Understanding Shop Certifications

Dealers aren’t the only ones trained and outfitted to repair your vehicle to manufacturers’ standards. Industry and manufacturer certifications signify independent shops have met the rigorous requirements in both technician training and on-site equipment to return your car to pre-accident condition and manufacturers’ specifications.

What do all these certifications mean?

Auto body shops can be certified by both manufacturers and industry associations. Industry certifications, such as I-Car and Assured Performance, point to overall quality in service, training, and facilities, while manufacturer endorsements are specific to the automaker. In some cases, a large manufacturer, like Fiat Chrysler, will have an overall corporate certification (FCA) and then more specific ones for certain brands, like Alfa Romeo. 

Displaying a manufacturer’s logo means a body shop is trusted by the automaker to return your car to its manufactured standards and in pre-accident condition. Automakers will review a collision center’s facilities to ensure they are using the proper equipment, have large enough work areas, follow mandated repair procedures, have technicians trained and certified to work on their vehicles, and have access to specific manufacturer tools and repair information. A manufacturer’s certification also indicates a repair shop has access to the manufacturer’s parts.

In some cases, such as with Volkswagen, automakers significantly limit the number of shops they certify in an area. For example, Volkswagen has only certified five collision repair shops in metro Atlanta and seven in the state of Georgia. 

Certifications are not one-time-and-done endorsements. In order to stay certified, body shops have to continually upgrade equipment and train technicians on new technologies and processes. Most certification programs require an annual assessment for shops to keep displaying their logo. 

What are I-Car and Assured Performance?

I-Car is an independent industry certification program that focuses on the quality of technician training. It signifies that every person working on your car has the technical knowledge, skills, and education to perform a complete and safe repair.

Assured Performance is also an independent organization that looks at training, equipment, facilities, customer care, and more before granting a certificate in collision repair. Assured Performance partners with several automakers that automatically grant their certifications as well once a body shop has passed the overall requirements.

Why choose a certified shop?

No shop can obtain certification from every automobile manufacturer. As a whole, multiple certifications signify that a shop can be trusted and has worked hard to maintain strict standards for technician education, equipment, and service. When choosing a shop, you should feel comfortable with one that has taken the time to obtain several industry and automaker certifications, even if it is not certified by your vehicle’s manufacturer. 

Which certifications does Bavarian Body Works have? 

At Bavarian Body Works, we have worked hard to obtain certifications from a wide variety of automakers as well as I-Car and Assured Performance. We are currently certified by Alfa Romeo, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen, Nissan, Hyundai, GM, Acura, Honda, Subaru, and Infiniti.

We apply the same standards for excellent service to all automobile brands, not just those for which we have certification. Our goal is to return your vehicle to you in pre-accident condition. Safety is always our first priority.

Contact us today for a free estimate

At Bavarian Body Works, our trained technicians work on many types of cars. Our goal is to get your car back on the road in pre-accident condition as soon as possible. For every job, we evaluate the repair and replacement options and will discuss them with you. Contact us today for more information.