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by chongli 1054 days ago
Wouldn't an insurance company naturally want to avoid the additional liability of personal, unlicensed repairs? What if someone improperly repairs the brakes on their own car and they fail on the road, causing a collision?
3 comments

People work on their own cars and have done so for at least a hundred years. Using technical means to prevent people from doing their own repairs, or from hiring someone of their choice to do the repair, is a relatively new thing.
All repairs are unlicensed.
The parent was using the term in the context of insurance companies or manufacturers authorizing the repair. Not that of a legal licensing system.
Maybe the US is different then, because here in Canada auto mechanics are licensed after a ~4 year registered apprenticeship.
I just learned that recently - I was at a quick oil change place and asked them to quickly look at my brakes while down there. After some commotion their manager came over and explained (In a friendly fashion) they are technically a "lube shop" with "lube technicians" and not licensed mechanics and cannot do or say anything but change my oil and maybe fill up the fluids / change wipers. Interesting!
Likely this has more to do with their professional liability insurance than any government regulation, directly.
Kinda?

> Trade certification for automotive service technicians is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

> Automotive service technician (transmission) trade certification is compulsory in Ontario.

> Automotive service technician (steering, suspension and brakes) trade certification is compulsory in New Brunswick and Ontario.

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/requirements/14799/ca

I feel you've typed that out of best thoughts and Intentions but no actual knowledge, which is an alluring and common but slippery path for all of us :-)

In Ontario, as parent and I indicated, it's a compulsory trade. It is, in fact, a government regulation directly.

https://www.skilledtradesontario.ca/about-trades/work-in-the...

No such thing as licensed repair thanks to Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.