How We Rank Auto Shops
Auto Shop Index's "best" lists rank auto repair and body shops by points for published, checkable credentials: certifications, memberships, published warranties and years in business. The same points apply to every shop in a city, every credential links to where we found it, and no shop can pay to be ranked.
In short
- What we score: credentials issued by third parties (I-CAR, carmakers, AAA, ASE, BBB), published warranties and years in business.
- What we ignore: star ratings, reviews, price, advertising and BBB letter grades.
- Two separate scales: one for body and collision shops, one for general auto repair, because the credentials that matter differ.
- Top ten per city: highest total first; ties broken alphabetically; shops with no credentials found are not ranked.
- Every credential is linked to its source, so anyone can check it.
- Featured shops are Lead Oracle AI customers, shown separately, labelled, and never scored.
Points for body and collision shops
| Credential | Points |
|---|---|
| I-CAR Gold Class | 4 |
| Carmaker collision certification, each (up to 4) | 1 each, max 4 |
| AAA Approved Auto Repair | 2 |
| BBB Accredited Business | 2 |
| Years in business: 30+ / 15–29 / 5–14 | 3 / 2 / 1 |
| Highest possible score | 15 |
Collision repair is weighted toward training and carmaker certification because modern vehicles are built from high-strength steels, aluminum and bonded panels, and are repaired to procedures that change with each model year. A shop that keeps its technicians trained and holds carmaker certifications has invested in following those procedures.
Example · #1 of 10 best auto body and collision repair shops in San Antonio
Miracle Body and Paint (Grissom)
| Credential | Points |
|---|---|
| I-CAR Gold Class | 4 |
| Assured Performance | 1 |
| FCA (Dodge/RAM/Chrysler/Jeep/FIAT) | 1 |
| Nissan | 1 |
| Infiniti | 1 |
| BBB Accredited Business | 2 |
| In business since 1986 | 3 |
| Total | 13 |
Points for auto repair shops
| Credential | Points |
|---|---|
| AAA Approved Auto Repair | 4 |
| ASE Blue Seal of Excellence | 3 |
| Repair network membership, e.g. NAPA AutoCare (up to 2) | 1 each, max 2 |
| Published warranty: 36 months or more / 24 months or more | 2 / 1 |
| BBB Accredited Business | 2 |
| Years in business: 30+ / 15–29 / 5–14 | 3 / 2 / 1 |
| Highest possible score | 16 |
General repair is weighted toward independent inspection (AAA), technician certification (ASE) and how long a shop stands behind its work. A written warranty is one of the few promises a driver can hold a shop to after the car leaves.
Example · #1 of 10 best auto repair shops in San Antonio
Potranco Automotive
What each credential means
- I-CAR Gold Class
- I-CAR is the collision repair industry's training organization. Gold Class is the recognition it gives shops whose technicians keep up ongoing training in their roles. Scored on body shop lists.
- Carmaker certification
- A carmaker certifies that a collision shop has the tools, training and facilities its repair procedures require. Some certifications are run for carmakers by certification networks such as Assured Performance; we count each certification once, up to four.
- AAA Approved Auto Repair
- AAA inspects participating shops against its standards for equipment, technician training and customer service, and steps in when a member has a complaint. Worth the most points on repair lists.
- ASE Blue Seal of Excellence
- The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence recognizes shops where most technicians hold ASE certifications and every area of service offered is covered by a certified technician. Scored on repair lists.
- Repair networks
- Groups of independent shops, such as NAPA AutoCare, that share a parts supplier and usually a nationwide warranty. Memberships a shop only states on its own site without a network listing are not counted.
- Published warranty
- A parts-and-labor warranty the shop publishes. We count the length the shop states; it scores at 24 months and more.
- BBB accreditation
- The business has applied to the Better Business Bureau and committed to its standards. We count accreditation only and never publish BBB letter grades.
- Years in business
- From the founding year the shop or a public record states. It rewards a track record without letting age outweigh credentials.
What we do not count
- Star ratings and reviews. They measure how a visit felt, vary between platforms and cannot be checked to a common standard.
- Price. A quote depends on the vehicle and the damage, so a shop's prices cannot be compared fairly from outside.
- Advertising or payment. Nothing a shop pays anyone, including us, changes its points.
- Negative information. We publish what a shop has, never what it lacks, and we do not show BBB letter grades.
- Claims we cannot source. If we cannot link to a credential, it is not counted.
How we check a credential
- Issuer first. Where the issuer publishes a directory (AAA, BBB, carmaker locators), we use it and link to it.
- The shop's own website second. Where no issuer directory is public, we accept the shop's own published statement and link to that page. Credentials sourced this way are as the shop states them.
- Conflicts go to the issuer. If the shop's site and the issuer disagree, we use the issuer.
- One location at a time. Chains and independents are scored the same way, on the credentials of the specific location listed.
- Dated. Each list states the date its credentials were checked.
Featured shops and independence
Auto Shop Index is run by Lead Oracle AI, which builds websites for local businesses. Shops that are Lead Oracle AI customers appear in a Featured section at the top of their city's pages. They are labelled, listed alphabetically, and are not scored and not part of the ranked list, so being a customer can neither raise nor lower a shop's position. Ranked shops have no relationship with us.
Corrections
Credentials change. If a credential is missing or out of date, the fastest fix is at the source: update the issuer's directory or the shop's website, and the change is picked up at the next check. Because every credential on a list links to its source, any reader can see exactly what we relied on.
Lists ranked this way
Frequently asked questions
Do shops pay to be ranked on Auto Shop Index?
No. Rankings come only from the points described on this page, and no shop can pay to be ranked or to move up. Separately, shops that are customers of Lead Oracle AI, the company that runs Auto Shop Index, appear in a Featured section above the ranked list. Featured shops are labelled, listed alphabetically, and are not scored or ranked.
Why don't you use star ratings or reviews?
Star ratings measure how customers felt about a visit, differ between platforms, and cannot be checked against a common standard. Credentials can: each one is issued or published somewhere we can link to, and the same rule applies to every shop.
Does a missing credential mean a shop is bad?
No. Many good shops do not apply for every certification, and some credentials do not fit every kind of shop. We only show the credentials a shop has, and a missing one is never shown as a negative.
Why isn't my shop on a list?
A list shows the ten shops with the highest scores in that city. A shop can be missing because its score is lower, because we could not find a source for its credentials, or because it is outside the city. Every shop we list is shown on its city page whether or not it is ranked.
What is the difference between I-CAR and ASE?
I-CAR trains the collision repair industry, and its Gold Class recognition is for body and collision shops. ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) certifies technicians, and its Blue Seal of Excellence recognises repair shops where most technicians are ASE-certified. We score I-CAR on body shop lists and ASE on repair shop lists.
How often are the lists updated?
Each list shows the date its credentials were checked. Credentials change, so a list is re-scored whenever its credentials are re-checked, and the date changes with it. The current lists were checked on 2026-10-08.
Method last reviewed 2026-10-08.