"Are you ASE Certified?" - 7 Reasons why this is an important question to ask your auto technician.
Many of you know to look for that shiny blue seal on auto repair shops’ websites or to look for the term ASE certified in their bios, but do you know what that means? ASE stands for the National Institue of Automotive Service Excellence and is the industry standard for certifying automotive personnel. Let’s show you 7 reasons why it’s important for you to choose an ASE certified technician to handle the service and repairs on your vehicle.
Reason #1: ASE certification is not easy to obtain.
To become ASE Certified, technicians must pass a rigorous certification test and only 2 out of 3 people who take the test pass it on their first attempt. The exam, which covers engine repair, automatic transmission, transaxles, manual drive trains, axles, brakes and suspension, electrical systems and heating and air conditioning systems, is challenging. After passing the exam, technicians must prove they have either two years of on the job training, or one year of on the job training plus a two-year automotive repair degree to obtain their certification.
Reason #2: You DO NOT have to be ASE certified to work on cars in a professional setting.
Unlike many professions that require licensure before you can legally work with the general public like hair stylists or doctors, the automotive industry does not legally require ASE certification before a mechanic can work on your car. Yikes! It is up to individual auto shops, dealerships, and repair facilities to hire certified technicians. Yes, even dealerships do not always have their entire technician team ASE certified.
Reason #3: ASE certification shows dedication to the trade.
Because of reason #2, The fact a technician has spent the time and expense to further his or her education and become ASE certified indicates they are serious about their trade. Not all repair shops require their technicians to become certified. Consequently, those who do are going above and beyond what’s required of them for one reason: they want to become vehicle maintenance and repair experts.
Reason #4: Your technician must re-certify every 5 years.
Technicians must retest every 5 years to remain certified and keep up with ever-changing automotive technology. This is not a one time test. To pass recertification exams, your technician must be up-to-date on his or her skill, knowledge, expertise with continued education.
Reason #5: ASE has been around for a long time to set the standard.
It was established in 1972 in an effort to improve the auto industry with better technicians and more ethical practices. This not only benefited the auto facilities, but consumers as well.
Reason #6: ASE Certification is an easy way to signify whether or not an auto technician or automotive team is qualified to get the job done.
Everyone has heard of horror stories of untrustworthy mechanics or technicians even being completely unqualified to complete the job on your vehicle. Finding a new mechanic if you do not have a regular can be tricky, and an ASE Certification is one of the easiest way to signify whether or not an auto technician or automotive team is qualified to get the job done.
Reason #7: A few leading ASE certified technicians may test to be certified as a Master-level ASE certified technician,
the highest rank with ASE.
Owner Jeff Buck of Buck Family Automotive is proud to be Master ASE certified. Master ASE certification is when you pass eight required ASE certification exams. You only need to pass one, to become ASE certified. The eight required tests in the master technician series deal with engine repair, automatic transmissions, manual drive trains, suspension and steering systems, brakes, electrical systems and heating and air conditioning. Successfully passing all eight exams earns individuals the ASE Master Automobile Technician designation. While there are over 180,000 ASE certified technicians, there are only 67,000 Master level ASE certified.
