Owners of foreign cars pay close attention: you don't need to take your import car to the dealer for maintenance.

Foreign cars require different maintenance and care than cars created here in the United States. Many foreign car owners believe that in order to get the proper service required to keep their car running smoothly that they need to take it to the car dealer for maintenance.

Not so.

Yes, foreign cars are created differently and have some technical differences from American constructed cars, but that does not mean there are no auto repair shops here in the United States that can work on them. 

There are advantages to taking your foreign car to a smaller mechanic.

An independent auto repair shop will show your car greater personal attention and care than a big dealership would. There is less traffic in an independent shop than is usually found at a dealership. 

Often times the dealership is backed up with cars that all need work, which could mean everything is rushed in order to keep the line moving. A smaller shop will be able to dedicate more time to your vehicle and diagnose the issue. They will be able to determine the problem more thoroughly, and take the steps necessary to fix the car properly.

When looking for a good mechanic to work on your foreign car be sure to locate one with the ASE sticker. ASE, or Automotive Service Excellence, ensures that the mechanic is highly skilled and qualified.

ASE is a certification organization for the automotive repair industry. That sticker ensures that the mechanics have been tested and passed. The test are in-depth and each one requires two years of work and experience to pass. The ASE logo is a badge of honor for mechanics and should not be taken lightly. If you see the ASE sticker, then you know your foreign car is in good hands.

There are more reasons why it's not necessary to take your import car to a dealership. These smaller mechanics charge less than a dealership would. At a dealership, the prices are usually set and there isn’t much wiggle room. They have a larger overhead to pay for, and will make sure to get top dollar for all of their work. But a smaller mechanic doesn't have the overhead and costs that the large dealerships do, so they're more likely to be more competitive on their pricing.