Can car maintenance be done outside of 4S shops?
3 Answers
According to regulations, car maintenance does not have to be performed at 4S shops, and car owners have the right to choose maintenance service providers. More details are as follows: 1. The "Three Guarantees Policy" for automobiles stipulates that if quality issues arise with household cars not maintained at manufacturer-authorized 4S shops, and these issues are not causally related to the maintenance, and no damage is caused by maintenance at other 4S shops, the dealer cannot be exempted from the three guarantees responsibility. Automakers linking warranty coverage to maintenance at 4S shops and mandating maintenance at 4S shops constitutes an unfair clause. 2. For new cars under warranty, if maintenance (such as oil, oil filter, or air filter changes) is performed outside, some 4S shops may claim that issues are caused by substandard oil or filters replaced elsewhere, thus voiding the warranty. Since fluid-related matters are difficult to verify, this can be troublesome. It is recommended that fluid replacements in critical systems like powertrain, brakes, and transmission be done at 4S shops, while consumables like cabin air filters can be replaced elsewhere.
Recently, I've stopped going to 4S shops for car maintenance. My trusted auto repair chain uses branded consumables, and a full synthetic oil change plus oil filter replacement only costs a little over 300 yuan, saving me half compared to 4S shops. They leave the old parts for you to inspect and note the next maintenance mileage on the service sheet, which is quite standardized. However, once a technician pointed out that my radiator support was cracked—a detail that might be overlooked at ordinary shops. The key is to find reliable mechanics. My current shop has been open for over a decade, and the owner supervises the workshop daily, far better than the fresh apprentices at 4S shops. Of course, it's best for new cars under warranty to stick with 4S shops to avoid disputes.
Last month I went to Tuhu Car Maintenance for a minor service, and the experience was much more comfortable than at a 4S shop. I booked the time in advance on my phone, and when I arrived at the shop, I didn’t have to wait—they started working right away. The lounge had monitors showing the live feed from the workshop, and the technician even called me over to check the oil dipstick level when changing the oil. The best part is that all the service records are stored in the app, even photos of the brake pad thickness are archived. However, they don’t handle complex issues like transmission repairs—if you encounter a major problem, you still have to go back to the 4S shop. Nowadays, many third-party shops have access to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. For example, my Japanese car’s air filter uses a genuine Denso product.
