Can car maintenance be done outside of 4S shops?

[AlexFitz]

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.