Indeed and its one of the main reasons I got rid of my 21 STI. I owned a 2018 & 2019 WRX along with the 21 STI. Unfortunately the techs at the dealerships often would not fix the issue and break more things when I would get the car back. My very 1st oil change in my 2018 WRX ended in the lube tech not tightening the oil drain bolt and well you can guess what happened later. Long story short after giving Subaru many attempts with different dealers, i said no more. I left the brand in frustration due to the lack of ability from these dealers to work on my cars.
Absolutely accurate!! ...one thing I've found "interesting" is, he seems to be in Cali, and I'm all the way on the Jersey shore nodding my head to the whole thing...like "Yup!! That's EXACTLY how it was for me!!"
When you hear in the media that there is a shortage of Dealer mechanics, just remember there is no such thing as a labor shortage, only a shortage in pay.
I'm from the UK, we have the same thing with Engineers, "skill shortage". There is NO skill shortage, it's a shortage of pay, companies are trying to pay skilled engineers to basic minimum working wage which is about 27000 USD, and because recruiters don't know how to hire engineers, we've got a lot of people in their 40s and 50s with decades of experience, who can't get past the recruiters because when they got qualified a university degree wasn't required at all, and at 45-55 years old nobody can afford to quit work and go back to university, to get a certificate for things they already know and have been doing for 30 years.
Again people that no a lot and understand nothing. It's not a shortage pay. It's a skill, an education gap and knowledge gap. Nothing to do with pay ...
@@djjorge87 What you mean is "lack of certificates"? That's a hiring problem, if you rely on a piece of paper during the hiring process, you cut out large numbers of people who qualified decades ago or simply learned on the job. I get this in engineering, I qualified in 2001 when the UK BTEC qualifications were an absolute requirement, but now recruitment agencies full of graduates in useless subjects, don't know what BTEC is and assume anyone without a degree as being stupid, i'm 45 with a house, a family, bills to pay, I can't afford to leave work and go to university just to relearn a bunch of theory that I know has NO bearing on real world engineering. So in the UK they say there's a "Skill shortage", and it's just not true at all. In another 10 years a degree won't be enough, you'll need a masters and all the people right now with bachelors degrees and decades of experience will be as screwed my generation.
advisors clearing 6 figures when we have MAYBE one tech in the shop who comes close, to me is wild. i was absolutely floored when i found out what the advisors actually make.
Here is another way to put it: I have NEVER heard an advisor complaint that they had to write up a warrenty RO. (They obviously are not the ones getting screwed by manufacture warrenty)
After 21 years as a tech and a foreman, i totally left and became a professional pilot. Believe it or not, it’s easier to pilot a commercial airliner than be an automotive technician. That’s pretty sad when compared to pay and how we were treated as techs.
Hey I have a dumb question that seems to be ignored on the actual videos I have questions on. But what interest does a professional pilot have in compact, mobile soldering irons? Hahah seriously. I was looking at reviews for different soldering irons, and then realized that these were all geared towards pilots or people in the aviation industry. I had no idea. Is soldering something that is done quite a bit mid air does the wiring fall apart on airplanes very often this is an honest question.
Insane that all these issues are still a thing in the automotive industry in 2024. Things have to change soon. All these dealers still wondering why they can't get good help, wonder why?!
Wow, surprised to see someone like you leave a comment! This video is blessed now! I keep interviewing current dealer techs (to hire for my shop) and it is my same story but worse!
@@CMAutohaus I begrudgingly had to take my STi to the local Subaru dealer Saturday for an alignment and balance. As I have neither tire equipment, nor an alignment rack. Right away they broke a stud and the adviser came out to inform me it’d be $92 to replace. I’d just had all four wheels off two days prior. No issues. All installed easily and torqued to 120NM with a torque wrench. Then they told me 3 of my 4 wheels were bent. “We can get them for only $315 each for you if you want to lock that in today.”
@MrSubaru1387 I just replace studs and bill it to the shop it's NICKEL AND DIMING the customer to charge for it its not worth the hassle of waiting for approval LMAO
I took about 8 months off from the Industrial Allison Transmission field to work at a BMW dealership and then went back. One thing I heard while there was the Sales and Parts show a profit and the service showed a loss. This was strategically structured and the way they wanted it. There were a lot of really good guys at that dealership and hope they made out well. I saw quickly that I wouldn't like the way things were ran and I was very lucky in the transmission industry. I went to the Allison class at Indy when their new Run By Wire models came out in 1990. They gave a blank check to dealers for diag on this new model. SInce I retired I've become interested in pattern recognition, you see people do things that don't make sense but they keep doing it. There's a reason they don't ask what you see and a hidden motive for why they do it again and again. They just can't tell you openly.
There are a lot of old broken industrial models based on taking advantage of people with low wages. As more information gets out those industries will either go away, or consumer prices on a lot of services will rise. Just a matter of time.
I am a 73 year old retired mechanic (not technician) I worked for 36 years in the flat rate system raising four kids along the way. You have hit the nail squarely on the head!!! I was fortunate enough to spend 19 of those years in a Japanese car specialist shop that payed 45% to the mechanics, but the rest was spent in dealerships for unfortunate reasons and witnessed all of the mentioned flaws in the system. You are 100% correct about everything you pointed out so clearly. I could go on and on but I will say honesty and craftmanship is lost to this industry. Watching your video brought out some anger I had put away for quit some time. 30 years ASE Master Mechanic w/ L1
@donflores5227. Hello sir, is it better to lease a vehicle or buy? I wondering leasing would be better you can at least get rid of a car e ery three years.
Congratulations to you and your family. I knew of one other person that did so well. Unfortunately the story didn't end so well for him. Be well and thank you for doing quality work.
@@Dawn191 Over time leasing cars costs significantly more than buying and holding them for 8-10 years (on the order of 5x more). Leasing cars is a good way to avoid retirement because you lack savings. Pick a good brand that is reliable (Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Mazda) and just use it, and maintain it by the book. You don't even need to take it to the deal for routine maintenance.
As a consumer I greatly appreciate this info. I go to a cadillac dealership where the people are friendly but their skills leave alot to be desired. It is mainly good for maintenance rather than troubleshooting/repairing
As a mechanic I can 100% confirm they do talk and it's not a good thing. All that connectivity through computers and your cell phone talk about where you are and what you are doing.
Bro I work in auto shop for 15years and I thought I was the best tech they had,But I was getting paid same as new ppl caming in and they had no clue on doing half the stuff I did So I realized I need to ask for a raise and they were like there nothing we can do so I told them I was leaving and did I'm glad I did...
I’m just a regular guy, except I work on my own vehicles, now for over 40 years. I have older vehicles, but which are new enough to have OBD, but not that complex by today’s standards. Perfect. I can keep them running on a fraction of the “normal” cost. How you may ask? Well, If I believe a repair will cost say around $500 at a shop, and yet the tool costs $500, I buy the tool every time. After many years, I have a huge collection of tools. But, most of all, I have the peace of mind and satisfaction that a breakdown won’t keep me down for long or break my bank account. Excellent video by the way! Thank you for taking the time to educate all of us.
Sorry I know this is month old but also when you work on your own car you get to slow down, do things meticulously and properly, do all of the steps that maybe a flat rate guy might skip or cut corners to get paid. I just rebuilt my SUVs entire front suspension, save for the front CVs, for about 800 bucks. I also sand blasted and painted the knuckles, dust shields and strut towers. Brand new control arms all four. Saving money is making money when you do the work yourself!
@@stickit2theman1 E-X-A-C-T-L-Y! Nobody cares about your car more than you do. Mechanics are incentivized to go as fast as possible. When you do your own work you can slow down and enjoy building experience and KNOWING the quality of the job was done to meet your standards. I love working on my own cars but would never want to do it for a career.
@@I-sed-no I also found two of the three large bolts for one of the lower control arm brackets were nearly rotted in half Went and got some replacement 10.9 grade bolts cause fuuuck that Imagine taking that to a mechanic and they just put them back on and send it you would never even know
@stickit2theman1 Every time I fix my kids car. I explain to her exactly what's wrong. Only then ,I'll tell her the game plan to repair or replace what's broken with only new parts AND NEW hardware
I ve been a tech for almost 30 years... I can tell you that sales people as you know, if they sell a lot are always held at a higher regard than a seasoned tech. People will never understand that troubleshooting and mechanical repairs are an art form. Just because you got trained doesn't mean you can do the work. Without us the world would stop moving.
This is true, I'm no mechanic even with a Haynes auto repair book that says step by step how to fix a problem or watching a RUclips video on fixing the problem I still struggle with some basic fixes like changing a alternator on a 2011 gmc Arcadia.
The line goes up when the salesperson secures a deal and the line goes down when a tech does worse than expected. From the perspective of an owner salesperson is to be awarded and a tech to punish.
That's in any trade...as an HVAC tech it's the same way. A lot of the times techs get blamed for something that the sales guy would sell that the house layout wouldn't work with and they expect the tech to just micky mouse it and make it work.
As a ASE certified master technician,and a Subaru senior master technician currently for more than 11 years, and a industry professional, that has work for the industry for more than 19 years as a master and a master apprentice technician, I agree so much with what you said this video is the truth about the industry and what it takes to become a Professional, I love this video. Thanks for making it.
As one who got out decades ago, you think every dealership is like this? I remember in 1988 thinking I needed to get into a dealership tech apprenticeship. I was going nowhere as a young punk vending fleet mechanic.
@@jimvenizelos4649 ironically, I started as a fleet master technicians apprentice, doing diesel and hydraulics systems diagnostic and repair and love the job. But wanted to get trained and certified to become a master automotive technician in the field. But to answer your questions yes, all dealerships are the same because working as a dealerships senior master Technician at a dealership for years now has changed me just a little bit about being a technician for a dealership because of the operating system, The only thing that keeps me honest is the mechanics Creed of treating every car, the same as if it was your mom‘s car in for repair, regardless of the financial loss..
@jimvenizelos4649 I did this at Porsche and they wanted to push me to work alone on the line. Left and went to school and no not UTI. I'm learning the fundamentals and trying to figure out if I go back or try a different side of things.
A lot of these reasons are why I left the automotive industry. Unless you open your own shop, you just getting by. Sucks cause I actually really like working on cars. Good luck on your shop. Glad you are the few that are making it.
So many mechs are leaving the profession. I’ve heard heavy diesel mechanics make much better money than automotive but not sure. All I know is I can open the hood on any semi and walk right up to the engine. Why would any mech want to torture themselves working on these poorly designed newer vehicles.
I work at an indi shop. I used to own a vw / Audi shop. I make more as a tech than I could owning. And I clock out at 5pm Clock in at 8am No phone calls No paperwork
I'm on my way out the business myself.. I rather work on my customers cars than work at the dealership or even at enterprise rental...the shop managers don't know a thing about cars just how to drive them. I'll try my hand at boats instead
@fastinradfordable Correct you are! I closed down my shop and worked out of my house. I told my clients that if I make a mistake it comes out of my pocket. However, I will be the one working on your car so mistakes will be greatly reduced. They kept coming. I knew the work was good, and three days a week of work paid 10x what I made with my shop. With the shop the land lord, the insurance company, and the state made most of the money.
Always the bean counters finding a way to line their own pockets first at the direct cost to the people actually doing the work. Incentive structures are all out of whack but the issues in the automotive industry are simply a reflection of the macrocosm. Society in general needs to start paying people based on the real value they bring, get rid of the useless middlemen syphoning all that away in greed. Edit: I didn’t mean to detract from what you brought up in the video, more so adding to it, I’m deeply grateful to all the local mechanics I’ve done business with.
And this is why I try to do my own maintenance. Do I really think some dealer tech that’s getting screwed is going to willingly lose money to fix my car correctly? I blame consumers- I would gladly pay more to a tech that I knew was trustworthy and competent- but most buyers want cheap as possible
I went through a Ford training program for two years called the ASSET program in the 80's. The dealership I was sent to was a quagmire of politics and con men. The rate back then was 48.00 / hour...the Tech got 16 dollars. You worked off of book time...like he said, each job had a time assigned to it. If you got it done under the book time, you made money. If a 2 hour book time job took you 6 hours...you still got two hours of pay. There were plenty of days I was there 8 hours and made an hour or two of pay. Your pay depended on how many jobs the dispatcher sent your way and whether or not you got the jobs that sucked or decent ones. One week, after watching the dispatcher screw everybody in the shop except his favorite boy, I quit. I made 165.00 that week and I had a family to support. The world of Tech work CAN be rewarding and profitable, but for many Techs, it's a rough world.
Damn, that's pretty bad; no wonder there aren't many good techs working in dealerships anymore like the guy in the video said! In the past, taking your car to the dealership was the best way to guarantee it would be worked on by someone knowledgeable about your specific brand, but with stories like yours, it's probably better to service my car at an independent mechanic.
hey man I was the first graduating class of that in Milwaukee. I can't remember what our rate was I think it was about the same. older guys I work with said it used to be 50% paid to the tech. ended up leaving when a car got damaged that I didn't even touch and they wanted me to pay for it. I change careers after that. was so tired of getting salt and slushed up my sleeves and down my back in the winter time and fighting for every goddamn penny I made and having warranty claims bounce. remember getting paid 6/10 of an hour to fix something that took hours and hours including diagnostics? Yeah we all did the miscellaneous operation where we had to pull back carpeting and take out seats and repair a weld even though we didn't really do any of that, we just said we did to get paid. our dealership was crooked and we charged extra parts to customers under warranty all the time and sold the parts back to the parts department, they gave us a small percentage of credit that we could use to buy parts for our own car from any supplier in our system. That didn't even work out because the parts department guys stole all of my credit. The entire dealership industry is crooked as hell and I will never go back. I hate having to deal with them. almost forgot, our service manager stole a million dollars from the dealership somehow but he had all the connections so they kept them employed and only paid him $250 a week until he would repay what he stole. Well he was still was buying a new house in cash and putting three daughters through college so he was probably stealing again or took more money than they knew about. real crooked son of a bitch he was.
right! and instead of finding the biggest sweetheart and most fair person in the dealer to be the dispatcher, they enlist the most sadistic and self-serving ass to have that job. The dealership owners dont care about turnover in the shop or a lack of quality techs who can pay their bills, they want money!!!
Actually, technicians (mechanics if you prefer such terminology) ARE doctors. We're car doctors. We diagnose and repair them. We maintain them. Many of us have a genuine passion and love for cars, and it translates into our work. Generally, replace cars with humans, and you're talking about a physician. I used to use this analogy all the time when I worked at dealerships. Here's what kills me. If that car fails to operate as per design in many situations, it could mean the difference between living and dying in a wreck. Now, whether the customer wants to listen to our diagnosis and repair accordingly is all on them. No different than heeding health warnings from your physician with the SMALL exception of, if you fail to lower your cholesterol and suffer the consequences, it's just your ass. If your car fails while on the road with other motorists, it could be many people impacted by your lackadaisical approach to maintaining your vehicle. That said, an argument can be made that technicians are not only helpful but vital to keeping the roads as safe as possible, and protecting everyone that vehicle passes when it's operating as per design. On a final note, ever see that loud mouthed jerk in the waiting room throwing a fit about having to wait for their car to be finished? Doing that at a doctor's office could lead to your expulsion from their practice and forcing you to find a new physician. Do that at a dealership, and you'll have a service advisor kissing your ass and then they'll proceed to pester the technician working on your car, breaking their focus, to ask the most annoying, irritating, and possibly stupid question one can ask a tech mid repair "How much longer?" Let me ask you this: Are you going to burst into the OR while a surgeon is working on an open body and ask them "How much longer?" HELL NO!!! So why I ask is it socially acceptable to do it to a technician? That distraction could lead to a monumental ooppz and then a barrage of obscenities and wrenches being thrown. Oh, and most importantly to the customer, more time having to wait while we fix the problem that wouldn't have otherwise occurred due to their impatience.
You nailed it on the head. The last straw for me was when we had a visit from corporate and the disrespect we got from these people who knew absolutely nothing about our line of work. I ended up leaving the field and became an accountant.
One time 2 people from corporate and an engineer from Japan came to talk to me about a car I worked on that got bought back. Everyone including the service manager sat in a chair in his office while I had to do a half asian squat in the corner of his office - muti-hour long meeting by the way (also dont get paid under flat rate). It was only years later did I ponder why no one in that room suggested to get me a chair - hierarchy and putting me in my place is the only thing I can think of.
@CMAutohaus that's crazy, but I believe it. I'm the same person now as I was back then, but the stark contrast in how I'm treated now compared to back then is night and day. People really do need to appreciate not just the skillset of auto technicians but the blue-collar workers. With that said, if time permits, I've come to find that it's hard to find good auto technicians these days. Even being out of the industry, I still find that I can still do just as good if not better of a job on my own vehicles versus dropping it off at a shop.
If you are a mechanic and ARE honest, skilled and trustworthy, you are extremely rare (I only know of 3 in our area) and valuable for your skills and honesty, and should be compensated and respected for your labor and efforts.
I didn't want to watch this entire video but the more you talked, the more I kept watching. I had No idea that service techs were treated or paid so poorly. I can understand your frustration. I also didn't realize all the hats you wore. I just want to thank you for this video, it was a real eye opener. From a former UAW factory worker who lost their job due to closing of the plant & going out of the country.
Dude I take any food anytime. I am literally stressing and burning off more calories that I am consuming for sure. I get at least 3 concerned comments a week about how skinny Ive become
@@CMAutohaus haha I’m no where near California. My mechanic used go over what he does to my car like a chrisfix video when he still had a small 2 car garage he was working out of. Now he upgraded into a larger shop and makes me wait in the lobby due to insurance policies.
Years ago at an Alfa Romeo, BMW, Lotus and Saab dealership, one of our favorite service customers was a very highly regarded surgeon working at 3 local hospitals. We took care of his wife's SAAB and his hot rodded Alfa that he autocrossed. After he retired, he opened a high end boutique butcher shop with the nicest meat in town!! Now, as a butcher, he'd bring in a huge box of custom steaks for all the mechs in the service dept!!!
I was a Ford mechanic for years, but every single dealership in the country is crooked. They have to be or they can survive but many of them are just greedy bastards. every time I get my car serviced, I always go to the dealership because I'm too lazy and I make enough money to where I don't have to work on my own cars, I always bring donuts and I make sure the sales team doesn't get any. I always come in right when they open, 2 hours before the sales team gets there so they don't get any donuts.
I've been a dealer tech for 14 years and still going. Ive gotten my ASE master certs, manufacturer hybrid, EV, and diesel certifications. All the stars and stripes for a dealer tech, so yes i've been around the block a few times. I've seen alot of tech related videos like this but you sir hit it 100%. The things we technicians have to go through day in and day out, all the money, the time, and the effort we have to put in just to work everyday is absolutely incredible. Everyday we look to set ourselves up for success although we are often put in situations set up for failure. In this field, the business isn't just working on cars, its fixing them and knowing how to quickly and effectively. One thing is for sure, there is no money to be collected or made if there isn't a technician turning the wrench in this field. It's at the point where im convinced that people who dont work on cars, live life stress free.
I’m a diesel tech that works at a semi truck dealership. Everything you said rings true for my dealership on the diesel side. Like it’s spot on. What I’ve learned is dealerships are insanely cheap as well
I left the auto industry 3 days before 2024. Should have made that decision earlier 2-3 years ago. You’re pretty much spot on with everything. I was a BMW tech and also worked on exotics for a while also. skill is definitely absent at dealerships. Everyone is just a parts changer now a days. Very very few skilled techs are still in the game. Very toxic environment to be in.
You go to school you learn every part and how it works, you get an RO at a dealership service advisor and job says replace part and how long it takes. I did this for a year learned nothing, they wanted to put me on the line no ASE Certifications and in the end I'm like I'm just changing parts.
@@Chuckfinlee432changing parts is just part of being a mechanic/technician. No way around it. Especially nowadays when it’s cheaper to replace the part completely then try to fix the broken one. And I seriously doubt you didn’t learn anything in a year of working in the field. That’s bullshit, if you didn’t learn anything then the problem is you
This is an excellent presentation about "the real inside" of this industry. Well done and thanks. All the more reason for a car owner to be able to both understand and be able to perform their own basic maintenance on their particular vehicle. Oil changes, air filter, transmission fluid, brake pads, spark plugs, tires, car battery, head & tail lights, wiper blades, etc. All of which I have done, now, for more than ten years on all of my family's vehicles. And what started me down this road was a botched "oil change" at one of those chain "oil can" shops.
You touched on every aspect of my life at a dealership for 40+ yrs of my life. You are right on with everything you spoke of. I've been saying all this also. I've been retired for 14 yrs. I'm so much happier now. Newer cars/trucks suck!! I was a GM & ASE Master tech until I quit.😊
I used to know an auto tech, and he was the best I'd ever seen. He gave it all up, and now he's selling propane. Until the trades get paid their true worth, you're going to see a whole lot of stuff being cast off. People will simply have to learn to do without.
mechanics are the heart of the auto repair business. you cant fix cars without them. the service advisors are useless in my book. an unnecessary expense. learn to diy. fix and repair. many people waste money and upgrade to a newer car and so many cars get junked way before their time. i always repaired my own cars. the body/frame is the issue where salt is used on the road. Toyotas and Hondas were the most reliable cars in the past
The constant ASE training that a technician or mechanic Hass to go through is really only important when a new piece of technology comes out or a new iteration of something comes out, and to be refreshed on those particular functions or parts of the vehicle to constantly be tested to make sure that you know the basics when you’ve been doing it for 1520 years is a complete waste of time and money on the technicians part. And yes I agree it’s completely unfair that he’s glorified Sales reps that call themselves
Don't forget about porters to service porters are important to to help the mechanics to bring the cars into the shop most service advisors just sit there and don't do nothing
I am 68 now been retired for awhile have always worked on my own cars and trucks and helping family and occasional friend here and there and I started out in the middle 70s at a local Chevy dealership and could tell this was not going to be away to make a good living after about a year I moved on and fortunately got a job with a major beer company stayed with them for 36 years but automotive techs are the most disrespected people at the dealership and they should be most respected and highest paid they do all the work it's people like you that could start your own business and quickly build a good reputation because you care about doing quality work your experience has been an eye opener
I’m 72 and have always done my own work and education is from a lot of reading and watching some great you tube guys that know much more than most dealerships. This video shows how f Ed the mechanics are. Just think of how easy an owner could fix these problems and he’d sell more cars.
Respect brother. This video was so informative. As a former electrical technician I know what it feels like to be harassed to work faster and to cut corners on electrical equipment which could put lives in jeopardy if not within spec. Wishing you all the success.
I too left the Nissan dealership. My coworkers in the shop were great people. What it did not like was the people from the manufacturers coming into the shop and putting us down for little stupid stuff. You know where people think there's a problem but there's not. He tied up the shop for over an hour with his bull. To me he wasted corporate money by just wasting our time. Cash for clunkers came into the existence under a certain president's name. All sudden people were buying cars of still didn't get them fixed. When I realized I was hoping for warranty work which cheated the technician. I found a different line of work and been doing much better than being in the repair business.
Got a newfound respect for tech’s after watching this. Had no idea you are expected to buy your own tools or the pay structure. That’s straight up bullshit. Can’t believe anyone willing pursues this as a career. Mechanics should straight up unionize and demand better pay and working conditions.
Its not just the lack of skilled technicians its also the complexity of the cars and also the new electric cars that are coming out now to. great video.
Well heck i figured the electric cars will fad out before we get to deep into them , or they would build mechanics in the same shops that build the cars and or batteries ..
@@18_rabbit no not the repairs done there, the training ..they got ai now , there so good at designing cars , just make some robot mechanics to fix them ..lol
I couldn't agree more with you. As an Acura tech, its crazy to me how the techs are always clashing with the service advisors because they literally try to scam the customers every chance they get. We have advisors that actually try their hardest to upsell timing belt jobs every 5 years! ….5 years! its insane. These are people who don't have the slightest clue what a timing belt does but feel perfectly fine telling clients they have to change it. Not to mention management sides with them over us because its great for our quarterly numbers. its a sad situation all around.
What do you recommend, the 7 years like the manual States? I personally waited 10 years low on the mileage on a Honda Ridgeline. The water pump gasket was starting to go no leak.
I replaced my timing belt at 120,000 miles both times timing belt was still in a good condition that I think I could go for another 50,000 miles. My next timing belt job would be 330,000 miles. I hope it make it before it gave up on me. Right now it’s too cold for me to work on it. Now when to replace the timing belt always goes by the manufacturer recommendation and I think that if you live in a hot area that is 115 degree Fahrenheit it might need to be replace sooner before the recommendation as heat will cause the deterioration a lot faster.
@@Byu50 I've done first-time J32/J35 timing belt jobs on cars with 90 to 200k miles on the original belt. All of them still looked great. I think the recommendation is just because belts *do* go sometimes, and an ounce of prevention definitely is worth a pound of cure (a new engine pretty much if it goes). 120k miles or 7-10 years seems fine to me, however.
As auto technicians we need to have unions, at least in the dealerships. We need to be compensated for the amount of schooling, testing, tools, and physically demanding work that we do. If fast food, delivery drivers, and studio workers, even auto manufacturing plant workers, can go on strike and demand better conditions, so can we! It’s definitely not the end all be all to unionize, and I don’t have the answer as to what exactly is, but it’s a step in the right direction to strengthen our demands to better working conditions.
I don't agree with the Union approach. All that does is funnel money to political campaigns that do little to nothing to actually help the people in the union. This guy has the right approach. He never named a specific dealership, but accurately conveyed the problems that occur in a dealership. Some independent shops have their own issues as well. That's why I decided to go into business for myself. Now I'm the owner, service advisor, receptionist, accountant, purchasing agent, janitor, logistics coordinator, and technician. With all of that my stress level is far less than when I worked for someone else.
@@GraniteStateHotRodandAutomotiv With all due respect, I have to disagree with you. You are correct that Teamsters contribute mostly Democratic candidates which I don't agree with but that is not all they do. I make $32.55 an hour for all time I'm at work before I even move the first inch off the yard. I make $.80 a mile for all miles driven, average that at 55 mph that's $44 an hour. 100% company payed health insurance for myself and my family. 4 weeks a year vacation And at my age (just turned 60 this month) a pension provided by the union payed for by my dues and the company's payments. There are other LTL (less than truckload) companies that are non-union that make close to what we make per mile but they get no non driving pay, have to pay for their health insurance every week, get less vacation time and no pension other that a 401k. The only reason that they make pay close to ours is because of what WE get payed. If our union didn't exist all of us would make much less. If all of the trades would unionize we all would have a much higher standard of living.
Sounds like the US has the same class system BS seeping into the workplace as in the UK, you work in an office, you get better pay+benefits and everything supplied for you to do your job..... But work blue collar and suddenly it's crap pay and you're buying your own tools, because the people in the office, even if you convince them you need something, they'll take your tool order and find cheaper alternatives, you ask for a pozi, you get a philips, you ask for a 10mm socket, you get a cheap $1 socket set, you ask for a fluke meter, you get a $10 meter from China. I think this how techs, mechanics, engineers, etc ended up buying their own tools, because when we get cheap tools bought for us and they break, it reflects badly on us and we get the age old quote of "a good workman never blames his tools", which actually should be "a good workman never buys bad tools".
We're glad you didn't leave the automotive industry because you're one of the few skilled labor technicians left in the business! I agree with you 100% that service advisor should have the knowledge and experience so they're not selling unnecessary repairs to people. How are you going to educate the customers on what you're selling if you don't know how it works? Great video bro, keep it up!
This is a great video. Spot on. I was a Master Guild Audi technician for 17 years. Because I understood the cars and could fix anything, I was gifted with all the impossible customer cars and crazy warranty work (ie engineering problems that Audi was still trying to sort out) flat rate was impossible. I negotiated a personal guarantee of 35 hours a week, no matter the flat rate I turned. I was always there a full 40+, but the service manager wanted to make sure I still had incentive to turn more hours.😑 Meanwhile we had other techs in the shop turning 80+ hours in 40, doing services, easy recalls, etc. The idea of playing dumb to get payed more didn’t occur to me when I got hired, and by the time I understood the dealership system it was too late. The physical toll often gets overlooked. After a major back surgery for a disc issue, I no longer work as a technician.
had the same experience,I did all the hard and "shi*" work while the lower-skilled techs got all the gravy and hrs. they had way less tools and training but got the easy hrs--been a tool driver for 34 yrs never looked back. now working on cars and trucks is fun!
I did similar. Tech school, dealership, independent shop, then city transit. Moved up in the organization and taught myself code, then got a Computer Science diploma. Now a senior systems architect and getting ready for fat FIRE. The income to expense ratio of being a car technician is unsustainable especially with an industry where profits are more with disposable products than repairable ones. If you're dead set on this career, get the protection of a UNION or have other sources of income.
@@Doomskum CS is more math intensive and carries more weight in some circles. But having experienced either side of interview panels, both are pretty much interchangeable for most positions.
@@barpatron Sadly, this is not true for everyone. A number of the mechanics who expressed dissatisfaction when I left are still in the field and still voice the same issues several years later.
WOW !! After watching this I IMMEDIATELY had to SUBSCRIBE, ‘Thumbs-Up’, and comment. I knew there was a shortage of techs here in Canada, but I didn’t know it was even worse in America, because I heard of a lot of technicians that moved to America for better wages. I’m a Mazda Fan (just got my 2024 Mazda 3 GT, TWIN-Scroll-TURBO, and this is my 7th Mazda) but when I go for service next week, I’m tipping my tech, whether the owner likes it or not ! I REALLY TRULY COMMEND YOU for bringing to light how serious this issue is !!! Somebody had to say it. Keep up the great work, and You are A VERY INTELLIGENT SMART MAN with an incredible head on your shoulders. I applaud you. Honestly. …Much Love, From : TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA 🇨🇦!! Love your channel.
I learned that being certified means nothing I’ve met a ton off mechanics, certified and knew nothing. Glad my dad is a mechanic and I learned to do my own stuff!! Hard to trust others.
As a previous texh, I can agree to everything in the video, especially the odd ball jobs around the shop. Having to check the dealership air compressor from time to time, making sure the waste oil bin didn't overflow, explaining things to customers because the service advisors didn't know how to. I too wasn't a fan of the flat rate system and got sick of not doing my job properly in the name of speed. I did retain my friends from the dealership though. Besides being able to work on your own car, that was one blessing I truly enjoyed, having that comradery and still to this day.
Comradery and using the lift to work on your own car were the only two perks. Even at the free company lunches I remember still being sht on by everyone else in the dealer besides the car washers.
I appreciate this man. I drive a semi and the same situation exists in my industry. We dropped the ball as a country by not advocating for these very vital career paths. A good mechanic and tech is Gold.
This video is so TRUE! Now, I think I understand why when I purchased a used car (not from the dealer) with 30K miles on it and a few months later the check engine light came on and the car went into limp mode. I took it to the dealer. Got a loan car. Was driving home. 12 minutes later while Im on the highway they call me and say I need a new engine! What??? I go back, get my car take it to a certified shop who specialize in engines and they said, "There is nothing wrong with the engine. They codes just needed to be reset". 60.00 dollars!! The dealership WANTED over 12,000 dollars for NOTHING!
The RUclips algorithm was determined to make me watch this and I am glad I eventually clicked! I've never worked as an auto technician, but I've been in conversations with friends in the last 3 or 4 months making the same case that you have so carefully made here - a pending crisis as vehicles increase in complexity while the tech skills necessary to make them function starts to dissipate. Thanks for sharing!
My personal resume over 45 years: Unlimited test and repair (California) Smog tech since 1987 (passed the first time), ASE master since 1992, L1 (passed the first time) Dealer tech for Mercedes, Datsun (Nissan), Hyundai and finally Honda. You are 100% right, the advisors are overpaid vs. the techs. California has a law that techs get 2X minimum wage if they provide their own tools (small shops don't comply) but advisors still make more? I'm now happily retired, but agree 100% my friend. The wages are going up, but the pay is still too low.
20 years as a tech, not flat rate but just at 2x minimum wage so I had to supply my tools. Destroyed my knees and back being scrunched under that alignment rack all day..Was looking for something easier on the body. Went to work as an IT tech for a public school district. Spent 17 years there. Trust me, it was 100x worse. School districts are dramatic soap operas on a daily basis.
Very insightful! Many years ago I was working at an Audi dealership as a porter. I was trying to become a technician but they required so much training to start even as a lube tech. One day I see a tech friend of mine pull a relatively new S8 V10 into his bay for a A/C Compressor replacement under warranty. It required a full drivetrain drop in order to reach the compressor. A very special chassis rig was needed to bolt onto the subframe and drop it down. He spent 1 day unbolting everything and rigging up the subframe to drop it (without the right rig), another day to drop it and replace the compressor plus another 1-2 days putting it all back together. Total warranty pay was something like 4 or 6 hours for the whole job. I realized right then and there I never wanted to be a tech as long as flat rate existed.
My dealer pays service writers 10% on parts sold including warranty repairs. I just did a warranty job where I had to replace an engine, transmission, all coolant hoses, heater core flush, program/update software etc. all for 12.7 hours. Parts total was 27,000$. I made 381$ and the service writer made 2,700$. That’s just one reason why being a tech sucks.
Spot on! From a dealer parts advisor and asst manager of 10 years and 4 years of dealer sales before, you're right about all of this. Good techs are heroes in my eyes 🤙🏻
TRUTH...Is what this highly gifted person is articulating so well. Without revolutionary changes, the industry is doomed to facing a screeching halt....with countless numbers of unrepaired cars heading for the scrap heap. My 53 years in the industry tells me so. Denial is not the name of a river in Africa.
I work at a used car lot of a large dealership. We get all the trades the bigger lots don't want, so the shit. 75% of these cars are getting heavy line work, but the big lots are paying too much for them so we "can't afford" to fix what's needed, so we fix what we can, Then get bitched at when the car comes back after being sold. Our shop rate is 200hr and I'm making 21 hourly (more than half the work is line work). The only other guy who's been there longer than me is making 22hr after 7 years with the company. Making me the second highest paid tech after only 2 years (hiiigh turnover). The pay scale at this shop is 17-25. Their pitch... "Your trading experience for a lower wage"... While I see their point with this, it's still faaar lower than what it should be. There are pros! very minimal customer cars, hourly so I'm not stressing, had 0 professional experience or schooling/training (I was a detailer and they saw me using tools on a weekend and offered me the "promotion"(took a $3 pay cut(still making less than I was in detail)))... But back to shop rate, I'm only getting 10% of the cut, providing 90% of the service... And I'm really feeling the "uneducated grease monkey" judgment now that you mention it... I just like fixing shit. I just want to help people. I remember how much I needed help when shit on my rig would break. I just wanna be that guy. Hell of a rant but. I hope these dealerships crash and burn. I'm looking to finish my personal projects with the access I have to a shop and will probably be leaving the field unfortunately.
I just wanted to say that I appreciate your honesty and willingness to break all of this down. I'm 39 and have been a Subaru enthusiast since late 2002. Back in the day I used to hang around the local Subaru dealership because the service advisors and shop techs were pretty cool and everything seemed reasonable and made sense. About 2008 or so is when things started taking a turn for the worst and everyone started getting burnt out. In the years since it's been less fun to engage with local dealerships, especially when I wanted something done that I was willing to pay for, but just didn't have the space or time to do. Recent note: I'm moving from New England to Phoenix, AZ, and I wanted to swap my BC Racing coilovers prior to moving (from BR Extreme Low to DS with Swift Springs). I have brand new, in-box coilovers that the local dealership doesn't even want to quote me on swapping. A local shop quoted me $600 for swapping the fronts and $600 for swapping the rears ($1200 total). Meanwhile, a shop in Tucson is going to charge me $30/hr starting at 8AM to bring my car into their bay, use their lift, and swap the coilovers myself. And I'll take my car to the local dealership up the street for an alignment ($129). It's tough being a car enthusiast these days, but I'm glad there are still shops like yours that help people enjoy their passion. I've subbed to the channel and look forward to future videos!
I've only ever worked on the sales and parts side of dealerships (one of which was Subaru), but I have mad respect for honest technicians! I hope to see the dealership model change, though regulations will make it difficult to change the current system. Manufacturers should own and operate service/repair centers, not dealerships. I've seen how some technicians avoid or drag out repairs, but with typical working conditions I see why this happens. Having also been a salesman I have seen how dishonest people can be for a sale and it's wrong. Cars sales should be customer driven, and manufacturers should be operating centers to demo products (test drives, informationals, etc.). The dealership system is just a middleman that cheats hard working car enthusiasts, as well as the general public that puts a lot of faith in the image of perceived quality and integrity that dealerships carry.
I was a tech at a mazda dealership, the amount of money that the service advisors make/made was the final straw that broke that camels back. I've since moved into sales positions, and I'm sooo happy that I did.
Glad I watched this video! Very informative and I understand so much better how the industry works. Thank you so much for your time and keeping the public aware of how it all works. It all makes sense now. You are the few, I will be coming to your shop for repairs!!
i worked at car shop and it paid almost nothing it was basically minimum wage.i had to work a 2nd job just to make ends meet and my 2nd job at a restaurant paid more. So glad i stopped working at a shop and the cars are getting stupid over engineered took the skills i learned from being a "tech" did electrical instead now work for myself greatest decision i ever made make my own hours you can't put a price on freedom
Very very true! Dealerships want to sell expensive repairs. I hate dealing with a "service" advisor selling me junk. Modern cars are extremely complex now. Manufacturer warranties are a joke since dealerships don't get paid the same rate. So a dealership will do the bare minimum unless they can rip off the customer with outrageously expensive repairs.
Much respect. What you explain is precisely why most dealers have low quality techs because all the good ones end up leaving or are burned out from abuse. This just happened at the local Jeep dealership. Decades of actually great service because the owner actually cared about the techs and other service employees. New owner steps in and only cares about money. All the good techs and service advisors jump ship and the dealership goes down the drain. Keep up the good honest work. Wish you were in my area.
Amen brother, be your own boss. I worked in the aircraft industry. The pay sucked, the hours sucked. I had a license, Airframe and powerplant. Wages were just above minimum wage. I got lucky one day while rowing with the other A&P slaves. I got a call to go work on the oil pipelines that run all across America. I started out at &2500 a week take home. After 5 years I was up to $3600 a week. If I worked Sunday I made $4000 take home. I was one happy Pipeline Lead Inspector. Never ever looked back. Best move I ever made. Right time, right people to know. Peace out brother. By the way I actually love working on my auto's.
Thanks for sharing......Very Enlightening. Many things I knew and many I did not. I have always said, " A Good Mechanic/Technician is worth their weight in Gold."
Watch the movie "Idiocracy"--we are almost there where nobody is left that can fix things. You're obviously a super smart guy. I've been taking all my vehicles (even a new one I bought under warranty) to the same guy for decades now. He really knows his stuff and only hires guys that know what they are doing, so I can trust that my drain plug won't fall out a few miles down the road after an oil change. I like having them do oil changes because, while I could do them myself, I like to have a separate and QUALIFIED set of eyes looking at my cars every few thousand miles.
man, u got an impressive resume in the automotive industry and u look like u're in ur late 20 to mid 30. that's exactly how i feel, if i would have became a mechanic, i would hate working on my own car lol. that's the reason y i only work on my own car and family or close friends cars.
I bought a Honda from my local dealer. I paid $700 for yearly Rust Corrosion Spraying, to prevent rust to the body of my car. I went back 12 months after I bought the car to get my 2nd treatment of rust spray and they told me they only spray the car if they think it needs to be sprayed. I was mad because they told me when I paid the $700 that I could come every 12 months no matter what. They flat out lied to me and stole my money.
Thats a pretty wild story. We used to see cars from Alaska/Canada where everything was cover in the rust spray. I imagine if you lived in an area like that, reapplying the spray every 12 months would be a must! Anther reason to get everything in writing and to read the fine print.
Great video. Much of this stuff was going on 30 years ago when I worked in a shop. Became 'self employed' 4 years later and never looked back. Now retired & enjoy maintaining my own fleet of relatively simple 'vintage' vehicles ('96 Camry & Tacoma, '98 Altima, '82 240D) . Can't trust anyone else to even change my oil! Many people are hanging on to, and fixing their old vehicles now. Don't know what the rest are going to do, except remain in perpetual debt. I think today's cars will be truly disposable!
FINALLY SOMEONE said out loud about the oil change. I specifically don't let anyone change my oil due to trust issues, plus I have been working on my own cars since I was a teen..
Dude I've been through all the same shit you've talked about! I wanted to make a career out of it but all the stuff you mentioned turned me away. After a few years I had opened a JDM alignment and suspension shop with some friends, but covid slowed us down too much and we had to move on. Now I work in the print / car warp industry and keep my tech knowledge for myself, family and friends. Happy to see you found something to keep you happy in the industry.
Man it really hits home how important it is to find a solid mechanic. Ive heard many horror stories from dealer service centers. Makes wanting to buy a new car really hard
Anyone thinking of attending a trade school and getting into this industry because some UTI/MMI recruiter told you techs make $100k a yr, listen to this man. Everything he said is true. Dealerships and independent shops will do everything they can to cheat you and the customer out of money. Look at BLS earnings in 2023 for mechanics to see the actual numbers, then subtract tool cost and education cost. You’ll find better compensation stocking shelves. If you’re going to pick a trade, pick a licensed one if you want to have a future.
"You’ll find better compensation stocking shelves" I know contract workers working in tech that basically make photocopies all day - make an eye watering amount of money...why am I a tech again?....lol
@@CMAutohaus I’m feeling the same way. I’ve got peers that manage social media accounts for large firms that pull 6 figures plus with pto, sick leave,health insurance and enjoy my biggest envy of all, a climate controlled environment. Not to mention I got into trades because I didn’t think I’d enjoy being in an office and now they all work from home 2-3 days a week. FML !
@@victorjay9586 idk if it ever will. Dealerships/shops want to keep pay low to maximize profits. If you go independent customers don’t wanna pay in order to keep cost of ownership low. Trade schools and headhunting firms offering false promises are constantly trying to flood the labor market with cheap entry lvl techs that are buried in debt, and willing to work for peanuts. Only way it’ll ever change is if we become really scarce.
Love the name my Dad's shop was called Autohaus, we are in a very Swiss area. Love the video, 20 year tech and I agree 100% everything you have said. I have been solo for 10 years and it's amazing.
Thank you for your honesty. This world needs more honest straight up people like you. You are a small percentage of what makes this world a better place. Thank you Sir, for your dedication to doing what's right and for the love of automobiles. Wherever you work now sure benefits from you being there. Much love and peace to you my brother.
Spot on. Frightening how my experience as a technician and lecturer in the UK is almost the same. Now I work on cars as a hobby. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Yup. I left the industry just like many of us out there. I'm currently back at school for different career in office. Everything you've said is TRUE to the bone, and its giving me stress just hearing your story. From service advisors to us spending money on tools, to going extra mile for 0 pay, or fixing other peoples mess... It's really sad. I do miss the guys at the shop since we all got into this career because we all like cars. But the stress, the pay and lack of respect are just not sustainable. The amount of time I burn on re re re calibrating radars or re-upholster leather seats just raises my blood pressure. We need a AA meeting for ex techs out there. 😂
Wow! I have never realized what you guys go through! I’m so sorry, because I thought you guys got paid more than you actually do! I’ll be mindful from now on, and thank you for your service and your time! God bless you!
I tried leaving the industry so many times, until I realized there are not many people as skilled as I am and that I’m providing a necessary service for my community. I take so much pride in my work and I really do love it but your absolutely right, we wear so many hats and I’ve always felt like we should be held at the highest regard within the service department much like how doctors are to a hospital.
Put yourself first. If you give away all your bricks, in the end, how are you able to build up yourself? Find another way to give back without killing yourself. These are cars and we are not the fken Dahli Lama
@@CMAutohaus yes! nailed it! This is so over the top friggin ridiculous, ie the overall state of affairs at dealerships , esp in expensive areas. Unions need to get involved imho.
I’m HVAC technician. Same story with us. A good technician can identify issues fast and repairs are usually minor issues. Scenario Good tech can usually diagnose an issue in 1/2 hr and it’s a minor part or loose wire my company gets 1/2hr worth of labor and maybe $100 in parts. And the technician may only have this single job scheduled for the day so now he’s done for the day with 1 hr pay. Now an unskilled technician might take 6-8 hours on the same call and change $1000 in parts to “fix” the problem. Who is more valuable to the company? The skilled technician or unskilled.
I retired in 2019. I started in the field in 1975. I worked retail for many years and did fleet service for 25 years. I experienced all the things you speak of. Hopefully young guys like you will shed more and more light on the things you have mentioned in your videos. I think guys like us just enjoy seeing a job well done and get personal satisfaction and just love making it work. I think that’s why I stayed so long even with all the headaches you speak of. Take care and God Bless.
As a nooby tech with HS and AS tech training in an auto auction (newish cars) with other techs all from around your generation who worked with many different cars, I can honestly say I am happy I didn't go to a dealership first. These guys are teaching me SO much more than schooling and training ever did, from diagnosis to ways of dealing with rusty ass cars and bolts. Even if I don't stay long in this trade this experience will come in sooo handy considering I will ALWAYS try to work on my own cars and experienced techs like you and my co-workers make all the corporate BS feel at least a little worth going through. Hopefully a majority of these issues finally get addressed soon because I do love working on and diagnosing cars and would love to keep doing. P.S. new subscriber, can't wait to hear more about this world through you!
Thank YOU! You are incredibly knowledgeable, humble, and dedicated. Anyone who has had the good fortune to take their car to you knows you take your time to make sure things are done correctly and will explain everything in detail. Thanks to you I actually look forward to my car getting serviced!
This is one of the realest videos I've seen in a long time. Degrees Masters they don't mean anything anymore is what you know and what you can do that makes a difference. God bless
In all fairness, masters and degrees help people gain the knowledge they need to do the jobs they are seeking. The main problem is most people who go to school rarely even know what they actually want to do, only to find out years later they decided on the wrong career or should have focused more in school instead of just trying to pass.
After working foat raye and only making $100 for the week I changed careers and now work as a technician but for industrial machines and robotics. Better pay and less BS.
Being a 15 yrs technician at honda/toyota/scion/Mazda dealer and 4 yrs subaru and acura..this is so true.. I just quite..wasn't really about the job but the place and management..buy yes everything said here is correct.
I have experienced each of the issues in my 45yrs of vehicle service public and private, (retired State certified Journeyman, Master auto & Truck ASE, Cal smog tech, and many more) believe this man in the video.
I have a 2018 STI and I took it to a local shop in NYC for a brake flush, new rotors, ss brake lines, and pads last week. They told me that they had an extremely hard time bleeding the system but got the job done. I picked up the car and the brake pedal pretty much hit the floor and had no pressure while the car was on. I went back into the shop and they told me it's normal when you change all those components at once and that it should start feeling normal, and if it doesn't, come back. I'm here thinking it's Friday and they are about to close and won't open till Sunday, and I needed the car back. I'm driving around a bit and the car barely stops with the pedal to the floor. On sat I drove to a shop that a close friend had been going to and they bled the system again and told me that it was full of air. I used to go to them a lot when I had an 04 sti with a lot of issues, I'm not sure what happened over the years. But I'm def never going back to that shop again. At this point, I have no shops that I trust with my car in the local area. Fun story about my last experience with the local Subaru dealership. They wanted to charge me 2k to drop the transmission to diagnose a creak whenever I pressed the clutch. I just said no thanks and left. Turned out a little grease fixed the issue. Wish there were more mechanics like you/ shops around here.
@@Nakaamaa Im considering getting tools just to do basic maintenance, main thing has gotten in the way of that is, lack of space for tools/ work. I once had to explain to a guy what the crush washer was for and that it didn't go in with the oil filter. Ive had a rough time with shops.
@@superu8919Do your own services, plenty of RUclips guides out there. It only takes a few times before it becomes routine. I been with Subaru for 5 years and they are easy cars to work on. I'm sorry they didn't verify proper operation of your brake pedal before releasing it back to you. I would have brought back the car on a tow truck, showed your services writer and try to get some sort of compensation for it and they will do that. If not call Subaru of America.
Full stop at 6:11. The RUclips algorithm handed me this vid to watch. Ive never heard of you, never seen any of your content. It popped up after i Googled how to put a headlight into a 2010 Outback (cry for me, I know) Just watching the first part of this video, i connected with you on about 4 levels, brother. Please keep ondoing what you are doing to make yourself happy. I wish i did, and could, as someone that's just turned 50, and knows that well over half my life's gone. Im not happy anymore, and i dont have much chance to be at this point. Edit: after watching the whole video, i couldn't be in more agreement. I worked at a Goodyear dealership backbin the early '00s, and it was either as you said, or headed that way. I was a GS, but with experience beforehand. I never made it the 2 years they required before Journeyman status. I quit for a lot of the reasons you mentioned, and left the trade completely behind for homebuilding.
Techs are more important than sales. Mechanics should be paid more than sales !!!
Techs are fixing your car. Sales are breaking your wallet.
No, I think it’s pretty symbiotic having worked on both ends of that.
Most everything this man has said about dealership work is 100% accurate.
Thank you for the watch. Just hoping to give the public some insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the dealership
Does the California smog test require a technician to quit smoking cigarettes?
Indeed and its one of the main reasons I got rid of my 21 STI. I owned a 2018 & 2019 WRX along with the 21 STI. Unfortunately the techs at the dealerships often would not fix the issue and break more things when I would get the car back. My very 1st oil change in my 2018 WRX ended in the lube tech not tightening the oil drain bolt and well you can guess what happened later. Long story short after giving Subaru many attempts with different dealers, i said no more. I left the brand in frustration due to the lack of ability from these dealers to work on my cars.
@@Notfiveo0*Ha!, ha! No, at least not yet. Cali sucks in so many anti-freedom ways that this might be next. Nope, I don't live there. Cheers!*
Absolutely accurate!! ...one thing I've found "interesting" is, he seems to be in Cali, and I'm all the way on the Jersey shore nodding my head to the whole thing...like "Yup!! That's EXACTLY how it was for me!!"
When you hear in the media that there is a shortage of Dealer mechanics, just remember there is no such thing as a labor shortage, only a shortage in pay.
I'm from the UK, we have the same thing with Engineers, "skill shortage".
There is NO skill shortage, it's a shortage of pay, companies are trying to pay skilled engineers to basic minimum working wage which is about 27000 USD, and because recruiters don't know how to hire engineers, we've got a lot of people in their 40s and 50s with decades of experience, who can't get past the recruiters because when they got qualified a university degree wasn't required at all, and at 45-55 years old nobody can afford to quit work and go back to university, to get a certificate for things they already know and have been doing for 30 years.
They aren’t gonna get paid more, parts and labor are already through the roof, customers are paying the mechanics bills not the shop.
Again people that no a lot and understand nothing. It's not a shortage pay. It's a skill, an education gap and knowledge gap. Nothing to do with pay ...
@@djjorge87 What you mean is "lack of certificates"?
That's a hiring problem, if you rely on a piece of paper during the hiring process, you cut out large numbers of people who qualified decades ago or simply learned on the job.
I get this in engineering, I qualified in 2001 when the UK BTEC qualifications were an absolute requirement, but now recruitment agencies full of graduates in useless subjects, don't know what BTEC is and assume anyone without a degree as being stupid, i'm 45 with a house, a family, bills to pay, I can't afford to leave work and go to university just to relearn a bunch of theory that I know has NO bearing on real world engineering. So in the UK they say there's a "Skill shortage", and it's just not true at all.
In another 10 years a degree won't be enough, you'll need a masters and all the people right now with bachelors degrees and decades of experience will be as screwed my generation.
@Strider9655 sure a bit more nuanced but atleast a better explanation then others.
advisors clearing 6 figures when we have MAYBE one tech in the shop who comes close, to me is wild. i was absolutely floored when i found out what the advisors actually make.
Here is another way to put it: I have NEVER heard an advisor complaint that they had to write up a warrenty RO. (They obviously are not the ones getting screwed by manufacture warrenty)
Former SA here, I quit because of the high stress levels and 60 hours per week
@@SaraiVarelaaa take home pay each week? after taxes?
I wish I knew that earlier. They always seemed pompous to me.
@@CMAutohaus agreed. I've not worked with any service advisors, that ever complained about their pay!
After 21 years as a tech and a foreman, i totally left and became a professional pilot. Believe it or not, it’s easier to pilot a commercial airliner than be an automotive technician.
That’s pretty sad when compared to pay and how we were treated as techs.
I believe you.
Good insight
And that has to change !!
Pilots sacrifice a lot too . They get paid next to nothing for many years until getting some reasonable pay. Would you agree?
Hey I have a dumb question that seems to be ignored on the actual videos I have questions on.
But what interest does a professional pilot have in compact, mobile soldering irons? Hahah seriously. I was looking at reviews for different soldering irons, and then realized that these were all geared towards pilots or people in the aviation industry. I had no idea. Is soldering something that is done quite a bit mid air does the wiring fall apart on airplanes very often this is an honest question.
Insane that all these issues are still a thing in the automotive industry in 2024. Things have to change soon. All these dealers still wondering why they can't get good help, wonder why?!
Wow, surprised to see someone like you leave a comment! This video is blessed now!
I keep interviewing current dealer techs (to hire for my shop) and it is my same story but worse!
@@CMAutohaus I begrudgingly had to take my STi to the local Subaru dealer Saturday for an alignment and balance. As I have neither tire equipment, nor an alignment rack. Right away they broke a stud and the adviser came out to inform me it’d be $92 to replace. I’d just had all four wheels off two days prior. No issues. All installed easily and torqued to 120NM with a torque wrench. Then they told me 3 of my 4 wheels were bent. “We can get them for only $315 each for you if you want to lock that in today.”
@MrSubaru1387 I just replace studs and bill it to the shop it's NICKEL AND DIMING the customer to charge for it its not worth the hassle of waiting for approval LMAO
I took about 8 months off from the Industrial Allison Transmission field to work at a BMW dealership and then went back. One thing I heard while there was the Sales and Parts show a profit and the service showed a loss. This was strategically structured and the way they wanted it.
There were a lot of really good guys at that dealership and hope they made out well. I saw quickly that I wouldn't like the way things were ran and I was very lucky in the transmission industry. I went to the Allison class at Indy when their new Run By Wire models came out in 1990. They gave a blank check to dealers for diag on this new model.
SInce I retired I've become interested in pattern recognition, you see people do things that don't make sense but they keep doing it. There's a reason they don't ask what you see and a hidden motive for why they do it again and again. They just can't tell you openly.
There are a lot of old broken industrial models based on taking advantage of people with low wages. As more information gets out those industries will either go away, or consumer prices on a lot of services will rise. Just a matter of time.
I am a 73 year old retired mechanic (not technician) I worked for 36 years in the flat rate system raising four kids along the way. You have hit the nail squarely on the head!!! I was fortunate enough to spend 19 of those years in a Japanese car specialist shop that payed 45% to the mechanics, but the rest was spent in dealerships for unfortunate reasons and witnessed all of the mentioned flaws in the system. You are 100% correct about everything you pointed out so clearly. I could go on and on but I will say honesty and craftmanship is lost to this industry. Watching your video brought out some anger I had put away for quit some time. 30 years ASE Master Mechanic w/ L1
@donflores5227. Hello sir, is it better to lease a vehicle or buy? I wondering leasing would be better you can at least get rid of a car e ery three years.
Congratulations to you and your family.
I knew of one other person that did so well. Unfortunately the story didn't end so well for him.
Be well and thank you for doing quality work.
@@Dawn191 Over time leasing cars costs significantly more than buying and holding them for 8-10 years (on the order of 5x more). Leasing cars is a good way to avoid retirement because you lack savings. Pick a good brand that is reliable (Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Mazda) and just use it, and maintain it by the book. You don't even need to take it to the deal for routine maintenance.
As a consumer I greatly appreciate this info. I go to a cadillac dealership where the people are friendly but their skills leave alot to be desired. It is mainly good for maintenance rather than troubleshooting/repairing
As a doctor I would like to add his patients can’t talk. I always give major respect to my mechanics.
They talk just in a different way
Yeah, they do talk somewhat, I'd still rate this job as being easier than a veterinarian's :)
As a mechanic I can 100% confirm they do talk and it's not a good thing. All that connectivity through computers and your cell phone talk about where you are and what you are doing.
Unlike (too) many of your brethren/ sisteren,he lacks the God Complex.
This man 😂 Much ❤!
Bro I work in auto shop for 15years and I thought I was the best tech they had,But I was getting paid same as new ppl caming in and they had no clue on doing half the stuff I did So I realized I need to ask for a raise and they were like there nothing we can do so I told them I was leaving and did I'm glad I did...
I’m just a regular guy, except I work on my own vehicles, now for over 40 years. I have older vehicles, but which are new enough to have OBD, but not that complex by today’s standards. Perfect. I can keep them running on a fraction of the “normal” cost. How you may ask? Well, If I believe a repair will cost say around $500 at a shop, and yet the tool costs $500, I buy the tool every time. After many years, I have a huge collection of tools. But, most of all, I have the peace of mind and satisfaction that a breakdown won’t keep me down for long or break my bank account.
Excellent video by the way! Thank you for taking the time to educate all of us.
Sorry I know this is month old but also when you work on your own car you get to slow down, do things meticulously and properly, do all of the steps that maybe a flat rate guy might skip or cut corners to get paid. I just rebuilt my SUVs entire front suspension, save for the front CVs, for about 800 bucks. I also sand blasted and painted the knuckles, dust shields and strut towers. Brand new control arms all four. Saving money is making money when you do the work yourself!
@@stickit2theman1 E-X-A-C-T-L-Y! Nobody cares about your car more than you do. Mechanics are incentivized to go as fast as possible. When you do your own work you can slow down and enjoy building experience and KNOWING the quality of the job was done to meet your standards. I love working on my own cars but would never want to do it for a career.
@@I-sed-no I also found two of the three large bolts for one of the lower control arm brackets were nearly rotted in half
Went and got some replacement 10.9 grade bolts cause fuuuck that
Imagine taking that to a mechanic and they just put them back on and send it you would never even know
@@I-sed-no even being an indeprmendent mechanic is bad?
@stickit2theman1 Every time I fix my kids car. I explain to her exactly what's wrong. Only then ,I'll tell her the game plan to repair or replace what's broken with only new parts AND NEW hardware
I ve been a tech for almost 30 years... I can tell you that sales people as you know, if they sell a lot are always held at a higher regard than a seasoned tech. People will never understand that troubleshooting and mechanical repairs are an art form. Just because you got trained doesn't mean you can do the work. Without us the world would stop moving.
Basically that’s what he was saying in the video. Get ready it’s here right now, the world is about to stop moving.
This is true, I'm no mechanic even with a Haynes auto repair book that says step by step how to fix a problem or watching a RUclips video on fixing the problem I still struggle with some basic fixes like changing a alternator on a 2011 gmc Arcadia.
The line goes up when the salesperson secures a deal and the line goes down when a tech does worse than expected. From the perspective of an owner salesperson is to be awarded and a tech to punish.
That's in any trade...as an HVAC tech it's the same way. A lot of the times techs get blamed for something that the sales guy would sell that the house layout wouldn't work with and they expect the tech to just micky mouse it and make it work.
Absolutely Right!
As a ASE certified master technician,and a Subaru senior master technician currently for more than 11 years, and a industry professional, that has work for the industry for more than 19 years as a master and a master apprentice technician, I agree so much with what you said this video is the truth about the industry and what it takes to become a Professional, I love this video. Thanks for making it.
As one who got out decades ago, you think every dealership is like this? I remember in 1988 thinking I needed to get into a dealership tech apprenticeship. I was going nowhere as a young punk vending fleet mechanic.
@@jimvenizelos4649 ironically, I started as a fleet master technicians apprentice, doing diesel and hydraulics systems diagnostic and repair and love the job. But wanted to get trained and certified to become a master automotive technician in the field. But to answer your questions yes, all dealerships are the same because working as a dealerships senior master Technician at a dealership for years now has changed me just a little bit about being a technician for a dealership because of the operating system, The only thing that keeps me honest is the mechanics Creed of treating every car, the same as if it was your mom‘s car in for repair, regardless of the financial loss..
@@jimvenizelos4649times have changed you'd probably make more working on vending machines now
Master tech Means you are the top idiot.
You don't understand the white boy rule of work smarter not harder
@jimvenizelos4649 I did this at Porsche and they wanted to push me to work alone on the line. Left and went to school and no not UTI. I'm learning the fundamentals and trying to figure out if I go back or try a different side of things.
A lot of these reasons are why I left the automotive industry. Unless you open your own shop, you just getting by. Sucks cause I actually really like working on cars. Good luck on your shop. Glad you are the few that are making it.
So many mechs are leaving the profession. I’ve heard heavy diesel mechanics make much better money than automotive but not sure. All I know is I can open the hood on any semi and walk right up to the engine. Why would any mech want to torture themselves working on these poorly designed newer vehicles.
I work at an indi shop.
I used to own a vw / Audi shop.
I make more as a tech than I could owning.
And I clock out at 5pm
Clock in at 8am
No phone calls
No paperwork
I'm on my way out the business myself..
I rather work on my customers cars than work at the dealership or even at enterprise rental...the shop managers don't know a thing about cars just how to drive them.
I'll try my hand at boats instead
@fastinradfordable Correct you are!
I closed down my shop and worked out of my house. I told my clients that if I make a mistake it comes out of my pocket. However, I will be the one working on your car so mistakes will be greatly reduced. They kept coming. I knew the work was good, and three days a week of work paid 10x what I made with my shop. With the shop the land lord, the insurance company, and the state made most of the money.
Always wanted to work in a shop and so glad I never did. I just do work for friends and family and I charge $75/hr from my house with no boss 😊
Always the bean counters finding a way to line their own pockets first at the direct cost to the people actually doing the work.
Incentive structures are all out of whack but the issues in the automotive industry are simply a reflection of the macrocosm.
Society in general needs to start paying people based on the real value they bring, get rid of the useless middlemen syphoning all that away in greed.
Edit: I didn’t mean to detract from what you brought up in the video, more so adding to it, I’m deeply grateful to all the local mechanics I’ve done business with.
And this is why I try to do my own maintenance. Do I really think some dealer tech that’s getting screwed is going to willingly lose money to fix my car correctly?
I blame consumers- I would gladly pay more to a tech that I knew was trustworthy and competent- but most buyers want cheap as possible
I went through a Ford training program for two years called the ASSET program in the 80's. The dealership I was sent to was a quagmire of politics and con men. The rate back then was 48.00 / hour...the Tech got 16 dollars. You worked off of book time...like he said, each job had a time assigned to it. If you got it done under the book time, you made money. If a 2 hour book time job took you 6 hours...you still got two hours of pay. There were plenty of days I was there 8 hours and made an hour or two of pay. Your pay depended on how many jobs the dispatcher sent your way and whether or not you got the jobs that sucked or decent ones. One week, after watching the dispatcher screw everybody in the shop except his favorite boy, I quit. I made 165.00 that week and I had a family to support. The world of Tech work CAN be rewarding and profitable, but for many Techs, it's a rough world.
Damn, that's pretty bad; no wonder there aren't many good techs working in dealerships anymore like the guy in the video said! In the past, taking your car to the dealership was the best way to guarantee it would be worked on by someone knowledgeable about your specific brand, but with stories like yours, it's probably better to service my car at an independent mechanic.
The tool truck probably got most of that money.
hey man I was the first graduating class of that in Milwaukee. I can't remember what our rate was I think it was about the same. older guys I work with said it used to be 50% paid to the tech. ended up leaving when a car got damaged that I didn't even touch and they wanted me to pay for it. I change careers after that. was so tired of getting salt and slushed up my sleeves and down my back in the winter time and fighting for every goddamn penny I made and having warranty claims bounce. remember getting paid 6/10 of an hour to fix something that took hours and hours including diagnostics? Yeah we all did the miscellaneous operation where we had to pull back carpeting and take out seats and repair a weld even though we didn't really do any of that, we just said we did to get paid. our dealership was crooked and we charged extra parts to customers under warranty all the time and sold the parts back to the parts department, they gave us a small percentage of credit that we could use to buy parts for our own car from any supplier in our system. That didn't even work out because the parts department guys stole all of my credit. The entire dealership industry is crooked as hell and I will never go back. I hate having to deal with them. almost forgot, our service manager stole a million dollars from the dealership somehow but he had all the connections so they kept them employed and only paid him $250 a week until he would repay what he stole. Well he was still was buying a new house in cash and putting three daughters through college so he was probably stealing again or took more money than they knew about. real crooked son of a bitch he was.
Work for your self far more profitable!! Theee is plenty of auto work out there
right! and instead of finding the biggest sweetheart and most fair person in the dealer to be the dispatcher, they enlist the most sadistic and self-serving ass to have that job. The dealership owners dont care about turnover in the shop or a lack of quality techs who can pay their bills, they want money!!!
Mechanics are like doctors in their own right imo especially nowadays 💯
100%
Actually, technicians (mechanics if you prefer such terminology) ARE doctors. We're car doctors. We diagnose and repair them. We maintain them. Many of us have a genuine passion and love for cars, and it translates into our work. Generally, replace cars with humans, and you're talking about a physician. I used to use this analogy all the time when I worked at dealerships.
Here's what kills me. If that car fails to operate as per design in many situations, it could mean the difference between living and dying in a wreck. Now, whether the customer wants to listen to our diagnosis and repair accordingly is all on them. No different than heeding health warnings from your physician with the SMALL exception of, if you fail to lower your cholesterol and suffer the consequences, it's just your ass.
If your car fails while on the road with other motorists, it could be many people impacted by your lackadaisical approach to maintaining your vehicle. That said, an argument can be made that technicians are not only helpful but vital to keeping the roads as safe as possible, and protecting everyone that vehicle passes when it's operating as per design.
On a final note, ever see that loud mouthed jerk in the waiting room throwing a fit about having to wait for their car to be finished? Doing that at a doctor's office could lead to your expulsion from their practice and forcing you to find a new physician. Do that at a dealership, and you'll have a service advisor kissing your ass and then they'll proceed to pester the technician working on your car, breaking their focus, to ask the most annoying, irritating, and possibly stupid question one can ask a tech mid repair "How much longer?"
Let me ask you this: Are you going to burst into the OR while a surgeon is working on an open body and ask them "How much longer?" HELL NO!!! So why I ask is it socially acceptable to do it to a technician? That distraction could lead to a monumental ooppz and then a barrage of obscenities and wrenches being thrown. Oh, and most importantly to the customer, more time having to wait while we fix the problem that wouldn't have otherwise occurred due to their impatience.
Except we're paid 3 times less 😂😂
@@sigmamale4147 😂 sad but true under paid and under appreciated smh I salute you guys nonetheless y’all keep the world moving🫡💯
@@sigmamale4147 in the U.S.a, way way worse than 3X less, more like 10 to 30X less! wow ,u have no clue!
You nailed it on the head. The last straw for me was when we had a visit from corporate and the disrespect we got from these people who knew absolutely nothing about our line of work. I ended up leaving the field and became an accountant.
😊
One time 2 people from corporate and an engineer from Japan came to talk to me about a car I worked on that got bought back. Everyone including the service manager sat in a chair in his office while I had to do a half asian squat in the corner of his office - muti-hour long meeting by the way (also dont get paid under flat rate). It was only years later did I ponder why no one in that room suggested to get me a chair - hierarchy and putting me in my place is the only thing I can think of.
@@CMAutohaus man that is so disrespectful sorry to hear that , some people just suck , no wonder why i like animals better !
Account is where it's at.
My wife works for Elliot Davis, a CPA firm and they get really good perks
@CMAutohaus that's crazy, but I believe it. I'm the same person now as I was back then, but the stark contrast in how I'm treated now compared to back then is night and day. People really do need to appreciate not just the skillset of auto technicians but the blue-collar workers. With that said, if time permits, I've come to find that it's hard to find good auto technicians these days. Even being out of the industry, I still find that I can still do just as good if not better of a job on my own vehicles versus dropping it off at a shop.
If you are a mechanic and ARE honest, skilled and trustworthy, you are extremely rare (I only know of 3 in our area) and valuable for your skills and honesty, and should be compensated and respected for your labor and efforts.
Thats 2 too many i know in my area😂.
I didn't want to watch this entire video but the more you talked, the more I kept watching. I had No idea that service techs were treated or paid so poorly. I can understand your frustration. I also didn't realize all the hats you wore. I just want to thank you for this video, it was a real eye opener. From a former UAW factory worker who lost their job due to closing of the plant & going out of the country.
This is by far the best tech explanation of how the industry works that I have ever seen.
I always bring food for my mechanic. So grateful to find the independent shop. I always bring him as much business I can by recommendations.
Hope you bring healthy food!
Dude I take any food anytime. I am literally stressing and burning off more calories that I am consuming for sure. I get at least 3 concerned comments a week about how skinny Ive become
@@CMAutohaus haha I’m no where near California. My mechanic used go over what he does to my car like a chrisfix video when he still had a small 2 car garage he was working out of. Now he upgraded into a larger shop and makes me wait in the lobby due to insurance policies.
Years ago at an Alfa Romeo, BMW, Lotus and Saab dealership, one of our favorite service customers was a very highly regarded surgeon working at 3 local hospitals. We took care of his wife's SAAB and his hot rodded Alfa that he autocrossed.
After he retired, he opened a high end boutique butcher shop with the nicest meat in town!! Now, as a butcher, he'd bring in a huge box of custom steaks for all the mechs in the service dept!!!
I was a Ford mechanic for years, but every single dealership in the country is crooked. They have to be or they can survive but many of them are just greedy bastards. every time I get my car serviced, I always go to the dealership because I'm too lazy and I make enough money to where I don't have to work on my own cars, I always bring donuts and I make sure the sales team doesn't get any. I always come in right when they open, 2 hours before the sales team gets there so they don't get any donuts.
I like this kid, self made, loyal, determined, consistent and a solid individual. I don’t want to leave out that he is a hard worker
no such thing as self made.
@@JesusIsLord7773he isn’t a kid anymore, he is in his 30s
@@jackeroo75 When you're double someone's age, you can call them a kid lol
I've been a dealer tech for 14 years and still going. Ive gotten my ASE master certs, manufacturer hybrid, EV, and diesel certifications. All the stars and stripes for a dealer tech, so yes i've been around the block a few times. I've seen alot of tech related videos like this but you sir hit it 100%. The things we technicians have to go through day in and day out, all the money, the time, and the effort we have to put in just to work everyday is absolutely incredible. Everyday we look to set ourselves up for success although we are often put in situations set up for failure. In this field, the business isn't just working on cars, its fixing them and knowing how to quickly and effectively. One thing is for sure, there is no money to be collected or made if there isn't a technician turning the wrench in this field. It's at the point where im convinced that people who dont work on cars, live life stress free.
“Live life stress free”
Until their car breaks down!
Everyone always thinks other peoples jobs are easy…that’s what I think at least. With that being said, I have incredible respect for auto technicians.
I’m a diesel tech that works at a semi truck dealership. Everything you said rings true for my dealership on the diesel side. Like it’s spot on. What I’ve learned is dealerships are insanely cheap as well
I left the auto industry 3 days before 2024. Should have made that decision earlier 2-3 years ago. You’re pretty much spot on with everything. I was a BMW tech and also worked on exotics for a while also. skill is definitely absent at dealerships. Everyone is just a parts changer now a days. Very very few skilled techs are still in the game. Very toxic environment to be in.
You go to school you learn every part and how it works, you get an RO at a dealership service advisor and job says replace part and how long it takes.
I did this for a year learned nothing, they wanted to put me on the line no ASE Certifications and in the end I'm like I'm just changing parts.
@@Chuckfinlee432changing parts is just part of being a mechanic/technician. No way around it. Especially nowadays when it’s cheaper to replace the part completely then try to fix the broken one. And I seriously doubt you didn’t learn anything in a year of working in the field. That’s bullshit, if you didn’t learn anything then the problem is you
This dude is smarter than most Doctors ive interacted with
Thank you for the kind words. I must not be that smart to still be in this dreadful trade!
@@CMAutohausyou’re describing complacency, you’re definitely smarter than your average bear. I hope you find peace and start your own.
@CMAutohaus yet 'living your dream and supporting community'
I've been a tech for 30yrs and owner for 22 and love my clients and piers.
@@unencumbered that’s good to hear, I got distracted with my current project is300. So I didn’t watch the full video. God speed my friend.
Mechanics that drive to learn how to diagnose/fix properly are equally smart as most doctors. He is ^^
Wow, I never realized how demanding and unfair the flat rate system is to technicians, especially on warranty work. I give you guys a lot of credit.
Thank you for the kind words and the watch
I'm amazed with labor laws that flat rate systems can even exist...
This is an excellent presentation about "the real inside" of this industry. Well done and thanks. All the more reason for a car owner to be able to both understand and be able to perform their own basic maintenance on their particular vehicle. Oil changes, air filter, transmission fluid, brake pads, spark plugs, tires, car battery, head & tail lights, wiper blades, etc. All of which I have done, now, for more than ten years on all of my family's vehicles. And what started me down this road was a botched "oil change" at one of those chain "oil can" shops.
You touched on every aspect of my life at a dealership for 40+ yrs of my life. You are right on with everything you spoke of. I've been saying all this also.
I've been retired for 14 yrs. I'm so much happier now. Newer cars/trucks suck!!
I was a GM & ASE Master tech until I quit.😊
I used to know an auto tech, and he was the best I'd ever seen. He gave it all up, and now he's selling propane. Until the trades get paid their true worth, you're going to see a whole lot of stuff being cast off. People will simply have to learn to do without.
Bingo
mechanics are the heart of the auto repair business. you cant fix cars without them. the service advisors are useless in my book. an unnecessary expense. learn to diy. fix and repair. many people waste money and upgrade to a newer car and so many cars get junked way before their time. i always repaired my own cars. the body/frame is the issue where salt is used on the road. Toyotas and Hondas were the most reliable cars in the past
The constant ASE training that a technician or mechanic Hass to go through is really only important when a new piece of technology comes out or a new iteration of something comes out, and to be refreshed on those particular functions or parts of the vehicle to constantly be tested to make sure that you know the basics when you’ve been doing it for 1520 years is a complete waste of time and money on the technicians part. And yes I agree it’s completely unfair that he’s glorified Sales reps that call themselves
Not anymore for Honda unfortunately
@@garystar1592 What happened?
Don't forget about porters to service porters are important to to help the mechanics to bring the cars into the shop most service advisors just sit there and don't do nothing
@@chrisdominguez5632 And the porters that port the porter porters are not to be overlooked as well. Subcontracting all the way down.
I am 68 now been retired for awhile have always worked on my own cars and trucks and helping family and occasional friend here and there and I started out in the middle 70s at a local Chevy dealership and could tell this was not going to be away to make a good living after about a year I moved on and fortunately got a job with a major beer company stayed with them for 36 years but automotive techs are the most disrespected people at the dealership and they should be most respected and highest paid they do all the work it's people like you that could start your own business and quickly build a good reputation because you care about doing quality work your experience has been an eye opener
I’m 72 and have always done my own work and education is from a lot of reading and watching some great you tube guys that know much more than most dealerships. This video shows how f Ed the mechanics are. Just think of how easy an owner could fix these problems and he’d sell more cars.
Thank you for the sincere, kind words. "automotive techs are the most disrespected people at the dealership"- this one spoke the loudest to me.
Respect brother. This video was so informative. As a former electrical technician I know what it feels like to be harassed to work faster and to cut corners on electrical equipment which could put lives in jeopardy if not within spec. Wishing you all the success.
I too left the Nissan dealership. My coworkers in the shop were great people. What it did not like was the people from the manufacturers coming into the shop and putting us down for little stupid stuff. You know where people think there's a problem but there's not. He tied up the shop for over an hour with his bull. To me he wasted corporate money by just wasting our time. Cash for clunkers came into the existence under a certain president's name. All sudden people were buying cars of still didn't get them fixed. When I realized I was hoping for warranty work which cheated the technician. I found a different line of work and been doing much better than being in the repair business.
That's so true and they see you as uneducated. That's why you work as a mechanic.
Your honesty, intelligence, and professional presentation are obvious and appreciated ! Respect!
Got a newfound respect for tech’s after watching this. Had no idea you are expected to buy your own tools or the pay structure. That’s straight up bullshit. Can’t believe anyone willing pursues this as a career. Mechanics should straight up unionize and demand better pay and working conditions.
Its not just the lack of skilled technicians its also the complexity of the cars and also the new electric cars that are coming out now to. great video.
Bingo. And thank you for the watch!
Well heck i figured the electric cars will fad out before we get to deep into them , or they would build mechanics in the same shops that build the cars and or batteries ..
@@MikeSmith-nu9wt ??? that is incoherent! u mean the factories where batt's are built? That space cannot be used for repairs, duh!
@@18_rabbit no not the repairs done there, the training ..they got ai now , there so good at designing cars , just make some robot mechanics to fix them ..lol
I better not give them any ideas...lol
They still cant build a cell phone
I couldn't agree more with you. As an Acura tech, its crazy to me how the techs are always clashing with the service advisors because they literally try to scam the customers every chance they get. We have advisors that actually try their hardest to upsell timing belt jobs every 5 years! ….5 years! its insane. These are people who don't have the slightest clue what a timing belt does but feel perfectly fine telling clients they have to change it. Not to mention management sides with them over us because its great for our quarterly numbers. its a sad situation all around.
What do you recommend, the 7 years like the manual States? I personally waited 10 years low on the mileage on a Honda Ridgeline. The water pump gasket was starting to go no leak.
@@bigjay1970 Yes, 10 years or 160000kms
I replaced my timing belt at 120,000 miles both times timing belt was still in a good condition that I think I could go for another 50,000 miles. My next timing belt job would be 330,000 miles. I hope it make it before it gave up on me. Right now it’s too cold for me to work on it. Now when to replace the timing belt always goes by the manufacturer recommendation and I think that if you live in a hot area that is 115 degree Fahrenheit it might need to be replace sooner before the recommendation as heat will cause the deterioration a lot faster.
@@Byu50 I've done first-time J32/J35 timing belt jobs on cars with 90 to 200k miles on the original belt. All of them still looked great. I think the recommendation is just because belts *do* go sometimes, and an ounce of prevention definitely is worth a pound of cure (a new engine pretty much if it goes). 120k miles or 7-10 years seems fine to me, however.
What’s your recommendation for transmission fluid changes on 2022 Mdx. Thank you
As auto technicians we need to have unions, at least in the dealerships. We need to be compensated for the amount of schooling, testing, tools, and physically demanding work that we do. If fast food, delivery drivers, and studio workers, even auto manufacturing plant workers, can go on strike and demand better conditions, so can we! It’s definitely not the end all be all to unionize, and I don’t have the answer as to what exactly is, but it’s a step in the right direction to strengthen our demands to better working conditions.
I tried to run a union fight. it got ugly. one dealership voted union so they fired all the mechanics and rehired non union. i was left un hirable
I don't agree with the Union approach. All that does is funnel money to political campaigns that do little to nothing to actually help the people in the union. This guy has the right approach. He never named a specific dealership, but accurately conveyed the problems that occur in a dealership. Some independent shops have their own issues as well. That's why I decided to go into business for myself. Now I'm the owner, service advisor, receptionist, accountant, purchasing agent, janitor, logistics coordinator, and technician. With all of that my stress level is far less than when I worked for someone else.
@@narcissistinjurygiver2932*Being the troublemaker has consequences. However, I heard that 'Frisco stealerships are unionised...*
@@GraniteStateHotRodandAutomotiv*You Sir, are spot-on.*
@@GraniteStateHotRodandAutomotiv With all due respect, I have to disagree with you. You are correct that Teamsters contribute mostly Democratic candidates which I don't agree with but that is not all they do.
I make $32.55 an hour for all time I'm at work before I even move the first inch off the yard.
I make $.80 a mile for all miles driven, average that at 55 mph that's $44 an hour.
100% company payed health insurance for myself and my family.
4 weeks a year vacation
And at my age (just turned 60 this month) a pension provided by the union payed for by my dues and the company's payments.
There are other LTL (less than truckload) companies that are non-union that make close to what we make per mile but they get no non driving pay, have to pay for their health insurance every week, get less vacation time and no pension other that a 401k. The only reason that they make pay close to ours is because of what WE get payed. If our union didn't exist all of us would make much less. If all of the trades would unionize we all would have a much higher standard of living.
Sounds like the US has the same class system BS seeping into the workplace as in the UK, you work in an office, you get better pay+benefits and everything supplied for you to do your job.....
But work blue collar and suddenly it's crap pay and you're buying your own tools, because the people in the office, even if you convince them you need something, they'll take your tool order and find cheaper alternatives, you ask for a pozi, you get a philips, you ask for a 10mm socket, you get a cheap $1 socket set, you ask for a fluke meter, you get a $10 meter from China.
I think this how techs, mechanics, engineers, etc ended up buying their own tools, because when we get cheap tools bought for us and they break, it reflects badly on us and we get the age old quote of "a good workman never blames his tools", which actually should be "a good workman never buys bad tools".
We're glad you didn't leave the automotive industry because you're one of the few skilled labor technicians left in the business! I agree with you 100% that service advisor should have the knowledge and experience so they're not selling unnecessary repairs to people. How are you going to educate the customers on what you're selling if you don't know how it works? Great video bro, keep it up!
This is a great video. Spot on. I was a Master Guild Audi technician for 17 years. Because I understood the cars and could fix anything, I was gifted with all the impossible customer cars and crazy warranty work (ie engineering problems that Audi was still trying to sort out) flat rate was impossible. I negotiated a personal guarantee of 35 hours a week, no matter the flat rate I turned. I was always there a full 40+, but the service manager wanted to make sure I still had incentive to turn more hours.😑
Meanwhile we had other techs in the shop turning 80+ hours in 40, doing services, easy recalls, etc. The idea of playing dumb to get payed more didn’t occur to me when I got hired, and by the time I understood the dealership system it was too late.
The physical toll often gets overlooked. After a major back surgery for a disc issue, I no longer work as a technician.
Lol
had the same experience,I did all the hard and "shi*" work while the lower-skilled techs got all the gravy and hrs. they had way less tools and training but got the easy hrs--been a tool driver for 34 yrs never looked back. now working on cars and trucks is fun!
I was that guy as well. I now work on city busses.
I did similar. Tech school, dealership, independent shop, then city transit. Moved up in the organization and taught myself code, then got a Computer Science diploma. Now a senior systems architect and getting ready for fat FIRE. The income to expense ratio of being a car technician is unsustainable especially with an industry where profits are more with disposable products than repairable ones. If you're dead set on this career, get the protection of a UNION or have other sources of income.
Thank you for the well written comment. Glad you got out of the industry and are thriving.
Random question, would you recommend CS or IT?
@@Doomskum CS is more math intensive and carries more weight in some circles. But having experienced either side of interview panels, both are pretty much interchangeable for most positions.
@@barpatron Sadly, this is not true for everyone. A number of the mechanics who expressed dissatisfaction when I left are still in the field and still voice the same issues several years later.
This dude summed up what ive been dealing with as a technician. Dude my mind is alittle more at ease hearing another dealing with the same issues
WOW !!
After watching this I IMMEDIATELY had to SUBSCRIBE, ‘Thumbs-Up’, and comment.
I knew there was a shortage of techs here in Canada, but I didn’t know it was even worse in America, because I heard of a lot of technicians that moved to America for better wages.
I’m a Mazda Fan (just got my 2024 Mazda 3 GT, TWIN-Scroll-TURBO, and this is my 7th Mazda) but when I go for service next week, I’m tipping my tech, whether the owner likes it or not !
I REALLY TRULY COMMEND YOU for bringing to light how serious this issue is !!!
Somebody had to say it.
Keep up the great work, and You are A VERY INTELLIGENT SMART MAN with an incredible head on your shoulders. I applaud you. Honestly.
…Much Love, From :
TORONTO, ONTARIO,
CANADA 🇨🇦!!
Love your channel.
I learned that being certified means nothing I’ve met a ton off mechanics, certified and knew nothing. Glad my dad is a mechanic and I learned to do my own stuff!! Hard to trust others.
As a previous texh, I can agree to everything in the video, especially the odd ball jobs around the shop. Having to check the dealership air compressor from time to time, making sure the waste oil bin didn't overflow, explaining things to customers because the service advisors didn't know how to. I too wasn't a fan of the flat rate system and got sick of not doing my job properly in the name of speed. I did retain my friends from the dealership though. Besides being able to work on your own car, that was one blessing I truly enjoyed, having that comradery and still to this day.
Comradery and using the lift to work on your own car were the only two perks. Even at the free company lunches I remember still being sht on by everyone else in the dealer besides the car washers.
Why@@CMAutohaus
@@jeffperkins1667*The pecking order from petty little turds you would not invite, would not want in your living room.*
I appreciate this man. I drive a semi and the same situation exists in my industry. We dropped the ball as a country by not advocating for these very vital career paths. A good mechanic and tech is Gold.
You shoot a straight arrow, TRUE, FACTUAL. and HUMBLY SAID. Your customers are lucky to have a person like you available to go to. GREAT PRESENTATION
This video is so TRUE! Now, I think I understand why when I purchased a used car (not from the dealer) with 30K miles on it and a few months later the check engine light came on and the car went into limp mode. I took it to the dealer. Got a loan car. Was driving home. 12 minutes later while Im on the highway they call me and say I need a new engine! What??? I go back, get my car take it to a certified shop who specialize in engines and they said, "There is nothing wrong with the engine. They codes just needed to be reset". 60.00 dollars!! The dealership WANTED over 12,000 dollars for NOTHING!
The RUclips algorithm was determined to make me watch this and I am glad I eventually clicked! I've never worked as an auto technician, but I've been in conversations with friends in the last 3 or 4 months making the same case that you have so carefully made here - a pending crisis as vehicles increase in complexity while the tech skills necessary to make them function starts to dissipate. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad I found a great mechanic for my old Honda, like someone that isn’t just knowledgeable but genuinely likes working on cars
My personal resume over 45 years: Unlimited test and repair (California) Smog tech since 1987 (passed the first time), ASE master since 1992, L1 (passed the first time) Dealer tech for Mercedes, Datsun (Nissan), Hyundai and finally Honda. You are 100% right, the advisors are overpaid vs. the techs. California has a law that techs get 2X minimum wage if they provide their own tools (small shops don't comply) but advisors still make more? I'm now happily retired, but agree 100% my friend. The wages are going up, but the pay is still too low.
20 years as a tech, not flat rate but just at 2x minimum wage so I had to supply my tools. Destroyed my knees and back being scrunched under that alignment rack all day..Was looking for something easier on the body. Went to work as an IT tech for a public school district. Spent 17 years there. Trust me, it was 100x worse. School districts are dramatic soap operas on a daily basis.
He wants to be a counselor lol that's not an easy job as well
Very insightful! Many years ago I was working at an Audi dealership as a porter. I was trying to become a technician but they required so much training to start even as a lube tech. One day I see a tech friend of mine pull a relatively new S8 V10 into his bay for a A/C Compressor replacement under warranty. It required a full drivetrain drop in order to reach the compressor. A very special chassis rig was needed to bolt onto the subframe and drop it down. He spent 1 day unbolting everything and rigging up the subframe to drop it (without the right rig), another day to drop it and replace the compressor plus another 1-2 days putting it all back together. Total warranty pay was something like 4 or 6 hours for the whole job. I realized right then and there I never wanted to be a tech as long as flat rate existed.
Working @ a Chevy Dealership, I was Starving on Warranty Work that Paid Less than Half the Flat Rate Hour's. Had to Quit to Survive.
My dealer pays service writers 10% on parts sold including warranty repairs. I just did a warranty job where I had to replace an engine, transmission, all coolant hoses, heater core flush, program/update software etc. all for 12.7 hours. Parts total was 27,000$. I made 381$ and the service writer made 2,700$. That’s just one reason why being a tech sucks.
Spot on! From a dealer parts advisor and asst manager of 10 years and 4 years of dealer sales before, you're right about all of this. Good techs are heroes in my eyes 🤙🏻
So impressive, smart and young. I have been wrenching for 43yrs, I really have total respect for you.
Thank you for the kind words and the watch!
Dude this is the most insightful thing I've seen in a year.
Thank you for the kind words and the watch
TRUTH...Is what this highly gifted person is articulating so well. Without revolutionary changes, the industry is doomed to facing a screeching halt....with countless numbers of unrepaired cars heading for the scrap heap. My 53 years in the industry tells me so.
Denial is not the name of a river in Africa.
I work at a used car lot of a large dealership. We get all the trades the bigger lots don't want, so the shit. 75% of these cars are getting heavy line work, but the big lots are paying too much for them so we "can't afford" to fix what's needed, so we fix what we can, Then get bitched at when the car comes back after being sold. Our shop rate is 200hr and I'm making 21 hourly (more than half the work is line work). The only other guy who's been there longer than me is making 22hr after 7 years with the company. Making me the second highest paid tech after only 2 years (hiiigh turnover). The pay scale at this shop is 17-25. Their pitch... "Your trading experience for a lower wage"... While I see their point with this, it's still faaar lower than what it should be. There are pros! very minimal customer cars, hourly so I'm not stressing, had 0 professional experience or schooling/training (I was a detailer and they saw me using tools on a weekend and offered me the "promotion"(took a $3 pay cut(still making less than I was in detail)))... But back to shop rate, I'm only getting 10% of the cut, providing 90% of the service... And I'm really feeling the "uneducated grease monkey" judgment now that you mention it... I just like fixing shit. I just want to help people. I remember how much I needed help when shit on my rig would break. I just wanna be that guy.
Hell of a rant but. I hope these dealerships crash and burn. I'm looking to finish my personal projects with the access I have to a shop and will probably be leaving the field unfortunately.
I just wanted to say that I appreciate your honesty and willingness to break all of this down. I'm 39 and have been a Subaru enthusiast since late 2002. Back in the day I used to hang around the local Subaru dealership because the service advisors and shop techs were pretty cool and everything seemed reasonable and made sense. About 2008 or so is when things started taking a turn for the worst and everyone started getting burnt out. In the years since it's been less fun to engage with local dealerships, especially when I wanted something done that I was willing to pay for, but just didn't have the space or time to do.
Recent note: I'm moving from New England to Phoenix, AZ, and I wanted to swap my BC Racing coilovers prior to moving (from BR Extreme Low to DS with Swift Springs). I have brand new, in-box coilovers that the local dealership doesn't even want to quote me on swapping. A local shop quoted me $600 for swapping the fronts and $600 for swapping the rears ($1200 total). Meanwhile, a shop in Tucson is going to charge me $30/hr starting at 8AM to bring my car into their bay, use their lift, and swap the coilovers myself. And I'll take my car to the local dealership up the street for an alignment ($129).
It's tough being a car enthusiast these days, but I'm glad there are still shops like yours that help people enjoy their passion. I've subbed to the channel and look forward to future videos!
I've only ever worked on the sales and parts side of dealerships (one of which was Subaru), but I have mad respect for honest technicians! I hope to see the dealership model change, though regulations will make it difficult to change the current system. Manufacturers should own and operate service/repair centers, not dealerships. I've seen how some technicians avoid or drag out repairs, but with typical working conditions I see why this happens. Having also been a salesman I have seen how dishonest people can be for a sale and it's wrong. Cars sales should be customer driven, and manufacturers should be operating centers to demo products (test drives, informationals, etc.). The dealership system is just a middleman that cheats hard working car enthusiasts, as well as the general public that puts a lot of faith in the image of perceived quality and integrity that dealerships carry.
I was a tech at a mazda dealership, the amount of money that the service advisors make/made was the final straw that broke that camels back. I've since moved into sales positions, and I'm sooo happy that I did.
I have a 2023 CX-5. Great car
I’m a tech at Mazda now how much do the advisors make??
Glad I watched this video! Very informative and I understand so much better how the industry works. Thank you so much for your time and keeping the public aware of how it all works. It all makes sense now. You are the few, I will be coming to your shop for repairs!!
i worked at car shop and it paid almost nothing it was basically minimum wage.i had to work a 2nd job just to make ends meet and my 2nd job at a restaurant paid more. So glad i stopped working at a shop and the cars are getting stupid over engineered took the skills i learned from being a "tech" did electrical instead now work for myself greatest decision i ever made make my own hours you can't put a price on freedom
Very very true! Dealerships want to sell expensive repairs. I hate dealing with a "service" advisor selling me junk. Modern cars are extremely complex now. Manufacturer warranties are a joke since dealerships don't get paid the same rate. So a dealership will do the bare minimum unless they can rip off the customer with outrageously expensive repairs.
we are the modern day car doctors!!!
Fk cars I want to be Doctor Dre.
Much respect. What you explain is precisely why most dealers have low quality techs because all the good ones end up leaving or are burned out from abuse. This just happened at the local Jeep dealership. Decades of actually great service because the owner actually cared about the techs and other service employees. New owner steps in and only cares about money. All the good techs and service advisors jump ship and the dealership goes down the drain. Keep up the good honest work. Wish you were in my area.
Amen brother, be your own boss. I worked in the aircraft industry. The pay sucked, the hours sucked. I had a license, Airframe and powerplant. Wages were just above minimum wage. I got lucky one day while rowing with the other A&P slaves. I got a call to go work on the oil pipelines that run all across America. I started out at &2500 a week take home. After 5 years I was up to $3600 a week. If I worked Sunday I made $4000 take home. I was one happy Pipeline Lead Inspector. Never ever looked back. Best move I ever made. Right time, right people to know. Peace out brother. By the way I actually love working on my auto's.
Absolutely accurate assessment of the automotive repair industry. Well done … excellent video.
Thanks for sharing......Very Enlightening. Many things I knew and many I did not. I have always said, " A Good Mechanic/Technician is worth their weight in Gold."
Thank you for the kind words and the watch!
Watch the movie "Idiocracy"--we are almost there where nobody is left that can fix things. You're obviously a super smart guy. I've been taking all my vehicles (even a new one I bought under warranty) to the same guy for decades now. He really knows his stuff and only hires guys that know what they are doing, so I can trust that my drain plug won't fall out a few miles down the road after an oil change. I like having them do oil changes because, while I could do them myself, I like to have a separate and QUALIFIED set of eyes looking at my cars every few thousand miles.
man, u got an impressive resume in the automotive industry and u look like u're in ur late 20 to mid 30. that's exactly how i feel, if i would have became a mechanic, i would hate working on my own car lol. that's the reason y i only work on my own car and family or close friends cars.
For side hustle, it's legit
Thank you for the kind words. I'll be 34 this year. Started my automotive education at 15 and apprenticeship at 18.
Haha life was much easier when I was running "Autohaus" out of my home garage.
@@CMAutohausthe Asian genes we got in our 🧬 im always looking 15-20 yrs younger but internally I’ve aged less energy lol
For the prices dealers charge, techs should be making decent money. Apparently, dealers don't pass it on to techs.
Who knows where the money goes! Sometimes even the build is left in disrepair!
I bought a Honda from my local dealer. I paid $700 for yearly Rust Corrosion Spraying, to prevent rust to the body of my car. I went back 12 months after I bought the car to get my 2nd treatment of rust spray and they told me they only spray the car if they think it needs to be sprayed. I was mad because they told me when I paid the $700 that I could come every 12 months no matter what. They flat out lied to me and stole my money.
Thats a pretty wild story. We used to see cars from Alaska/Canada where everything was cover in the rust spray. I imagine if you lived in an area like that, reapplying the spray every 12 months would be a must! Anther reason to get everything in writing and to read the fine print.
Great video. Much of this stuff was going on 30 years ago when I worked in a shop. Became 'self employed' 4 years later and never looked back. Now retired & enjoy maintaining my own fleet of relatively simple 'vintage' vehicles ('96 Camry & Tacoma, '98 Altima, '82 240D) . Can't trust anyone else to even change my oil!
Many people are hanging on to, and fixing their old vehicles now. Don't know what the rest are going to do, except remain in perpetual debt. I think today's cars will be truly disposable!
Battery operated cars are already consumable items (if not consumed by fire already)
FINALLY SOMEONE said out loud about the oil change. I specifically don't let anyone change my oil due to trust issues, plus I have been working on my own cars since I was a teen..
Dude I've been through all the same shit you've talked about! I wanted to make a career out of it but all the stuff you mentioned turned me away.
After a few years I had opened a JDM alignment and suspension shop with some friends, but covid slowed us down too much and we had to move on. Now I work in the print / car warp industry and keep my tech knowledge for myself, family and friends.
Happy to see you found something to keep you happy in the industry.
Man it really hits home how important it is to find a solid mechanic. Ive heard many horror stories from dealer service centers. Makes wanting to buy a new car really hard
Much respect to you and all the technicians out there. This video was so interesting. Glad that you're running your own shop. 👍
What an excellent and informative video! Not only to inform potential service techs, but also the car owners.
*Ezekiel: Flat Rate system has always been evil. Back in the day, GM's was 50/50 split. However GM warranty time reimbursement schedule was always
Anyone thinking of attending a trade school and getting into this industry because some UTI/MMI recruiter told you techs make $100k a yr, listen to this man. Everything he said is true. Dealerships and independent shops will do everything they can to cheat you and the customer out of money. Look at BLS earnings in 2023 for mechanics to see the actual numbers, then subtract tool cost and education cost. You’ll find better compensation stocking shelves. If you’re going to pick a trade, pick a licensed one if you want to have a future.
"You’ll find better compensation stocking shelves" I know contract workers working in tech that basically make photocopies all day - make an eye watering amount of money...why am I a tech again?....lol
@@CMAutohaus I’m feeling the same way. I’ve got peers that manage social media accounts for large firms that pull 6 figures plus with pto, sick leave,health insurance and enjoy my biggest envy of all, a climate controlled environment. Not to mention I got into trades because I didn’t think I’d enjoy being in an office and now they all work from home 2-3 days a week. FML !
And people wonder why there are no qualified techs, pay scale needs to change
@@victorjay9586 idk if it ever will. Dealerships/shops want to keep pay low to maximize profits. If you go independent customers don’t wanna pay in order to keep cost of ownership low. Trade schools and headhunting firms offering false promises are constantly trying to flood the labor market with cheap entry lvl techs that are buried in debt, and willing to work for peanuts. Only way it’ll ever change is if we become really scarce.
Love the name my Dad's shop was called Autohaus, we are in a very Swiss area. Love the video, 20 year tech and I agree 100% everything you have said. I have been solo for 10 years and it's amazing.
Thank you for sharing and glad to hear that you are thriving Brother!
Thank you for your honesty. This world needs more honest straight up people like you. You are a small percentage of what makes this world a better place. Thank you Sir, for your dedication to doing what's right and for the love of automobiles. Wherever you work now sure benefits from you being there. Much love and peace to you my brother.
Spot on. Frightening how my experience as a technician and lecturer in the UK is almost the same. Now I work on cars as a hobby. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Yup. I left the industry just like many of us out there. I'm currently back at school for different career in office. Everything you've said is TRUE to the bone, and its giving me stress just hearing your story. From service advisors to us spending money on tools, to going extra mile for 0 pay, or fixing other peoples mess... It's really sad. I do miss the guys at the shop since we all got into this career because we all like cars. But the stress, the pay and lack of respect are just not sustainable. The amount of time I burn on re re re calibrating radars or re-upholster leather seats just raises my blood pressure. We need a AA meeting for ex techs out there. 😂
Wow! I have never realized what you guys go through! I’m so sorry, because I thought you guys got paid more than you actually do! I’ll be mindful from now on, and thank you for your service and your time! God bless you!
I tried leaving the industry so many times, until I realized there are not many people as skilled as I am and that I’m providing a necessary service for my community. I take so much pride in my work and I really do love it but your absolutely right, we wear so many hats and I’ve always felt like we should be held at the highest regard within the service department much like how doctors are to a hospital.
Put yourself first. If you give away all your bricks, in the end, how are you able to build up yourself?
Find another way to give back without killing yourself. These are cars and we are not the fken Dahli Lama
@@CMAutohaus yes! nailed it! This is so over the top friggin ridiculous, ie the overall state of affairs at dealerships , esp in expensive areas. Unions need to get involved imho.
I’m HVAC technician. Same story with us.
A good technician can identify issues fast and repairs are usually minor issues.
Scenario
Good tech can usually diagnose an issue in 1/2 hr and it’s a minor part or loose wire my company gets 1/2hr worth of labor and maybe $100 in parts. And the technician may only have this single job scheduled for the day so now he’s done for the day with 1 hr pay.
Now an unskilled technician might take 6-8 hours on the same call and change $1000 in parts to “fix” the problem.
Who is more valuable to the company? The skilled technician or unskilled.
I retired in 2019. I started in the field in 1975. I worked retail for many years and did fleet service for 25 years. I experienced all the things you speak of. Hopefully young guys like you will shed more and more light on the things you have mentioned in your videos. I think guys like us just enjoy seeing a job well done and get personal satisfaction and just love making it work. I think that’s why I stayed so long even with all the headaches you speak of. Take care and God Bless.
As a nooby tech with HS and AS tech training in an auto auction (newish cars) with other techs all from around your generation who worked with many different cars, I can honestly say I am happy I didn't go to a dealership first. These guys are teaching me SO much more than schooling and training ever did, from diagnosis to ways of dealing with rusty ass cars and bolts.
Even if I don't stay long in this trade this experience will come in sooo handy considering I will ALWAYS try to work on my own cars and experienced techs like you and my co-workers make all the corporate BS feel at least a little worth going through.
Hopefully a majority of these issues finally get addressed soon because I do love working on and diagnosing cars and would love to keep doing.
P.S. new subscriber, can't wait to hear more about this world through you!
Thank YOU! You are incredibly knowledgeable, humble, and dedicated. Anyone who has had the good fortune to take their car to you knows you take your time to make sure things are done correctly and will explain everything in detail. Thanks to you I actually look forward to my car getting serviced!
Thank you for the kind words and the watch!
This is one of the realest videos I've seen in a long time. Degrees Masters they don't mean anything anymore is what you know and what you can do that makes a difference. God bless
In all fairness, masters and degrees help people gain the knowledge they need to do the jobs they are seeking. The main problem is most people who go to school rarely even know what they actually want to do, only to find out years later they decided on the wrong career or should have focused more in school instead of just trying to pass.
After working foat raye and only making $100 for the week I changed careers and now work as a technician but for industrial machines and robotics. Better pay and less BS.
Being a 15 yrs technician at honda/toyota/scion/Mazda dealer and 4 yrs subaru and acura..this is so true.. I just quite..wasn't really about the job but the place and management..buy yes everything said here is correct.
Good luck to you CM A. Glad to see a smart guy like you find ways to be your own boss. Much respect.
I have experienced each of the issues in my 45yrs of vehicle service public and private, (retired State certified Journeyman, Master auto & Truck ASE, Cal smog tech, and many more) believe this man in the video.
I have a 2018 STI and I took it to a local shop in NYC for a brake flush, new rotors, ss brake lines, and pads last week. They told me that they had an extremely hard time bleeding the system but got the job done. I picked up the car and the brake pedal pretty much hit the floor and had no pressure while the car was on. I went back into the shop and they told me it's normal when you change all those components at once and that it should start feeling normal, and if it doesn't, come back.
I'm here thinking it's Friday and they are about to close and won't open till Sunday, and I needed the car back. I'm driving around a bit and the car barely stops with the pedal to the floor. On sat I drove to a shop that a close friend had been going to and they bled the system again and told me that it was full of air.
I used to go to them a lot when I had an 04 sti with a lot of issues, I'm not sure what happened over the years. But I'm def never going back to that shop again. At this point, I have no shops that I trust with my car in the local area.
Fun story about my last experience with the local Subaru dealership. They wanted to charge me 2k to drop the transmission to diagnose a creak whenever I pressed the clutch. I just said no thanks and left. Turned out a little grease fixed the issue.
Wish there were more mechanics like you/ shops around here.
I myself did all that on my 2013 STI too. Having air in the system is a safety concern. Probably forgot the bleeders on the inside lol
@@Nakaamaa Im considering getting tools just to do basic maintenance, main thing has gotten in the way of that is, lack of space for tools/ work. I once had to explain to a guy what the crush washer was for and that it didn't go in with the oil filter. Ive had a rough time with shops.
@@superu8919Do your own services, plenty of RUclips guides out there. It only takes a few times before it becomes routine. I been with Subaru for 5 years and they are easy cars to work on. I'm sorry they didn't verify proper operation of your brake pedal before releasing it back to you. I would have brought back the car on a tow truck, showed your services writer and try to get some sort of compensation for it and they will do that. If not call Subaru of America.
I really liked your story, thank you for sharing all your employment history with us.
Full stop at 6:11. The RUclips algorithm handed me this vid to watch. Ive never heard of you, never seen any of your content.
It popped up after i Googled how to put a headlight into a 2010 Outback (cry for me, I know)
Just watching the first part of this video, i connected with you on about 4 levels, brother.
Please keep ondoing what you are doing to make yourself happy. I wish i did, and could, as someone that's just turned 50, and knows that well over half my life's gone. Im not happy anymore, and i dont have much chance to be at this point.
Edit: after watching the whole video, i couldn't be in more agreement. I worked at a Goodyear dealership backbin the early '00s, and it was either as you said, or headed that way. I was a GS, but with experience beforehand. I never made it the 2 years they required before Journeyman status. I quit for a lot of the reasons you mentioned, and left the trade completely behind for homebuilding.