As new vehicle propulsion systems are invented and more technologically advanced vehicles are developed such as battery electrics, plug-in hybrids and eventually hydrogen fuel cells and even autonomous vehicles, specialized training will be more important than ever.
You depend on your vehicle to get to work, school and the grocery store safely and reliably. In addition to properly trained technicians, dealer service departments also use the same original-equipment replacement parts that went into the vehicle at the factory. Automakers spend years developing and testing new vehicles and every component that goes into them. They also conduct thousands of crash tests to make sure drivers and passengers are protected during an accident.
Third-party replacement parts may look like the originals, but it's often what you can't see that makes the difference. Non-original electronics and sensors are often not built to the same standards, and body and suspension components may be produced from different material grades that don't hold up as well as factory parts. Saving a few dollars on third-party replacement parts can often cost you far more down the road.
The dealer service department will almost always provide a warranty on both the labor performed on your vehicle and the replacement parts the technicians install, something you often won't get from an independent shop. Whenever possible, it's best to have your vehicle serviced by the experts that know it best, with training from people that built it. The peace of mind you get will be worth it.
