When it is time to get your car serviced, you need to make sure that you are getting the right parts and that the technician knows what your car needs. Most of the time, that is not a problem, but if you own a European car, there are some differences that can be important. 

Skip the Small Oil Change Shop

If you are driving a high-end European car, you might want to avoid the twenty-dollar quick lube shops altogether. While some of these shops are more than capable when it comes to oil and filter changes, they often do not carry the OE (original equipment) parts that you need for your car. 

While some aftermarket parts are okay in your car, it is better to use the OE parts to maintain the vehicle properly. High-end European cars are built to higher standards than the imports from other parts of the world, and using the cheaper parts on an expensive car could mean that the part doesn't fit or perform properly. 

Find a Foreign Car Shop

There are a lot of specialty repair shops that focus on one or two kinds of cars, such as a BMW auto repair shop, for example. If you can find one in the area that deals with your European vehicle, you may want to take your vehicle there for service. You can stop in and talk to the people at the shop about what they do, how long they have been in business, and what the background and training for the technicians are. 

Most European car shops are more than happy to tell you about the shop and folks running it. You might find that after talking to them, you are comfortable and ready to give them a try. Start small and have a basic service done on your car and see if you are satisfied with the work. If you are, you can start to take your car to them when bigger jobs arise. 

Go to the Dealership

You always have the option to take your European car into the dealership for service as well. Most dealers can take care of anything from an oil change to major work on the vehicle. If you have some work that should be under warranty, you will need to have the dealer do the job and submit the claim for you. 

Most of the time, smaller shops do not do warranty work because there is a lot of paperwork involved and getting approved for factory warranty work is difficult for small shops. Check with your dealer to determine the eligibility of any repairs that you feel should be under warranty.