Understanding Shop Certifications

When your car needs a repair, it’s helpful to find a shop that is equipped to handle your vehicle’s specific make and model. Vehicles can vary widely, from the type of frame a car uses to the technology embedded in it. Auto body and glass shops can obtain different certifications that let consumers know what that shop excels in and what type of cars they specialize in repairing.

There are three major types of certifications that body shops or technicians can acquire.

ASE Certification

ASE stands for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE is an independent, non-profit organization that works to improve the automotive industry by testing and offering certifications for professionals in the field.

ASE Certification requires automotive technicians to have two years of on-the-job training or one year of training along with a two-year degree in automotive repair, and they must pass the ASE test. Certifications can be obtained in sub-specialties as well, including automobile, medium/heavy repair, school bus repair, collision repair and more. This certification includes both mechanical and cosmetic certifications. In total, there are more than 40 certifications that a technician can obtain through ASE.

I-CAR Certification

I-CAR stands for Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, and certification through I-CAR is considered to be the gold standard for an auto shop. I-CAR is also a non-profit organization, and it offers classes, training activities and resources, along with certifications.

The highest certification offered is the Gold Class® recognition. I-CAR uses this certification to identify repair technicians who have been trained on the latest vehicle models, technologies and repair methods. Currently, only about 20% of collision repair shops are Gold Class certified.

OEM Certification

OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer – the different manufacturers or brands of car you can buy, like a Honda or Ford. You may think that to get a specialist in your car’s brand you have to go to a dealership, but if a shop is OEM certified, they are approved by the auto manufacturer to work on that specific brand of vehicle, and will most likely use OEM factory-approved parts, tools and procedures to install those parts.

Choosing a Shop

When selecting a repair shop for your car, there are many things to consider – and Carwise.com makes it easy to quickly review the most important areas.

• Reviews. On Carwise, read reviews from real customers to see what type of experience you can expect at local shops. Many of these reviews also include the type of car the customer brought in.
• Services & Payment Info. See what services a shop offers and the types of payment they accept, all on the same page as the reviews.
• Certifications. Under the services, you can see which certifications a particular shop has to find one that specializes in repairing vehicles with your specific make and model. These certifications may include those outlined above.

Carwise has details on over 21,000 repair shops with current ratings and reviews. Use Carwise’s shop finder tool to search your zip code for a customer-reviewed auto body or glass repair shop nearby: https://www.carwise.com/auto-body-shops/.