World Class Wednesday: Stephen Tyre: Supporting ASE Certification in others
Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence WorldClass Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as World Class, these individuals have obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair), and L1-L2 (advanced).
Not only is achieving certification in these areas impressive, but as of 2026, only 2,000 technicians have achieved World Class status.
In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with Stephen Tyre—an ASE World Class technician at Enterprise Fleet Management living in Citrus Spring, Florida—to learn more about his journey in the automotive industry and how gaining World-Class status has helped advance his career.
Motor Age: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience in the automotive industry.
Tyre: I have spent over 25 years in automotive repair, specializing in automotive diagnostics. I have worked on everything from gasoline trucks and autos to hybrid vehicles. I achieved ASE World Class status at age 46 in 2024. I now have a total of 30 ASE certifications.
Motor Age: What's the most memorable repair you've ever completed?
Tyre: A 1995 Toyota Celica that had intermittent loss of power after ECU replacement. My wife was pivotal in the repair, stressing that this was an anniversary edition. After laying out wiring diagrams, I was able to determine that the ECU needed to be from a 1994 Celica. This was due to the harness installed. Even the VIN showed this was incorrect. After replacing the ECU with one from 1994, all issues were resolved.
Motor Age: Tell us one thing about you that we can't guess from your certifications.
Tyre: I have always had an unwillingness to give up. That has been my beacon for success. I will think about an issue day and night until I figure it out.
Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about / most concerned about?
Tyre: I would say I am most excited about the increased data logging and bi-directional abilities for diagnostics. My biggest concern is with advanced computer management and security. Self-driving cars in a world with so many hackers is a serious concern.
Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?
Tyre: ASE has been an important part of my career. It has allowed for more confidence from customers and has allowed my salary to grow. I have been a big supporter of ASE testing. At one point, I managed a Tire Kingdom in Crystal River, Florida, and my team had the largest increase of ASE certifications in our district.
About the Author
Emily Kline
Emily Kline is a Special Projects Editor for FenderBender and ABRN. She has worked in the Vehicle Repair Group at Endeavor Business Media for over 2 years, learning about vehicle repair and the automotive industry as a whole. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona. As a writer, she enjoys her fair share of reading and has no shame using the long Minnesota winters as an excuse to stay indoors and cozy up with a good book.