Vehicle market increases rapidly, management pressure is increasing
In order to perform good management, the Vietnam Register proposes to establish the Association for Maintenance and Repair of Motor Vehicles in Vietnam.
According to the Vietnam Register, Vietnam currently has more than 70 million motorbikes in circulation. The large scale of vehicles creates significant pressure on the urban environment, transport infrastructure and especially the capacity of maintenance and repair systems. In that context, Vietnam is gradually implementing emission control for motorbikes, with standards expected to take effect from June 30, 2026. When emission testing becomes a mandatory requirement, the quality of maintenance and repair will directly affect the ability to meet standards, vehicle usage costs and urban air quality.
According to data from the World Bank, the scale of car ownership in Vietnam is still low compared to many developed countries, showing that the growth room is still very large. The market reality also reflects this trend. In 2025, car sales of members of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) reached 375,736 vehicles, an increase of 10.5% compared to the previous year. In December 2025 alone, the number of cars delivered to customers reached 47,067 vehicles, an increase of 20% compared to November 2025 and an increase of 49% compared to the same period in 2024.
Space between two test periods
While the number of car and motorbike inspections is very large, in reality there is a gap between two inspection periods. The Vietnam Register said that periodic vehicle inspection is an important management tool, but practice shows that technical risks do not wait until the inspection date to arise.
Many damages appear during daily use such as brakes, steering systems, tires, electrical systems, fuel or due to improper technical repairs. Traffic accidents due to technical unsafety often occur suddenly, are difficult to fix during operation and pose a risk of particularly serious consequences.
Reality has recorded many serious incidents related to technical incidents. In Lao Cai on December 27, 2025, a passenger car accident was identified as due to brake failure when going downhill, killing 9 people. In Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc province on April 26, 2025, a passenger car lost its brakes when going downhill, killing 3 people.
These incidents raise the core question: How to ensure continuous technical safety throughout the vehicle life cycle, instead of just relying on periodic inspection milestones. In other words, a regular operating ecosystem is needed, where maintenance - repair - inspection - supervision are organized methodically, with professional standards and responsibility.
In many countries, ensuring vehicle technical safety is not only based on state management agencies, but also with the deep participation of professional associations. These associations take on the role of training, capacity assessment, skills certification, service standards, and policy dialogue focal points. Japan is a typical example.
According to official figures, in 2025, the number of deaths from traffic accidents in Japan decreased to 2,547 people, a record low and less than 1/6 compared to the highest level in 1970. According to estimates by the World Health Organization in 2021, Japan's traffic accident mortality rate is 2.7/100,000 people, about 5.6 times lower than the global average.
This result comes from a multi-layered system. In addition to mandatory inspection (Shaken), Japan builds a network of maintenance and repair facilities that are strictly managed in terms of human resources, processes and responsibilities. Some high-standard facilities are also authorized to conduct inspections under the supervision of the State. The technical pillar of this system is the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association (JASPA), an organization that plays a role in standardizing professions, training, capacity assessment and supporting service market management.
In Vietnam, the inspection system currently plays a central role in technical safety management. However, the field of maintenance and repair of motor vehicles still lacks a professional organization with sufficient technical capacity and social prestige to standardize professional practice, supervise professional ethics and connect data safety. Service quality currently depends heavily on each facility's skills, creating differences in safety levels. Illicit repair, poor quality spare parts, and formal maintenance still exist, causing risks for users.
In the context of the upcoming emission inspection of more than 70 million motorbikes, this gap is even more obvious. If the quality of maintenance and repair is not improved, the application of emission standards will face many difficulties in implementation and there is a risk of increasing social costs.
The establishment of the Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Association in Vietnam, if designed correctly, can bring benefits in many aspects: improving traffic safety, unifying the understanding and implementation of management regulations, contributing to the formation of a healthy service market and creating an effective connection channel with state agencies. However, it is necessary to control legal risks, local interests, formalization of operations, overlapping functions and data management.
