The term “foreign car” is a much misused one. Just because a car is not made by one of Detroit’s big three, it does not mean it is a foreign car. Japanese and Korean cars made in factories here in America are not really foreign cars. Foreign cars are those which are manufactured abroad and imported into this country. Getting these cars repaired requires special care on the part of the car owner. The reason for this is foreign car repair shops depend on parts coming from overseas sources and use bases of expertise that are not local but comes from another country. Finding local car repair facilities with motor mechanics familiar with the unique requirements for import car repairs can be time consuming and difficult.
But it’s not impossible. There are millions of foreign car owners in the country who use and maintain their cars with no major problems. What is important is to know what to look for when finding a foreign car repair shop that will provide both the expertise and the right spare parts.
The first thing you need to do is look for proper certification. Of course, that is desirable even for American cars, but with generations of experience in the repair of American cars, even non certified repair shops can usually handle most commonplace repairs fairly adequately. This is because all American cars are built using the same concepts and design features, meant to cater for the domestic market. Foreign cars, and here we are talking mainly of European cars, are on the other hand, built to European requirements and markets. Many have engines and electrical systems that are completely different from American cars. To understand and repair these requires specialized training in foreign auto repair services. Even the best car mechanic, who is an expert on American cars; may through a lack of familiarity with foreign technology and design concepts, do more harm than good when it comes to foreign auto repair.
Jan
5
