Your car was just involved in an accident requiring auto body and engine repairs. Being unfamiliar with repair shops in your area, you searched online for options. The search results reveal that there are only a few shops that feature both “I-CAR” and “ASE” Certifications on their websites. Does that really matter? When it comes to your safety, a low-quality repair job using inferior parts could put you, and others, in a potentially life-threatening situation. Here’s why choosing an I-CAR and ASE-certified shop can make a world of difference.
Started in 1979, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repairs, or “I-CAR”, is a global nonprofit training and certification entity dedicated to improving the quality, safety and efficiency of auto body and glass repairs. With today’s highly sophisticated vehicles, repair technicians need to stay constantly updated on every aspect of the repair job, including new technologies, equipment and methods. I-CAR not only provides that essential training for technicians, but also for insurance providers, shop estimators, shop managers, and even their front office staff.
Once a shop’s certified through I-CAR, it’s an ongoing process. To continue displaying the I-CAR shield of excellence, employees there must pass annual training courses on numerous topics related to the newest repair techniques. Because I-CAR is mostly funded through student tuition, their courses and services on an industry-wide scale remain unbiased. They also manage an open collision repair communication forum for anyone who’s interested. The training programs I-CAR offers to those in the collision repair industry fall within these categories:
As you can see, when you take your vehicle to a repair shop that proudly displays the I-CAR logo in its waiting area and on its website, you can rest assured that they have the expertise to keep your ride looking and performing optimally for many years to come!
Up until the early 1970s, drivers were oftentimes caught up in a nail-biting guessing game when it came time to find a reliable technician to work on their vehicle’s mechanical parts. In 1972 the independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was formed to eliminate much of that frustrating, and sometimes costly, guesswork. ASE exists to promote excellence for vehicle repair, service and parts distribution that ultimately protects consumers, shop owners and technicians.
To become ASE-certified, a technician must first have two years of on-the-job training, or one year of on-the-job training plus a two-year degree in automotive repair. Then, and only then, can they apply to take an ASE Certification test. But passing those tests is not easy, as one-third of the participants fail on their first attempt. Those challenging exams are written during annual workshops attended by seasoned automotive industry professionals and executives with relevant expertise as:
None of the test developers work directly for ASE, which helps ensure that the exam material is non-biased while also reflecting changes in auto repair technology, methods and needs. ASE’s more than 40 exams are categorized based on these repair sub-specialties:
At present, there are roughly 300,000 professionals employed in the auto repair industry that are ASE-certified. For shop owners, knowing that a technician has earned their ASE Certification allows them to better gauge their expertise and knowledge before hiring them. For drivers, it gives them peace-of-mind knowing that the care of their vehicle is being entrusted to a pro who proudly wears the blue ASE patch on their sleeve!
As has been pointed out, ASE and I-CAR Certifications really do make a difference when searching for an auto body or glass repair shop to restore your vehicle. At Carwise, we’ve simplified that search process by quickly linking consumers with over 19,000 I-CAR and ASE-certified collision and auto glass repair shops nationwide. By conveniently visiting our website, or downloading the Carwise app, you’ll be quickly connected to dependable shops in your area.
Search your zip code now for a customer-reviewed auto body or glass repair shop nearby: www.carwise.com.
