If you own a vehicle with a warranty, beware! Many dealers and manufacturers suggest that you need to get your maintenance services at a dealership in order to keep your warranty. That simply isn’t true! You can have your vehicle serviced at your trusted, local service center without affecting your warranty. A federal law, called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, prohibits a manufacturer from voiding your warranty just because you got parts or services from a non-dealer. In fact, a manufacturer can’t require you to use their brand of oil filters, lubricant, or any other part in order to maintain your warranty protection. This protection is true for aftermarket extended warranties purchased on new or used vehicles. This protection also applies to leased vehicles. There are similar laws in Canada as well.

If a manufacturer can prove that the replacement parts or service lead to a vehicle failure, they can void a portion of the warranty. Of course, A+ Japanese Auto Repair uses quality parts and fluids that meet or exceed manufacturers’ specifications. A lot of people do not know that we subscribe to data services that tell us exactly which parts and fluids meet manufacturers’ specifications. These services are updated constantly so that we always knows what you need for your car. You can be assured that your vehicle will receive high quality replacement parts that’ll keep you safely on the road.

Proper maintenance is so important to safety. It can also prevent costly repairs and save you money over the long haul. Just because you don’t have to go to a dealer to get your maintenance service performed doesn’t mean that you don’t need to have it done at all. In fact, some protections from your warranty require that scheduled maintenance be performed. If you miss having important work done, you may lose some warranty coverage. Refer to your owners’ manual and vehicle warranty for more details. And keep good records of the work you’ve had done.

The protection you receive under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

A+ Japanese Auto Repair serves the cities of San Carlos, Belmont, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, Foster City, San Mateo and more. We specialize on Honda Auto Repair, Acura Auto Repair, Toyota Auto Repair, Lexus Auto Repair, Nissan Auto Repair, Infiniti Auto Repair, Subaru Auto Repair, Mitsubishi Auto Repair, Mazda Auto Repair, Scion Auto Repair, and Hybrid Auto Repair.

We get a lot of questions about servicing your car. One that we get asked the most is: Do you have to take your car to the nearest dealer for service and repair? We’ve all asked ourselves that at one time or another. Of course, any new car dealer would like to have your service business, but there are a lot of reasons to turn to the automotive aftermarket for routine maintenance services as well as repairs.

First, let’s get some terms straight. New car dealers and manufacturers are referred to as Original Equipment – or OE providers. Everybody else is in the automotive Aftermarket. That includes auto parts stores, quick lubes, tire and service, and repair centers.

It’s important to know how the automotive industry works. Most car manufacturers don’t actually make their own parts and none of them make all of the parts they use. Instead, there are over 5,000 manufacturers that make the parts used to build new cars as well as to repair used cars.

We get a little steamed when a new car dealer pushes the myth that you need to go to them to get “genuine parts”. The fact is that your independent service center (A+ Japanese Auto Repair) can install the exact same original equipment parts from the same parts manufacturer that supplies the dealer.

One of the advantages of the aftermarket is that they’re free to innovate and improve. The aftermarket is quick to step in and fix design problems in Original Equipment parts. They’re also able to improve on reliability and performance.

When you use your independent aftermarket service center you’ll get parts that meet or exceed manufacturers’ specifications. You‘ll also have the freedom to choose replacement parts that meet your budget, improve performance or are the same as what the factory uses.

This freedom of choice is protected by law. You’re not required to use the dealership for service or to use the manufacturer’s brand of parts or fluids in order to maintain your vehicle warranty. Your local service center knows what products are recommended for your vehicle and can help keep you safely and economically on the road.

It’s like when you go to the hairdresser. They have a wide range of products you can choose from. You can buy something that’s less expensive when your budget’s tight, or kick it up a notch if you want. That’s the freedom of choice you get in the automotive aftermarket.

Some new car dealerships lead you to believe that only their technicians are able to properly service or repair your make of vehicle. That may be true if you drive a Ferrari, but for the rest of us, the training our technicians receive is transferable to our cars.

We invest heavily in training our technicians and in making sure that they have all of the high tech diagnostic and service equipment to take good care of you. Hey, we live in the information age – we have access to the latest specifications, problem reports and repair solutions for your vehicle.

Like your hairdresser – she probably knows you. She knows your personality, all about your family, and maybe even a few secrets. Your technician should also know you, and your car. You can’t underestimate the value of that relationship.

Your vehicles are a big investment and you rely on them so much. You have to have someone you can trust to take care of you. A+ Japanese Auto Repair can get the right parts, has the training to fix your vehicle and has a very strong commitment to your satisfaction. And for most of us, they’re more conveniently located and can usually perform maintenance services with less wait and hassle.

A+ Japanese Auto Repair serves the cities of San Carlos, Belmont, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, Foster City, San Mateo and more. We specialize on Honda Auto Repair, Acura Auto Repair, Toyota Auto Repair, Lexus Auto Repair, Nissan Auto Repair, Infiniti Auto Repair, Subaru Auto Repair, Mitsubishi Auto Repair, Mazda Auto Repair, Scion Auto Repair, and Hybrid Auto Repair.