades. Badly. As in I'd been driving around with that horrible dragging rubber against glass sound for over a year. I bought some at Costco, but surprise! - wipers for my car can only be ordered through Audi. Heckmann ordered them. I went to pick them up ($60, fml) thinking they'd just hand them to me and I'd make puppy dog eyes at my bf till he put them on for me. Instead they sent out a mechanic, who spent 10 minutes installing them, making sure they didn't slap against the left side of the window like they had been and cleaned my window to boot. No charge and no puppy dog eyes required. These guys rock. First off they only work on Audi, VW, Porsche (and Lezbarus, weird) - so you can take your convertible Beemer somewhere else, Muffy. And they had a real life trained in Germany, German speaking mechanic work on my car! So when my car whispered to him what the rat bastards at an Audi dealership in Reno had done to it, Dietrich (totally making up that name, I forgot what his real name is) soothed its worries away in its native tongue. German is such a melodic language, no? They discovered that the dealership had put in the wrong size belt and that was the reason behind the rabid squirrels making sweet, sweet love sound that had been emanating from under my hood. I was also due for major service and my engine light was on due to some sort of exhaust thingy that I didn't understand. They fixed everything in two days. I had given them my credit card number over the phone since I was tight for time. When I got there, the service manager let me know Dietrich was not yet done whispering sweet nothings into my car's nether regions. I thought I was doomed to sit in the waiting room, staring at my toes with nothing to read. But one of the owners was there and we had a wonderful hour long conversation about everything from food, to the economy, to places I should hike in the gorge, to Portland history. Apparently Dietrich takes his time (know what I'm saying, ladies?) I wasn't even irritated, because I knew these guys were staying late just to make sure everything was perfect with my car. Bonus star was for not making me feel like a total jackass when I told them my alignment was way off - and it turned out my tires were super low. I will never take my car anywhere else.