Auto Repair Cost Skyrocket
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- Опубликовано: 4 апр 2024
- Auto Repair Cost Skyrocket
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I don't drive my car anymore. I just admire it on my driveway.
I had to get the windshield replaced on my 2006 Tacoma. Simple job, got it at a local autoglass shop for $310 with pre-scheduled appointment. No sensors in the glass to adjust. As I was checking out another customer "went ballistic" on the cashier when she got a $1580 bill for a windshield. The manager came out of his office and had a job calming her down. Geez, my old Tacoma and its occasional repair bill is looking better and better every day.
This video is EXACTLY why I've been holding onto my grandpa's '78 Toyota truck! Parts are plentiful, repairs are easy, and that thing just keeps on chugging. Maybe instead of fancy new cars, Lucky, you can do a series on keeping older cars alive!
This video is gold. Cars have gotten too complicated. You can't even replace 12v battery these days - you disconnect it, and boom, have to reprogram body control. Look at something the wrong way - ECU is gone. Add to that direct injection - need to touch an injector? Entire 2000psi high pressure fuel rail needs to be replaced with all injectors reseated. HP fuel pump -- I doubt it will live as long as 50psi port injection pump. Turbos on under built engines? Check. Windshield replacement? Welcome to $1.5k lane departure cameras and such need to be recalibrated. It is freaking insane. I just want early 2000s port injected naturally aspirated low-tech daily driver. Not a freaking spaceship
Lease - don’t buy
I remember when i worked on cars years ago we actually had a battery saver device that plugged into the diagnostic port to keep voltage on the computer so it didn’t have to relearn anything. Don’t recall ever having to reprogram anything but plenty of times where the car would start and die a few times and you would have to drive it around a little bit to relearn everything.
This is a massive reason I won't sell my 2002 BMW 330ci. Plus the fact i don't care for electronic steering. I think that late 90s-mid 2000s was the sweet spot for cars IMO
smart people get this. I have tons of money and CHOOSE to own two 20 year old cars. I CHOOSE THIS!
I own a fleet of Mopar vehicles and maintain them myself. Mopar parts prices have tripled in the past five years. Over 90% of the parts I buy are USA/Canada/Mexico made. My local CJDR dealer is $190/hr for labor, $210/hr for trucks/diesels. Flat rate sucks for everyone but the shop owner. Glad I didn't choose that as a career path.
Thanks for sharing
Years ago I also considered that path and briefly worked as a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. $125/hr went to the dealer, but the mechanic got a whopping $15.00/hr. And of course that was flat rate - most jobs on a late-90's Caddy were neither fast nor easy. Yet it's crazy just how much worse it's getting.
Flat rate does NOT suck! People suck. That’s what makes it not work for everyone! In a fair, busy shop, it’s the BEST!
I used to be a trucker and had a gig hauling starter and alternator cores to the border to be remanufactured for Delco and Auto Zone in Mexico. I also did a lot of Caterpillar Reman work. On the heavy equipment side, it was pretty steady but the Cash for Clunkers program took a lot of potential inventory away and the salvage people were screaming like stuck pigs. I sold my Kenworth during the pandemic and thankfully am retired. this episode reinforces the idea of getting an older car that you like and fixing it up to keep on the road.
I tell my nephews, younger reltives to highly consoder the trades. Due to the severe lack of trade workers, many junior colleges are also investing in trades programs. Many offer free tuition to kids straight out of highschool so you can come out with an associates or tech diploma, debt free and a career that will pay very well. No need to spend $100k+ on a 4 year degree that wont give good returns or paying $50k+ on for profit tech schools. With the cost of labor skyrocketting, the trades are a going to become more and more attractive as a career path.
Its not worth it anymore. Between beating up your body, price of tools, if you own a garage - cost of parts and supplies, rent, bills... i closed my garage down this year, its not making any financial sense. Besides customers don't have any money, everybody wants deals, no tax, and free shit. Its literally like you just go to work to have something to do, because its not livable income anymore. Automotive is going towards big brother buyng everything, giving them deals, and driving us out of business. 7 years I've watched it unfold year by year
@@valdorobantu290Exactly my thought. I know too many techs who flat out say they wouldn’t want their kids to do what they do. Obviously they’d teach them about cars but to make it a career, where their effective pay goes down? Nah. The ones I know who took their skills into other industries have much better hours and are much happier. But overall, yeah, tradespeople wanted their kids to not have to break their bodies down just to spend their golden years limping around unable to play with their grandkids. Really the problem is that individually things seem nice and doable but if everybody does it, doesn’t work out anymore. Too many people in any field cheapens the work by driving down wages due to high competition.
As a lead, prices skyrocketed but tech pay still far behind inflation, mechanics get paid more than ever but it’s lagging far behind. Our shop flat rate starts at 28 and peaks at 40 flag hours. Some guys are at 100k a year. It’s just a 100k really isn’t that impressive anyone, after taxes, buying tools, lifestyle cost etc, 100k is like the new middle class.
🎯💯
Why do mechanics buy their own tools as opposed to the employer providing them? Seems like this would cause a lot of problems with tools getting lost, mixed up, and borrowed/stolen.
I'm curious if you are in a major metro area with an extremely high cost of living. I only ask because I work as a senior software engineer at a National Science Lab inside the San Francisco Bay Area and nearby Mountain View, home of Google/Apple/Facebook. Another division in the lab is looking for a senior (10+ years) lead software engineer. The pay range is $126,900 - $158,628. It's likely the accepted candidate will have a Master's Degree. This job includes the typical benefits of any American corporation, health/dental/vision insurance (employer pays most-but-not-all), 15 days paid vacation, 12 days paid sick, and is in-line with my corporate jobs when I lived in Houston, TX. As a somewhat unrelated aside - I am also a DIY car mechanic that works on my family's fleet of 3 cars + 3 motorcycles (timing belt, press out wheel bearings, hybrid invertor coolant flush, motorcycle tire changes, and simpler items too). Here's the full job post - lbl.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/lead-software-engineer-user-office-6379
Yes inflation and lack of purchasing power is bad. Jerome Powell should Raise Ratea not cut. It is all backward.
@@Minienthusiastdealerships do afford "service managers" in suits, who don't really do much -- sip coffee, talk to each other, etc. Fire a couple of them, and voila -- tools can be afforded.
I’ll do my own maintenance. I have a ‘23 Tacoma. I partially financed it. It came with Toyota care. First five oil changes are free, but I’d rather pay the money for the supplies and do it myself than have a dealership screw things up. I don’t trust them at all.
Hey Lucky, I used to have no issue paying someone else to work on my car because I made enough money to pay their labour costs. Not anymore though, I started turning my own wrenches on both my cars shortly after COVID started. If I want to get my car in to get fixed, you're looking at two weeks to get in and $120 an hour. Plus inflated parts costs as the local guys don't let you bring your own parts.
My copy of AllData is capped at 2013, so I'll probably never own anything newer than that at this point.
Sidenote: Support your local u-pull junkyard!!!
$$$
It's $200/hr in is sunny San Diego 😅
I have a 03 Tahoe and I’m not going to trade up because everything you said is 200 % truth thx great show
I am picky about parts quality and frequently purchase NOS. I wanted the brakes done on my '85 Ford F-250. I am 76 with health issues and no garage. I cannot find a shop who wants to do the work to my satisfaction. So I buy the tools which cost less than the labor charges and when I am done then I still have the tools. I am installing all new parts. On my Isuzu Trooper I located a rebuilt steering box and shops wanted an extra $25 per hour for owner supplied parts and then did not want to schedule an appointment. I have locally heard too many horror stories so I am glad that I have the skills to do the work myself. Funny how some of these shops are now out of business.
I've never loved my '03 Tacoma more. 200k+ and still purrs like a kitten. Parts are available and reasonable, it's easy to work on, and minimal electronics. I didn't necessarily plan to keep it this long, but the future keeps being dumber than I could have predicted.
Right on
@@LuckyLopez777 My Cadillac died last summer. In search of a decent used vehicle was awful. Last one I brought to my 2 good mechanics approved. 2009 Allure, LaCross. 3800 with 71k. Bought at high price in great shape and my mechanics love it. Came ut of Canada auction. They would not allow me to buy anything with a 2.4L GM. Sure not a Cadillac which I have had my share of good used ones. Buick will do for now. Maroon in color, looks pretty.
Toyotas aren’t made of pixie dust n good hope! They break n cost a lot to fix like every other car! The trucks are even more!
Best way to deal with this is drive older mass produced vehicles and do your own repairs. I never have any issues getting cheap parts on my 30+ year old Chevy trucks. Been a while since I needed anything though, bought a fuel tank for $110 1.5 years ago
i luv my 2003 ford ranger,,,,,,,change the oil every 3000 miles 2700000 miles 4 cylinder no turbo,,,,,,,so easy to work on......might not have all the bells and whistles that all the new cars have but it gets me where i need to go,,,,,oh and its a 5 speed manual,,,,it even lost all its coolant on a 20 mile drive to work and made it with just air cool,,,,,,didnt hurt the engine,,,,,,,cant beat those older small trucks
Just did my front brakes only 190.00. 02 jeep grand Cherokee autozone had rotors in stock. Thanks for the show. I was in school there 65 years ago
That is awesome!
If you can wait for stuff, order from Rock. I priced out rotors/pads for quality stuff for that, $120 shipped with tax.
I could not get the site to work for me this time. I have used them often in the past with no regrets. Auto zone came through this time. Thanks for the encouraging word. It would have been worth the 70 bucks@@mph5896
I own a shop in St. Louis and I have my used auto dealers licenses. Yes auto repair cost have gone up. Parts prices have increased and my cost for labor defiantly! Parts prices have went up slowly in the past few years. Actually my bulk engine oil supplies has lowered prices. I have 4 120 gallon tanks I store new engine oil in. I buy universal engine coolant, store in a 120 gallon tank. St. Louis is a great market for auto repair. Without a vehicle yours screwed in this town. Our public transportation system is unsafe and complete joke! My standard door rate is $175 per hour. We get that all day long. Diagnostic labor starts at $194.73 per hour, consumers just pay it. I've been working on creating a recruiting process for technicians and service advisors. Replacing either can be challenging. Skilled techs are not on every corner like it was when I got into this in late 90s. I want a stock of resumes for each position I call fall back in in the event. Especially for a technician. I have a young tech, I'm training. I told her not to buy tools. I've already spent THOUSANDS! Since some new vehicle dealers are suppling tool boxes. The next step is for them to supply hand tools. Cost of quality tools has skyrocketed! With cost of living consistently going up. Techs can't afford to raise a family and buy tools. I want to build that into my budget and cost of doing business. Which will get passed onto the consumer.
And people can’t afford you
@@groovestreet77 it’s pick your poison pay me or a new car payment. Yes 👍🏻 I’m doing just fine. I’m negotiating with a landlord to expand my business
@@QualityAutoDave shrewd business man But business is business
I’m glad I went with Toyota simplicity for my vehicle. I’m surprised the consumer is choosing expensive technology. I guess it’s all about status
Part of the problem can be lack of places to lease / open a mechanics shop. Nearly all the warehouse and shop type spaces in my area all say NO MECHANICS / Automotive Businesses. I'd like to do a small dealership+mechanic shop business someday but theres just no spaces. I assume the people who leased for shops in the past were total garbage tenants and caused restrictions to be in place. If you do find a place that the city and landlord will permit a shop it costs an absolute fortune per month. Hence the high $/hour charged to the customer.
352,000 miles on my 2015 VW Passat 6 speed stick diesel engine, Your spot on Lucky about parts and labor. I tell kids. Get into automotive repair and skip college!!
Yeah, the problem is that technicians don't make any money at least here in Indiana they don't.... all of that money, the dealership charges for labor is paid to management or the owner... technicians make something just stupid low like $25 an hour
I paid $700 just to get brake pads replaced at a big chain never going back
I'm a Diesel Mechanic. I went to a T.S.T.C. for Semi Truck repair. I've been a mechanic for 24 years. There is nothing wrong with trade schools, just be prepared that they teach you the basics. I had to learn about aftertreatments and ecm diagnosing after college. You can make good money as a mechanic or technician, it takes time and alot of hands on. Good luck to future mechanics. Quick Note. If your starting out, you do not need to buy tools off a truck. They do have some specialty tools you may need one day. But it is not fun to replace a $25 dollar phillp head screwdriver, because it was borrowed and never returned. I really enjoy channel Lucky. HAVE A GOOD SIR
When it was in the field in the 80's it was called flat rate.
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@@LuckyLopez777 Flat rate forced me out of the dealership model. 20 + years as a flat rate dealership Master Technician Shop Forman, I found myself working harder and harder for less hours getting killed on every diagnosis nightmare. Then, at the same time, every parts bombing maintenance Technician was profiting huge while their comebacks became my problem and management didn't care. It was ridiculous. That was 10 years ago. I have no doubt things haven't changed a bit. Enjoy your channel. Thanks for your videos.
@mikechevelle3418 I started in 1983 at a small family owned Chrysler dealer, those were good times in the auto repair industry. I miss those days.. It was fun, you learned and you made a decent living. Nowadays it's turned into a rat race.
@@brianp5244 Sweet memories of small, HONEST, family owned dealers in the 80s. Cadillac and VW, parts departments.
@@brianp5244
Almost my story exactly. At 35yo I went back to school for engineering. I would NEVER go back to that hell again. Lucky likes flat-rate because he's a shop owner.
You should know, a lot of trade schools are beginning to charge college level tuition prices and even double the price of college, because trade school is usually one to two years. Trade schools are slowly getting to that college level type of predatory lending practices. It's something people should really consider when deciding what is the best path, as knowing someone in the field/industry is likely the best route someone can take.
I got quoted $2100 for a timing belt job on my 2004 Acura TL, but literally four months ago I only paid $1528 to have the timing belt done on my 1996 Lexus LS 400, and I know for a FACT that job was infinitely more complicated. I called around several shops for a quote. They all want between 1900 and 2400 for a Honda J32 timing job. I got so fed up and learned how to do it myself. Knocked out the job in 5 hours, and the parts only cost $190 for an Aisin kit and 300 for an amazon impact and tools. Glad I did because the Acura is easy to work on and parts are crazy cheap. The Lexus on the other hand, different story.
it is easier on the lexus
Had a relative tell me that they had a bill of $950+ just to get spark plugs done on their 6 cyl Camry…
That's a bit on the steep side but it is not that easy of a job. Mine was $750 back in November of 2023 on a 2grfe v6. Very well worth it to do every 100k.
My mechanic said "I'll see you back in another 100k" but don't forget your next oil change in 6 months.
It was probably the 3.5L. Difficult to reach, lots of mechanics will lower the engine to do it. Great reliable engine but maintenance on it isn’t cheap.
I have a 2010 Chevy Impala and and I needed my power steering system replaced. When I called around damn near everyone was saying 2.5k and up. I just RUclipsd how to do it and had some friends over and got it done way cheaper.
I currently work as a car estimator for general auto body repairs. If you own a Honda or Toyota those are great vehicles to work on and can be relatively cheap. In my experience stay away from any Ford, Dodge (Stellantis), and German car products. Lot of these parts tend to be on back order or more overpriced than ever.
wait till giga casting is now the norm and every car is totalled so you have to buy another car, just what the manufacturer wants
$$$$
Facts! And the young go "look how cool it is, it's giga- so must be good"
They do that anyway
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The fckin' scammers.@@dondada1460
What the heck is giga casting
I’m afraid that people don’t really understand the problem digitalisation is causing. Wall Street’s bet on airliners failed because the new generation of digitalised airplanes were far more expensive to maintain, develop and construct. Same is happening to cars and trains today. They are diverting all the capital to a bad bet and it is drastically reducing industrial output in the long run.
Just did brakes on my car. I now order parts online through manufacturers website and pick up at dealer. Pay msrp for parts this way. Noticed the dealers were marking up parts prices above msrp.
You touched upon a great subject for discussion. No one wants to work with their hands anymore. It is not just Auto Repair, any type of Skilled Trade service went up because of labor shortage. Plumbing, Construction, HVAC repair, etc... Hell, Even McDonald's Menu Price shot up 50%.
But somehow, I am seeing people still manage to have a lot of money to spend, why? Last Quarter, Autosales is up by 5% overall!
Lucky, can you explain that? I thought people can't afford these $800 payment on new car, but Earning Report tells different story. We kept saying it is gonna blow, but somehow, the Lid is still air tight shut.
Drop out of college, go to mechanic school. My 27 year old son made $92,000 last year.
Thank you Lucky
I’m sure that this is tied into our insurance problems that we’re going through 😢😢😢
Blessings,Carlos ✝️🙏❤️😊🇺🇸
I'm a software engineer with many years of experience. One of my friends is a car mechanic. He earns more than me.
The quality of the labor is very poor. Casue, they try to fix fast but not good.
Prices are really insane. To stop oil leak 700$ on a car I bought for 2500$. Makes no sense. I checked how to do it and will do it by myself.
Wasn’t getting paid enough . The shop I worked for was bring guys off the street with no experience no tools at the same pay as a guy that’s been doing it 15+ years , certified and has all of his tools . I ended up leaving and now im flipping cars . Make more money and work way less hours
2021 Audi RS5. $7,800 for front/back pads and rotors at Audi. The rotors still great; paid $350 for factory pads/sensors and just did it myself.
Wow $7800 is pretty ridiculous
I had a MB SLK... The windshield fluid pump went out... I looked up the fix on Google and thought that this was a DIY project... Lifting the hood ... There was the filler pipe but no container... Off to my favorite garage... No problem BUT with a $350 price tag for a $30 part install... All of which proves that if you own a MB and worry about repair costs... You can't afford it... Lesson learned...
I'm going to play this video on repeat in my waiting room from this day forward.
Got a Mazda CX 50 and I gotta learn a whole new car now lol it seems okay to work on except for the intake system and turbo. Suspension and all that stuff underneath looks simple to work, replace and had a lot of old school stuff (torsion beam vs independent/multi link rear)
Started as a mechanic, went to electrical engineering. Now do mechanics on the side. No car payments, only pay for parts.
I live in NYC auto repair has gotten very expensive. I have a guy who is a street mechanic who does repairs cheap but the jobs get too complicated and he says he can't do it. I took my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica to an independent shop it the ad to have the front ABS controller replaced and a new ignition coil replaced in the back of the engine. They had to disassemble the rear of the engine to get to the ignition coil. Big job. Between that and reprogramming the ABS the cost was $920. Yikes. These bills are crazy!!
HA! That was cheap!
So now I do a bunch of things and one of them is dong mechanics at home or traveling. Use to work for a stellantis dealer back then called FCA from 2014-2018. I was seeing it going all warranty work and how book time they were screwing us. So I now do that on my own and make way more per hour than I would ever have made in a shop environment.
I love my 2 young mechanics, had them 19 years so far. They we’re both pretty much out of the community college. They are honest and reasonable. I was referred, now my family goes there for years, my neighbors and more.
I did go to a trade school by the way in Jamaica and I went to automotive mechanics Alameda College in California am I top-notch Truck Driver repair all my cars myself I repair my house myself my own house I’m a real old-school man that’s what we’re missing in this country, real man
I typically buy only enthusiast type vehicles and do all the work myself since repairs and upgrades are always very well documented on fb groups/forums. Parts have definitely increased in the last few years and many are harder to find as you mentioned
Dude is legit on his topics . Respect
Lucky seems to say that all EVs are Teslas. My 2023 Bolt has low insurance ($1,066 a year) cost so I assume collision repair is in line with other GMs. In 9 years of EV ownership (1 Leaf, 2 Bolts), I've never needed any repairs, only the recalls that every auto seems to have these days.
I can see what Lucky Lopez is talking about with the increase in car parts. My car was involved in a minor car accident involving a deer. The collision repair shop quoted 5k for repairs, and the insurance company totaled the car; I told them I wanted to keep it and repair it myself. They deducted 1k for the $5,500 settlement amount. I replaced the hood, passenger headlight, and condenser and painted the hood with touchup paint myself; $ 750 later, I fixed the car. I paid $119 for the headlight in July 2020, same headlight is $214 now. The hood was $106 in July 2020, its $206 now, Condenser was $49, now $62. Almost everything doubled in four years.
Parts have definitely went up if not double. Year and half ago i started really focusing on the electrical part of the vehicle. Wow always got work, and yes nobody wants to work on them. Funny you mentioned Fiat, had 2016 major electrical problems. Only the alarm worked on the car and 90 % of the modules were off line. 3 oem dealerships won’t touch it, I took it in and repaired it. Previous accident with water intrusion on connections and one module with the same water intrusion.
$$$
Great video Lucky.
I also stock up on parts because I do realize that that is a way to get us out of our old cars so I just go online and I shop I see what I want today and put it on my shelf at home
i have a 2019 manual crosstrek. maintenance is almost hilariously easy to do myself with minimal experience. parts are very reasonable
Thanks
I buy the parts myself online all the time never fails .work on it myself ifo and if it too much work I have a guy that does better than a dealer
I repair all my cars myself my car and my daughters cars two Volkswagens, two mini coopers and a BMW 128. I have all the specialist tools, including Tam and belts tools to lock the cams and so forth. Oh yes computers also even have an extra parts car for one of my mini coopersextra candid converters extra engines and I haven’t bought a new car in over 20 years or take it in my car to a repair shop
I work on my own vehicles, last difficult job was taking out the whole dashboard in a few hrs to replace an ac condenser in a 2012 f150, only spend $120 in parts
I’ve always tried to do the simple things myself. Oil, filters, brakes, rotors, stuff like that. I learned recently on my wife’s ‘21 Acadia that my role as driveway tech is shrinking. Tried to do brakes myself and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree and it was in limp mode. Come to find out you gotta put it in brake service mode via a computer hooked to it. It’s just brake pads but now you gotta take it to a shop.
Hmm, why is there a shortage of mechanics/techs? Let’s see…
The shop charges $120-250/hr and the techs make $25-35/hr.
Nothing more to say.
It's not that simple because of something Lucky explained in this video. Flat-rate mechanics don't just get paid by the hour. If a job is considered a 4 hour job they get paid their hourly rate x 4 whether they finish the job in 2 hours or 8. A lot of shops pay their techs this way. I have a friend whose hourly rate is $38/hr, but he regularly gets checks for 80-100 hours, despite only working 40-50.
Shortage of techs cause people are lazy! N I’m a master tech n I make 50/hr with my bonuses! I guarantee you, the split is good seeing what all my employer has to pay! I had a shop years ago and the cost are CRAZY!!
I had some minor body work, sensor work and a windshield repair on my 2015 Honda accord just recently and it took 3 weeks to complete and it was $4,100
I drive 1.5 hrs from a big city to a dealer in a small city. 1. I do not have to leave my car in Q for days of weeks, I make an apt and show up at that time. 2. lower shop rate. It is well worth the drive.
My regular mechanic in Fresno is booked, way too many cars, he said many been done but waiting on custo ers to come and pick then up and of course paid
It's also picky ass employers that won't hire people that want to do it which is hurting the industry as well.
Im a technician with 10 years experience and I am ready to get out. This industry is gone to hell. eventually they'll have nothing but overpaid service writers
Someone should start an auto maintinence cooperative modeling after the same model farmers started using over 100 years ago to own the repair facility they do business with.
$18-20/ hour is below minimum wage in some states lol please tell us more how we can skip college and make minimum wage
2007 Chevy Silverado crew cab 200K miles, time for the oil change, I will get the lifetime brake warranty from Les Schwab next week when I get the front done. No tranny problems with the 4sp. The 5.3 runs like a top. It will still bring $8-$10k in Colorado. Keep older vehicles are no brainer, cheap maintenance and insurance. I can’t imagine going 8-10 years on new car payments.
I wouldn’t advise anyone getting into auto repair in today’s climate.
$10,000-30,000 for schooling to start as an entry level mechanic at $18-22 an hour. Then trying to fill a tool box to the tune of $20-30,000 while making crap wages. You’re better off financially, on welfare for the first couple of years.
Or do like I did and work for a government fleet. 30 years, mostly for a large municipal utility, and I was able to retire at 60. Limited upside, but no downside.
Come to California fast food workers start at $20.00 per hour or $41,600 per year and no tools needed!🤦🏻♂️
@@johnfiecko5932 well part time 2 hours at day job is not worth it.
@@johnfiecko5932I'm sure most of them won't even get full time hours because the stores will all reduce workers hours to stay afloat.
Saw the writing on the wall. Dumped 20+k into an 03 GMC Sport Side truck I bought brand new. 170k miles. Started the refresh summer of 2020. He's like new now and take on road trips. Sold 016 GMC single cab Z71 4x4 back to dealer Jan 22. 51k miles on it. Got back 6k less than what I paid. AFM was deal breaker for me. Threw lifter at 49k miles. Stunning rig though. Triple black, mean mfer. Lol
I live is south central Pennsylvania; and have a salesman's license since grad school. I also worked in body shops in college and have seen the evolution of vehicles. Market place here is full of mechanics specials; everything from Fiat 500's to BMW's. I laugh as I am very specific in terms of what I own and can I work on it. I have a 73 Chevy 4x4 with 31k on it, a 77 Vette, an 85 CRX Si with 28k I bought new and a 69 Z28 with 7K miles I have owned since the early 70's. I own for every day summer car an 89 Accord 5sp LXi, a 2005 Civic 5sp coupe tuner, a 94 S10 2.2 and my everyday drive a 96 Accord Ex sedan. I can repair all of them I owned Fiat's in the late 70's early 80's they were electrical nightmares then now forget it.
I'm glad i have a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport. I am obsessive about regular maintenance on it. It has a insanely reliable 6 cylinder 2GR-FKS A engine. I keep the body i as good shape as possible., The engine is babied, i get it Krown Oil sprayed at least once yearly. I flush out the undercarriage every spring. Not a single sign of rust in almost 7 Ontario winters. Engine Purrs with 190,000 km on it. Looks Like I'm going to be keeping it a lot longer then i originally anticipated.
Spent 20 years at vw, did it all! Master tech, shop foreman, you name it, but unfortunately the dealers don't pay techs what they're worth, Rivian offered a job and it's has been a breath of fresh air! Not to mention x2 in pay but the comp and people and customer's are amazing! Maybe not for everyone but it has worked out! I was sh!ting bricks when I left vw! Still have really good friends there 🍻🤘🏻
This is why I’m buying Autozone stock. I’m already 20% up since I started investing in December
Cars can definitely make it over 100k plus. People just aren’t interested in doing the maintenance. If nothing made it over 100k we wouldn’t have a used car market. Cars are more digital than analog like the old days. More complex and it just makes them more expensive to repair. The mechanic crisis is something that needs to change. BMW and others charging the customer 200 and hour and giving the mechanic 20-37 an hour tops isn’t right. They’re just lining their pockets.
Chevy Corsica! My first car haha. Who else noticed the terrible paint on the hood? Mine peeled like crazy. Heard it was a bad batch of paint/ prep from the factory.
My mechanic shutdown. I think he got bought out. That place was always full and they had to rent parking space at a neighboring business. I'm not looking forward to seeing who replaced him.
I walked away from the auto repair industry about a year ago. New car build quality and material quality isnt too bad, but with modern engines and electronics things have gotten out of hand. There are some newer cars worth buying or "taking a chance on" but id poke around under the hood and see if you can imagine yourself doing simple repairs. If not repair costs will eat you alive... I do encourage everyone to be educated on how a car works even if you refuse to turn wrenches. The knowledge will save you money.
Lucky, here's one for you: A good friend of mine brought a Nissan Rogue a few years ago, only 40K miles and may be 2018. Last year, the driver side vent was not blowing warm air. Checked with mechanics in town, same story, just replace the little vent "thing", $30 part but as one has to remove the dash to do it, it will likely cost $1K to have it done, all labor. The car has mechanical insurance, and we got the cost and repair approved and thought we are good to go. A few weeks later, mechanic called and said Nissan apparently no long makes or sells the little $30 "flipper" that fixes the problem. He called everywhere including Nissan, no go. Nissan told him in order to fix the vent problem, we have to replace the whole head unit. $1200 plus tax and because of the size, it has to come in freight, another $300. After some arm twisting, the insurance company agreed to pay. Here is the part that takes the cake: Another 2 months gone by, mechanic called and told us Nissan cancelled the order and have no idea when or if they ever will have the head unit. The unit no longer has a part number or even in their parts catalogue. The car at the time was less than 5 years old. I thought car manufacturers are legally bound to has parts for 10 years.
Hey Man ✌️. My 02 tundra still needs upstream o2 sensors. Once Tesla stock crashes to $14 per share I will finally be able to get it fixed up and rolling.
Nice
😂
If not o2 sensor might nees ECU ... After that cats and exhaust up front need replaced. Then should be good to go. If I have enough vash to update registration, plates and insurance. Then need some fuel. I'll be able to work again and get back to Texas.
Im 36, and this makes me think of when i bought my first car. A 98 Park Ave, it was a bucket 😅. Im by far no mechanic, but i learn alot about repairing and maintenance from that car. I have a feeling alot of younger guys wont have that opportunity, with what i like to call, 'computers on wheels'.
Oem parts prices are nuts, and most aftermarket parts now are junk. I went to get brake rotors and pads from a toytota dealer for a 2003 4Runner and it was over $700
Keep used cars are more attractive now with low cost of ownership and maintenance.
You're right, 100K in student loans and the newly minted grad is shlepping fast food.
Still driving our 99 astro.. my backup vehicles are a 1978 ct90 and 3 other MCs. I like affordable redundancy.
Cars are a necessity in many lots of the country that lacks public transit. So repair shops think they can treat themselves as a hospital for cars and charge whatever they want.
There are some jobs that require a lot of know how, and tools and they should be charged accordingly. But simple jobs like brakes, belts, oil changes… come on.
I worked on Hondas all the way through my 20s. I drive a 2003 CRV and I do 100% of the work myself unless there’s a machine I do not own
Soon our streets will be full of cars that look like the streets of Havana. Really old cars put back together with alternative fuel sources.
Got the C6, going for the C8 next
LS is the best
Had an accident with my Honda fit. It took Honda 1 month to fix 99.9% of my car. There was one part that took Honda 6 months to get so I was without my for a while. I did however get to enjoy all the loner cars Honda gave me while waiting for my car :)
Wow
Just did front brake pads/rotors and just 1 bad caliper..brake fluid flush..on 2008 Lincoln Navigator at local Mavis, $900.00..labor $169/hr 2-hous billed..good or bad price?
I was an mdt for Toyota left the field for a job in manufacturing. Make more $$$ work in the ac ,knees and back never sore from and don’t have to chase my money.
You and Mike Rowe should do a video!
All services have gone up. Electrical, plumbing, automotive, concrete, landscaping, etc.
Why be an auto tech when you can go into oil and gas and make twice as much. Franchise dealerships pay their techs like crap but advisors are making big money…never understood that.
I still drive my 2002 Nissan Xterra that I bought new in 2001.
Straight up F having a repair shop. It seems unattainable to run a profitable repair shop and other businesses as well. If the repair shop is the only business you have…then yes it’s worth it. But it’s super difficult to streamline things in a repair shop. I’m on the brink of closing the shop and only keep one mechanic and focusing on our dealership cars
And this is the main reason why I don’t mind leasing an electric vehicle.
The only parts on my car, I would possibly need a mechanic for are the wheels, tires and that’s it !!!
Everything else that needs to be repaired or fixed on my car can pretty much only be done by the dealership itself, which means that I would have to give them my car, they give me a loaner and they fix my car while I drive their loaner.
Virtually no hassle to me at all.
Meanwhile: my gas powered 2015 Jeep SRT spent months in the shop because I needed parts that couldn’t easily be gotten .
Two years ago, it spent three months in the shop because the alternator failed and instead of simply replacing the alternator I also needed the head gaskets replaced. When the alternator fails, the vehicle loses power. This also required a new battery and I ended up having to get a new PCM computer module. All of these parts took a very long time to get there.
Last year my car spent three months in the shop because it needed camshaft parts and a few other minor repairs which not only were difficult for the dealer to get, but also back ordered because of the auto strike and the dealership had trouble keeping qualified workers in staff.
Brake job on my 05 suburban was quoted at $850 for all 4 discs and pads. I laughed out loud. Do it myself. Even then, job cost $500
It seems like the prices and availability of EV parts would vary dramatically depending on the manufacturer. Tesla and the new car companies would be crazy, but what about the GM, Honda, Ford EV's. I know my electric Mini uses a lot of the same parts as the regular Mini. So I imagine if a lot of things break on it it would be similar to that of the other Minis (with some notable part exceptions).
I personally only buy from reliable makes. I’m American but I only buy foreign makes like Toyota, Honda or Mercedes. Our America makes in the past few decades are made to squeeze money from us, not reliability. I still have my 2014 Camry with 270,000 miles on in and went through a major accident. Yet, it still runs without ever having to pay a mechanic, except for battery changes and an alternator change around 250,000 miles.
we had a 2011 camry le which unfortunately got totaled by insurance. but the car engine was at 304,000 miles and still running smooth
@@porschefanatic1049 wow. 13 years. That’s impressive.
@@shekool18 insurance still paid out $7k for the car so we definitely got our moneys worth from that vehicle. the camry is an excellent vehicle
This is a massive reason I won't sell my 2002 BMW 330ci. Plus the fact i don't care for electronic steering. I think that late 90s-mid 2000s was the sweet spot for cars IMO