The certification programs come in a range of complexity from a simple "Pay a fee and buy our parts, and you are certified" to more stringent programs such as BMW, Audi, and Tesla where equipment and on-site training are required. In some cases, the industry-standard certification and training body I-CAR Gold can qualify a shop that has completed coursework.

The average cost of a four-day factory certification can cost a shop upwards of $10-20,000 and some training programs last two weeks, so those technicians aren't even in the building to work on customer cars. If a shop is dedicated enough to get their technician's factory-certified, you can bet that this is a shop that does not cut corners.

Specialized tools often are required to become a certified facility as well as being necessary to fix your car. Therefore, the shop, as well as the employees, must pass certain criteria. Some of this tooling can cost a shop over $250,000 or more. Different cars require special jigging in order to replace parts such as frame rails, where tolerances have to be exact. If your shop doesn't have these, they are likely going to rig something up to get the job done, but minus the precision from the specialized tooling.

Shops must stay up to date and must apply for re-certification. When you are searching a shop online, check with them to see if they are STILL certified for your manufacturer. Just because they were when they built the website, does not guarantee that they still are today. The same goes for the certifications hanging on the wall. Do your due diligence and double check.