Automotive Maintenance and Repair Terminology (GB/T 5624)

I. Standard Definition and Basic Information

"Automotive Maintenance and Repair Terminology" (GB/T 5624) is a recommended national standard of the People's Republic of China, centralised under the National Technical Committee on Automotive Maintenance and Repair Standardization and governed by the Ministry of Transport. This standard defines specialised and commonly used terms across the automotive servicing and repair sector, applying to vehicle maintenance, repairs, and related industries.

The current version is GB/T 5624-2019, which was published on 10 May 2019 and took effect on 1 December 2019, fully superseding the GB/T 5624-2005 edition. Following a standard review on 3 November 2025, the standard was officially reaffirmed as "still valid" .

Prior to this, the standard was originally issued as GB/T 5624-1985 (published on 25 November 1985 and implemented on 1 September 1986), before undergoing its first major revision in 2005.

II. Standard Framework and Terminology Classification

GB/T 5624-2019 classifies and arranges terms and definitions across four core sections: vehicle technical condition, vehicle inspection, vehicle diagnostics, and vehicle maintenance and repair.

1. General Conceptual Terms

The standard establishes the foundational concepts for the automotive servicing and repair sector:

• Automotive maintenance and repair: A general term covering both vehicle servicing/preventive maintenance and corrective repairs.

• Vehicle maintainability: The ease and adaptability with which a vehicle can be maintained and repaired in accordance with technical documentation.

• Vehicle technical condition: The aggregate of quantitatively measured parameter values reflecting a vehicle's physical condition and performance at any given point in time.

• Vehicle wear and deterioration: A comprehensive term for all forms of damage, wear, and tear on a vehicle over time.

• Vehicle inspection: Testing and examinations carried out to determine a vehicle's technical state or roadworthiness.

• Vehicle diagnostics: The process of assessing technical condition, locating faults, and identifying root causes without major dismantling (or by removing only minimal individual components).

2. Vehicle Technical Condition

Encompasses all aesthetic and mechanical performance parameters, serving as the benchmark for quantitatively assessing a vehicle's overall roadworthiness.

3. Vehicle Maintenance Categories

Classified into distinct categories or service tiers based on operating intervals, scope of work, or operating conditions:

• Routine maintenance: Daily servicing centred on cleaning, fluid top-ups, and basic safety inspections.

• Periodic maintenance: Scheduled servicing carried out at operating intervals specified in the technical documentation.

• Primary maintenance (Level 1 Maintenance): Building on routine maintenance, this focuses on lubrication, bolt torquing/tightening, and checking critical safety components in braking and steering control systems.

• Secondary maintenance (Level 2 Maintenance): In addition to Level 1 maintenance, this involves in-depth inspections and adjustments of safety components such as the brake system, steering linkage, and suspension, alongside tyre removal and inspection, tyre rotation, engine operating checks, and exhaust emission system adjustments.

4. Vehicle Repair Categories

Divided into repair tiers based on the repair subject, operational depth, execution method, or workshop workflow:

• Vehicle overhaul (Major repair): A comprehensive repair restoring a vehicle's sound technical condition and fully (or near-fully) renewing its operating lifespan by repairing or replacing components, including structural base parts.

• Assembly repair: Targeted overhaul operations carried out to restore the sound operational condition, working capability, and service life of a major vehicle assembly.

• Minor vehicle repair: Running repairs involving the servicing or replacement of individual components to rectify faults or defects identified during vehicle operation or servicing, restoring normal working capability.

5. Other Specialised Terminology

The standard also defines material damage terms such as pitting, adhesion, scuffing/galling, thermal scoring, and cavitation erosion, alongside industry management terms including specialised repair operators, authorised service centres, workshop chain franchises, vehicle repairability, and roadside breakdown recovery services.

III. Historical Revision Timeline

IV. Industry Value and Significance

1. Standardising Industry Jargon

Automotive maintenance and repair spans inspection, diagnostics, servicing, repairs, and workshop management, involving personnel with diverse technical backgrounds. GB/T 5624 provides a unified terminology system for the industry, eliminating miscommunications and ambiguities caused by inconsistent terms.

2. Facilitating Technical Communication

Whether for internal workshop standard operating procedures (SOPs), technical consultations among mechanics, or front-desk service communication between workshops and car owners, standardised terms enhance communication efficiency and minimise misunderstandings.

3. Underpinning the Automotive Standards Framework

GB/T 5624 serves as a foundational standard across the automotive maintenance and repair regulatory ecosystem. Together with related standards such as "Requirements for Automotive Maintenance and Repair Business" (GB/T 16739), it forms a cohesive technical standard framework for the automotive repair industry.

4. Guiding Workshop Best Practices

By clearly categorising vehicle maintenance (routine, Level 1, Level 2) and vehicle repairs (major overhaul, assembly repair, minor repair), the standard provides an authoritative baseline for operational compliance and quality management across workshops.

V. Practical Recommendations

• Workshop technicians & service staff: Should familiarise themselves with core standard terms and use them consistently in daily operations to avoid miscommunication.

• Workshop management: Can adopt the standard as an authoritative baseline for internal staff training and technical SOP development.

• Motorists: Understanding key terms (such as the distinction between a major overhaul, minor repair, Level 1 servicing, and Level 2 servicing) enables owners to clearly state service requirements and accurately evaluate workshop quotation scopes.

Summary

GB/T 5624 "Automotive Maintenance and Repair Terminology" stands as one of the most fundamental recommended national standards in the automotive aftersales industry. Since its inception in 1985, through revisions in 2005 and 2019, its terminology framework has continuously matured. By unifying the definitions of vehicle technical condition, inspection, diagnostics, and repairs, it establishes a solid technical and linguistic foundation for the standardisation, professionalisation, and high-quality development of the automotive aftermarket.