Car Mechatronics Ausbildung Guide

October 24, 2026 T. Ausbildung Corner

Short answer: Car mechatronics Ausbildung (Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker/-in) is a three-and-a-half-year dual training in which you diagnose, service and repair vehicles and their electronic systems, in one of five specialisations. The training regulation names no required school certificate, so employers decide. The final exam has two parts, and pay is not fixed in the regulation.

This guide explains what the training involves, the five specialisations, how the final exam works, who can apply and where to find the official information. It covers the vehicle occupation, not the industrial mechatronics training. Visa and entry rules are outside the scope of this site.

Table of Contents

Car mechatronics Ausbildung at a glance

Topic	Details
German name	Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker / Kraftfahrzeugmechatronikerin
Type	Dual training: company and vocational school (Berufsschule)
Duration	3.5 years
Where	Recognised as a craft occupation and as a commercial occupation, so trainees are registered with a craft chamber or an IHK
Specialisations	One of five: passenger car technology, commercial vehicle technology, motorcycle technology, systems and high-voltage technology, or body technology
School certificate	None named in the training regulation. Employers decide
Final exam	Two parts: Part 1 before the end of the second year, Part 2 at the end
Training pay	Not set in the training regulation. See the pay section below

What car mechatronics technicians do

According to the BIBB occupation profile, car mechatronics technicians work at vehicle manufacturers and in service businesses. Their work covers planning, maintenance, testing, diagnosis, repair, and converting and retrofitting vehicles. The training regulation lists eight main areas of skills:

Operating vehicles and systems.
Taking vehicle systems out of and back into operation, including the safety rules for working on high-voltage vehicles.
Measuring and testing systems.
Carrying out service and maintenance work.
Diagnosing faults and malfunctions in vehicles and systems.
Dismantling, repairing and assembling parts, assemblies and systems.
Carrying out vehicle inspections under legal requirements.
Fitting, converting and retrofitting vehicles.

You also learn to plan work, document results, work with quality assurance and communicate with customers. The regulation lists using English technical terms and taking service information from English-language documents.

The five specialisations

The first part of the training is the same for everyone. After that, you train in one of these specialisations, so check which one a posting offers:

Passenger car technology (Personenkraftwagentechnik).
Commercial vehicle technology (Nutzfahrzeugtechnik).
Motorcycle technology (Motorradtechnik).
Systems and high-voltage technology (System- und Hochvolttechnik), with a focus on vehicle electronics, networks and high-voltage drive systems.
Body technology (Karosserietechnik), with a focus on body repair, joining, measuring and corrosion protection.

The regulation also says a completed two-year Kraftfahrzeugservicemechaniker training can be continued from the third year in this occupation.

How the training works

You sign a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) with a business and attend a vocational school. You must keep a written training record, and your employer has to give you time to write it and review it regularly. The exam is called a Gesellenprüfung (journeyman’s exam) in the crafts and an Abschlussprüfung (final exam) in industry and commerce.

The final exam

The exam has two parts held at different times. Both also cover the vocational school material that is essential for the training. The regulation sets the content, times and weighting:

Part	Area	Form	Share of the result
Part 1	Service order	A work task with a situational conversation, 3 hours in total with the conversation up to 10 minutes, plus written tasks of 120 minutes. You measure and test at least one system, such as the on-board electrical, lighting, charging or starting system or the brake mechanics, find faults, and dismantle, service and reassemble a vehicle assembly	35%
Part 2	Customer order	Three equal work tasks in 5 hours in total, with situational conversations of up to 20 minutes, related to your specialisation. They include inspecting vehicles, diagnosing faults in systems such as brakes, chassis, drive, safety or high-voltage systems, and repairing	35%
Part 2	Motor vehicle and maintenance technology	Written, 120 minutes	10%
Part 2	Diagnostic technology	Written, 120 minutes	10%
Part 2	Economics and social studies	Written, 60 minutes	10%

Part 1 covers the first three half-years of training. To pass, you need at least “sufficient” (ausreichend) overall, in the customer order, in the result of Part 2, and in at least two of the other Part 2 areas, and no Part 2 area may be graded “insufficient” (ungenügend). If a written area is worse than sufficient, you can ask for an oral supplementary exam of about 15 minutes when it could decide the result. For admission, repeating and preparation, see our guide to Ausbildung exams.

Who can apply

The training regulation names no required school certificate, so each employer sets its own requirements. Read the posting carefully. Expect to work and study in German, including technical terms, wiring diagrams and customer conversations, and to read some service information in English.

Training pay

The training regulation does not set pay, so it depends on the employer and the training year. Do not rely on a figure from a random website. See our Ausbildung salary guide for the legal minimum and how to compare offers, and check the employer’s posting.

How to apply

Search for “Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker” on the official boards. Our guide on where to find Ausbildung openings lists them.
Check which specialisation the employer offers and what kind of business it is, such as a workshop or a vehicle manufacturer.
Send a tailored application: a cover letter, a CV and copies of your certificates.
Prepare for the interview by learning about the business and the vehicles it works on.

Is it right for you?

You are interested in vehicles and how their systems work together.
You like methodical fault-finding with measuring and diagnostic devices.
You can follow strict safety rules, especially for high-voltage systems.
You can explain technical problems to customers.
You are ready to study technical terms in German and English.

Common mistakes

Mixing it up with industrial mechatronics. This is the vehicle occupation.
Thinking it is only repair work. Diagnosis, measuring and customer conversations are a big part, and a large part of the exam.
Ignoring the specialisation. It shapes the second half of the training and the customer order in the exam.
Relying on a pay figure from a random website. Check the employer’s offer.
Underestimating the written exams. Three written areas count for 30 percent of the result.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the car mechatronics Ausbildung?

Three and a half years, according to the training regulation.

Which specialisations exist?

Five: passenger car technology, commercial vehicle technology, motorcycle technology, systems and high-voltage technology, and body technology.

Is the exam called a journeyman’s exam or a final exam?

Both names are used. The regulation speaks of an Abschluss- or Gesellenprüfung, and which one applies depends on the chamber your training is registered with.

Do I need a particular school certificate?

The regulation names none. Employers set their own requirements, so check each posting.

Can a shorter training be continued into this one?

Yes. The regulation says a completed two-year Kraftfahrzeugservicemechaniker training can be continued from the third year in this occupation.

Sources

Last updated: 24 October 2026. Training rules, requirements and pay change, so check the official pages above and the employer’s posting before you apply.

Ausbildung Corner.