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| Yes | 76% | 136 votes | Total: 179 votes | |
| No | 24% | 43 votes |
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Add to FavoritesASE stands for Automotive Service Excellence and is well known for it's professional program that tests auto technicians on their knowledge and experience in several different areas pertaining to auto and truck repair. In the automotive industry ASE certification is the standard by which auto dealerships train their professional technicians upon. In the Chrysler organization technicians must have an ASE certification to get credit for the training they receive within the company and to be able to do warranty work on their automobiles. If auto corporations put emphasis on ASE then this is a good indicator that they believe it is important when working on their product.
Let's look at both sides of the equation on whether your auto mechanic should be ASE certified?
If your mechanic is not certified: That doesn't mean he won't have the knowledge or ability to fix your car. He may be very competent with a lot of experience. But is he up to date on the latest changes or improvements? He may or may not be committed to furthering his education towards car repair. He may not be required to take the ASE certification tests to work at the shop he has been hired at. What does that tell you about the repair shop? He may only be interested in learning by experience and your car may be the guinea pig for his trial and error research.
If your mechanic is ASE certified: By becoming ASE certified your mechanic has been recognized by a 3rd party for their automotive knowledge and experience on a national and even international level. They have shown their commitment to furthering their knowledge in the automotive repair industry. An ASE certified mechanic, your technician has acknowledged his priority to educate and test himself to a set standard. Striving for and attaining excellence is the sign of personal achievement, which leads to personal pride in work.
Your mechanic will have studied new changes in the automotive industry to be able to pass the ASE certification tests. This will not only give him new knowledge but also help him review what he has learned in the past. ASE certification is recognized by most if not all of the automotive industry and offers more recognition for those who pass the tests. This will help give your mechanic more confidence and self-esteem to take the time to diagnose and fix your car correctly.
An ASE certified technician has passed the standards that prove he has, not only basic knowledge of automotive service and repair, but above average knowledge. Repairing a problem first requires finding the problem and then understanding what is causing the problem. You would know by the ASE certification that your mechanic has above average knowledge and competance when it comes to repairing your car.
Being ASE certified does not automatically make a mechanic qualified to work on your particular car, but wouldn't you rather have someone that has nationally recognized credentials? Just make sure their certification is up to date and ask them in what areas they are certified in, before they start their work.
Mechanics can take only one test and still be able to wear the ASE patch, look for the patch that has the gold embroidery and says Master Auto Technician. Master Technicians have taken all the tests in the Automobile/Light Truck area and passed. To argue the point that experience is more important, I would agree, that's why you want an ASE mechanic. They are required to have 2 years experience before they are eligible to take the exams.
Should your mechanic be ASE certified? It only makes sense to trust someone who has been tested and has passed.
Learn more about this author, Mike Webb.
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No
Just because a mechanic has ASE certification doesn't mean they are capable of properly diagnosing and making the proper repair needed to fix your automobile correctly the first time. ASE was formed because members of United States congress received a large volume of complaint's about the quality of the automotive repair service. The congressional hearings concluded that the major cause of inaccurate auto repair was the mechanic's incompetence.
That might have been the case back in the late sixties but I disagree with the congressional hearings that was held four decades ago. First of all, there is more than just a logo or title a consumer should look for when choosing a mechanic or repair shop. A consumer should always ask family, friends and coworkers if they ever had any repair work done by that mechanic or repair shop that they intend to use.
If you have just moved or relocated to a new area, you as a consumer should always check first with the mechanic or repair shop what their policy is on their repair service, regardless if they are ASE certified or not. Always ask if they back their parts and labor up with a guarantee. Afraid of the direct approach? The county you reside in has a chamber of commerce that should have a list of reliable repair shop's
Another important factor to consider would be how many year's of experience the mechanic has repairing automobiles. Ten or more years of actual hands on experience is far better than someone that has a couple or even all certification's but has little or no actual hands on experience. ASE states mechanic's must prove two year's experience in automotive service work before they can get their certification in any area. What the average consumer doesn't know that two year's of high school training, trade school, and community college can be used to substitute one whole year of the hands on experience requirement.
Furtherm ore a lot of mechanic's that has been working in the auto repair industry for fifteen plus years either become shop Foreman, service manager, or go in business for themselves. These seasoned, well experienced, mechanic's leave the auto industry struggling to assure the consumer that all they need to worry about is to make sure that the mechanic or repair shop has ASE certification. No wonder why there is so much emphasis on being certified and not enough emphasis on hands on real world experience.
Finally, last of all ask yourself this simple question; If a mechanic can't figure out a problem on a automobile, either diagnosing the concern, or just can't get a part to go back together the way it came apart, does the mechanic go up to the wall and asks his certificates what to do? I believe the mechanic would go to his fellow coworker with the most valuable asset, decades of real life experience's that he has learned over the years, including the mistakes he has seen and made himself.
Learn more about this author, Deacon Skinard.
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