How Dealer Mechanics are legally Underpaid

[@emiliog.4432]

My local dealership in TN charges $190/hr labor plus a $5 “shop fee”. Techs are also paying for car sales floor plan. They take whatever they can from the lower wage workers. It’s all part of great transfer of wealth.

[@codywinkle2303]

Dealerships across the United States are the same labor rate. I had no idea going from San Diego to Pittsburgh, same labor rate across the board.

[@ProleDaddy]

You're describing wage labor under capitalism.

[@marcoruiz5864]

I did a 7k job in 5 hours and I only got $90 from it. I looked for other jobs after work like crazy that day

[@MelonHead894]

This is why a lot of techs move to the parts department. Similar pay to a tech and less responsibility/ stress from what I’ve seen

[@Littlemineslaps]

15 years ago my dad had a friend that was a master tech at a local lexus and the rate was $130 an hour and he got paid $60 an hour. Now a Lexus master tech at the same shop makes $55 an hour which is not only less but also with inflation and in California that's pretty much the wage you need to be living comfortably edit: that shop also charges $210 an hour of labor for customers

[@jasoncook5307]

Until techs get organized and walk out across the country together the abuse will not stop, it works for the auto factory workers that do unskilled labor then it should damn sure work for the techs that solve the problems new cars are riddled with

[@ChunkyChipz]

I left mine few years back when they were charging $200 hour for labor. We only have 1 guy making $50/hr on flat rate. Most flat rate are $25 more or less. Majority are hourly making $20/hr. Of course most of these flat rates are gone. Younger tech will never see $50/hr.

[@michaelmurphy6869]

What I learned working at a dealership was that the service dept basically pays the overhead costs (rent, utilities, insurance,etc) of the dealership. Any profit made came sales and parts. So when sales are slow the service dept would carry the store through. As for flat rate the highest percentage for tech pay was 27% of the labor rate for both CP & warranty( from the company I'd worked for) that's if you had all your ASE's and factory certs. One way to look at it is, if all the techs are flat rate it basically doesn't cost the dealership nothing to have them there, but if it was a bad month the store still has to pay you at least minimum wage. Been there worked an 8-10hr day and only flagged 1-2 hrs. Not because there wasn't enough work, it was because of lack of parts and getting the customers to authorize any repairs. Before I left (in '07) it was getting bad can't imagine how it is now.

[@soledadmonstabreh]

I say whoever comes up with these warranty times, better show me that THEY as the person that DETERMINED it takes this amount of time to do a particular job can complete it themselves within said amount of time. Oh let’s not forget about rust, dissimilar metal welding itself together over time, etc. etc. 😂

[@AnnCastro-r2j]

Such an important issue! Mechanics deserve fair pay for their hard work. We sent you an email, take a look.

[@skydive9955]

Bottom line - Avoid the dealer at all costs! I left that industry 40 years ago, mainly because I was expected to be dishonest in order to get paid beans…

[@Nikita_Andreyev]

In Russia we do have from 30% average in flat rate. But sometimes it's could be up to 50%. In real money it's from 3 to 5 usd per hour with pretty same prices you do have.

[@alan-b1f]

If I owned a dealership, I would recruit the best technicians possible, pay them properly and my service department would put other dealerships out of business. Are the existing dealers so stupid or is this guy not being completely truthful with us?

[@CMAutohaus]

For some reason its tough for dealers to market that they have the best service dept in the region and usually online reviews are for the sales dept.

[@doogeerugged89]

Holy shit they are STEALING from those ppl . Here in louisiana it's 150/hr for repair.. th MOST I've seen here for Honda master tech/w 20 years at honda is 32$/hr..42 if the dealer is desperate... yeah man I spent the last 3 months with 11 techs and 13 oil changers suffering. We had 3 months of pure nothing... in 1 week I made 15 hours...

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Do mechanics have a union or even just a trade organization like electricians, plumbers, industrial pipefitters, boiler makers, HVAC, etc? Is there any solidarity among workers to force change?

[@mattlenz8554]

We have a union in Illinois but it’s trash they just give you the run around no representation.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@mattlenz8554 Do they advocate to legislatures and politicians for a minimum wage for mechanics or other policies to help auto techs?

[@mattlenz8554]

Ya but at a cost strikes that go on forever. But honestly it’s better to be non union mechanic in my opinion your not held back on an apprenticeship aka wages for years on end.

[@stoundingresults]

Start your own repair service.

[@tomhagen7150]

Why didn't you become a service advisor? Don't they make more money? I bet you could sell more cars or out service advise anyone in that dealership with your mechanical knowledge and your gift of the gab.

[@brendancollins1402]

Why don't you become a waitor? With all this suggesting, you'd be great at recommending food. Get real man.

[@tomhagen7150]

@@brendancollins1402 all I'm saying is chase the money when I worked in collections at foothill Nissan, service advisors made six figures, salesman also made more than mechanics. Technical skills of a mechanic makes you superior candidate for both positions by the way waiters probably make more than 20 a day.