I wouldnt worry to much - most Germans speak very good English, we are the country who tend not to speak foreign languages!
After a couple of years working in Germany including a BMW/Alfa dealers - I speak fluent technical german. I can read it - but not write it (never learned at school - just picked it up with a German G/friend <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> )