Motoren lager fortsatt problemer, så vi må ringe verkstedet igjen.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun.

• en motor = an engine

• motoren = the engine

• et verksted = a workshop / a garage / a repair shop
• verkstedet = the workshop / the garage / the repair shop

So instead of putting a separate word like the in front, Norwegian usually uses a suffix:

• common gender: -en
• neuter: -et

That is why the sentence has motoren and verkstedet.

Literally, lage often means make, but in this sentence lager problemer means causes problems or is giving trouble.

So:

• Motoren lager problemer = The engine is causing problems
• more naturally in English: The engine is still giving us trouble

This is a very normal way to express that something is malfunctioning or not working properly.

Both singular and plural are possible in Norwegian, but lage problemer is a very common expression.

• lage et problem would sound more like create a problem
• lage problemer sounds more like cause trouble / cause difficulties

Using the plural often gives a broader sense of ongoing trouble, not just one single issue.

Also, problemer is an indefinite plural form, and indefinite plurals in Norwegian usually have no article in front:

• et problem = a problem
• problemer = problems

Fortsatt means still or continuing to.

In this sentence:

• Motoren lager fortsatt problemer = The engine is still causing problems

Its placement is normal for an adverb in a main clause. It comes after the finite verb lager and before what is being affected, problemer.

A very common pattern is:

• subject + verb + adverb

So here:

• Motoren = subject
• lager = finite verb
• fortsatt = adverb

Often, yes. In many contexts fortsatt and fremdeles both mean still.

For example:

• Motoren lager fortsatt problemer
• Motoren lager fremdeles problemer

Both are natural.

That said, fortsatt is often felt to be slightly more neutral and common in everyday use, while fremdeles can sometimes sound a little more formal or emphatic, depending on the speaker and region. In this sentence, either works well.

Here så means so or therefore.

It connects the two ideas:

• Motoren lager fortsatt problemer
• så vi må ringe verkstedet igjen

So the logic is:

The engine is still causing problems, so we have to call the repair shop again.

This så is being used as a conjunction linking two clauses.

Because modal verbs in Norwegian are followed by a bare infinitive, without å.

Må is a modal verb, meaning must / have to.

So you say:

• vi må ringe = we must call
• not vi må å ringe

This is similar to English:

• we must call
• not we must to call

Other Norwegian modal verbs work the same way:

• kan ringe = can call
• skal ringe = will / shall call
• vil ringe = want to / will call
• bør ringe = should call

Because in this sentence så is functioning as a conjunction between two main clauses.

So the structure is:

• first clause: Motoren lager fortsatt problemer
• conjunction: så
• second clause: vi må ringe verkstedet igjen

That gives normal main-clause word order in the second clause:

• vi = subject
• må = finite verb

If så were being used differently, as a fronted adverb meaning something like then / so, you could get så må vi ringe. But that is a different structure.

So in this sentence, så vi må ringe is the natural choice.

Verksted literally means workshop, but in everyday use it often means a place where something gets repaired.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• repair shop
• garage
• auto shop
• workshop

Because the sentence is about motoren, the most natural English meaning here is something like:

• the garage
• the repair shop
• the mechanic’s shop

So ringe verkstedet means call the garage / call the repair shop.

Here igjen means again.

So:

• ringe verkstedet igjen = call the repair shop again

It tells you this is not the first time they have called.

A useful extra point: igjen can also mean back in other contexts.

For example:

• Han kom igjen = He came back

So the exact meaning depends on context. In your sentence, again is clearly the right meaning.

Yes, that is also correct and natural.

• Motoren lager fortsatt problemer = The engine is still causing problems
• Motoren fortsetter å lage problemer = The engine continues to cause problems

The difference is small:

• lager fortsatt problemer focuses on the fact that the problem is still happening
• fortsetter å lage problemer emphasizes the continuation a bit more directly

Both are good Norwegian. The version in your sentence is very natural and idiomatic.

Yes. It is very typical.

It has two main clauses joined by så, with a comma before the second clause:

• Motoren lager fortsatt problemer, så vi må ringe verkstedet igjen.

This kind of structure is common in both spoken and written Norwegian:

• statement 1
• comma + så
• result or consequence

So it is a very useful pattern to learn for everyday Norwegian.