Gotthard- Garage Calcagni — Wattingen 5, 6484 Wassen, Switzerland

Literally the worst car garage ive ever seen in my life. We had our clutch broken and needed a new one. Got taken away with their tow truck to their garage and they would have a look at it. Told us the reparation would cost €2200(!!!), whilst normally the same reparation costs around €800 max. They offered us their car as a loan at first (for a whopping €180 per day). We didnt want to do that, but were interested in the car. And yes, ofcourse, you can guess: we could only get the car if we let our car repair at the shop. So now, as a group of 4 young guys, we were stranded in the middle of nowhere without any compassion. After 6 hours, we got a taxi to a nearby trainstation and from there on we got another rental car and luckily could continue our journey. Side node to that: no coffee, tea or water was offered. Please never ever let your car get fixed here. They will totally scam you!!

Lars Oo

We broke down in the largest tunnel in Switzerland at 17kms long! The coolant hose has perished…. We pulled over luckily in the right SOS spot and 15 mins later were towed to this wonderful garage. Marco the owner was super hospitable and extremely helpful calliing a local hotel to secure their last remaining room! Marco kindly drove us to Hotel Gerig and called us early next morning to let us know the hoses had come in and the golf was fixed! He kindly picked us up too! Wassen was a truly pretty village with beautiful scenery… the best breakdown experience and kind hospitality one could hope for. Two very happy customers who would thoroughly recommend this garage! Thank you 🙏

Lorna Welch

Beware: Scam Recovery Service Operating Near Gotthard Tunnel We broke down due to overheating while driving through the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. After pulling over onto the hard shoulder and waiting inside the van, we were approached by a man claiming to be a recovery worker. He told us the police had contacted him and that we had to move the van immediately. We weren’t even sure if the van would move, but it did — which already made us suspicious. Once out of the tunnel, we pulled over just to check the van again. That’s when the man — still towing another vehicle — returned and said that, by law, we weren’t allowed to drive the van anymore and had to follow him to his garage. He insisted that the police instructed this. Oddly enough, if the van was truly undriveable, we questioned why he was letting us drive five kilometres to his garage ourselves. Things only got worse at the garage. The man became increasingly aggressive, insisting that there were “a hundred things wrong” with the van — without inspecting anything properly — and that we wouldn’t be allowed to continue driving unless we paid for repairs or services. The whole setup felt incredibly dodgy. Thankfully, we remembered that we had breakdown cover and mentioned our insurance. As soon as we did, his attitude completely changed and he suddenly disappeared inside. That’s when it hit us — this was a total scam. After checking online, we found multiple other reviews describing the exact same experience: vehicles breaking down in or near the Gotthard Tunnel, aggressive “recovery” staff showing up, insisting that police were involved, then overcharging people hundreds of euros (some up to €800!) for unnecessary services. It’s clear now that they monitor the tunnel CCTV, prey on vulnerable tourists who break down, and pressure them into costly services by making false claims about police orders and legal restrictions. Do NOT trust unsolicited recovery services near the Gotthard Tunnel. If you break down, contact your official roadside assistance provider directly. We were lucky the van could drive — others haven’t been so fortunate. Avoid this garage and report them if possible. This scam needs to be shut down.

Ted

Awesome service and support of customers. That garage is very professional, also has many spare parts. They helped me very much to repair a car quickly and continue a trip. Thank you so much!

Inv

Broke down in Andermatt 1500 km from home, and had the misfortune to be delivered to this garage whilst waiting for second lift. Sat for over 3 hours outside, no offer of a drink of water or coffee. All left for lunch at midday, locked garage. No thought or interest whatsoever of my well being. As a young mechanic was washing a van next to my car, I asked the surly manageress if I could wash mine whilst waiting, as cold. She sighed and stated €15 for a bucket of water and a sponge. Staggering. I look forward to the day where their management team are stranded in another country, and are treated in the same rude, cold and unsympathetic manner. Appalling experience.

Rob Gooding

Very good and fast service 👍 Helped us with died (empty) battery Thanks to them we could continue our way …

Наталья Миколайчук