Press Releases
Ocean Honda Has Something Else to Celebrate
Recently Opened Car Dealership Boasts 2 out of 142 Master Technicians in Northern California
"Achieving this level is difficult," said Ocean Honda owner Steve John. "It takes hundreds of hours to complete and it's a challenge both for the technician and the dealership." John explained that the training takes anywhere from six to ten years, depending on a number of factors, including availability at the American Honda Training Center, located in French Camp, Calif. There are only 142 Honda Master Technicians in the entire Northern California Zone.
Technicians are required to take 122 classroom programs and another 200 self-study modules. In-class programs involve working eight hours a day on cars that have been intentionally "bugged" with different kinds of problems for the technician to diagnose and then repair. The training comes in 14 separate areas of knowledge, including pre-delivery, tools, restraints, steering, general technical, electrical, body work, suspension, emissions, transmission, brakes, air conditioning and engine.
"Having two Master Technicians on our team gives us easily the most-qualified service technicians in the area," said John. "It's quite an honor for both Steve and Seiji." Steve King has been with Ocean since May 1996 and lives in Marina, California. Seiji Yonemura has been part of the team since December 2006 and lives in Santa Clara, California.
Ocean Honda opened its new dealership at 3801 Soquel Drive, Soquel in March. Its 42,000 square foot dealership sits on 4.2 acres near the intersection of Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue. The dealership was built according to environmentally sustainable guidelines, including a pervious pavement plan that encourages pollution-free water runoff. Ocean Honda is open everyday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.