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re: Mechanic Shortage? WSJ Shreds Ford CEO Complaints
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:09 am to Oilfieldbiology
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:09 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
It’s the infestation of MBA’s and consultants that now run every company that’s publicly traded or is big enough to have a board of directors
Yep. Over-fictionalization of America.
0
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:11 am to prplhze2000
quote:
the flat-rate pay system is the best way to reward fast workers
Is this why every repair is billed at 8 hours and may only take a fraction of it?
But in hindsight, there are some repairs that take double if not triple because of crappy designs and terrible placement of components that require you to disassemble multiple parts just to get to one failed component.
Then you have other issues like using rubber timing chains that need replacement every so many miles that require an engine teardown just to get to.
The other nonglaring issue is that some of these mechanics are also working on warranty or recall repairs which are due to crappy engineering and planned obsolence. In those cases, the customer is not paying for the repairs, but the manufacturer or dealer is eating some of that cost.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 9:13 am
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:14 am to Tarps99
quote:
Is this why every repair is billed at 8 hours and may only take a fraction of it?
Standard Repair Times
You get billed the SRT whether it takes the mechanic half as long as just as long. Over SRT, you're getting the bill for how much over it went because they'll make up some BS about needing to do some other stuff that's not typically needed.
A good auto mechanic will bill out far more than his actual hours worked in a day. He gets paid the same, the shop gets paid a SHITLOAD more than his day rate x 8.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:18 am to Tarps99
quote:
But in hindsight, there are some repairs that take double if not triple because of crappy designs and terrible placement of components that require you to disassemble multiple parts just to get to one failed component.
New GM trucks have to have the entire door panel replaced if the power window switch fails. Basically no real savings in labor time for the technician, the customer gets screwed pretty hard though.
quote:
Over SRT, you're getting the bill for how much over it went because they'll make up some BS about needing to do some other stuff that's not typically needed.
That was my recent experience with the local Ford dealership. Brought in a vehicle for a crank-no-start issue, diagnosed to a break in the wiring harness which they replaced for $1,200. Ok'd that repair then got a revised estimate because somehow the vehicle now had a non-working temp gauge and was overheating due to a boken plastic t-connector. New estimate was an additional $1,800+ including fuel injector service (I put in brand new injectors earlier in the year), throttle body service, and two additional diagnostic fees. I declined the additional work, had the vehicle towed back to my house, ordered the parts myself and fixed that issue for $80 for a coolant hose assembly and a faulty CHT sensor and two hours of my time.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 9:26 am
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:21 am to Tarps99
quote:
in hindsight, there are some repairs that take double if not triple because of crappy designs and terrible placement of components that require you to disassemble multiple parts just to get to one failed component.
That's baked into the standard repair time. The SRT's are established by the factory before the vehicle is ever released to the public and are built around basically the worst case how long will this take if the person has the tools available and follows the instructions word for word and works slow as hell.
In reality, the techs typically absolutely smoke the SRT's by a large margin because they find work-arounds, work on multiple vehicles simultaneously, etc. A good mechanic can easily bill out well in excess of 24 hours in a normal 8 hour day and the customer and the mechanic are the ones taking the beating on the whole transaction. The shop is making bank.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:22 am to chryso
quote:
I don't understand why mechanics have to provide their own tools.
because people tend to take care of things when its their own. And they pay for it.
I'm not saying the model is the best or even correct. But having watched people tear shite up and abuse company equipment for years now, I can certainly understand why a business would choose to make a mechanic provide his own tools.
Hell, I get mad at my wife when she takes one of my expensive carving knives and cuts open a cardboard box. After I've asked her 1000X to use the box cutter two drawers over. Wait till your kid tears up your lawn mower or wrecks your car. You'll understand why the model is in existence.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:26 am to prplhze2000
quote:
Ford can’t fill this $160,000 mechanic job. CEO Jim Farley has said there are 5,000 open mechanic jobs at Ford dealerships, despite high pay for senior workers.
quote:
Ford said senior master technicians like Hummel average about $67,000
I love this classic set up.
There's probably like 10 ford techs nationwide who make that much but Farley will try to put on that it's the norm and people are just too lazy to take a relatively high paying job.
Oh and let's not mention the fact that the 120-160k a year tech is making that much because they are claiming to do like 30 hours of "work" each day.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:29 am to JohnnyKilroy
quote:
I love this classic set up.
and Ford is probably including whatever benefits package they have as if it is income, and sort of implying that they start off at $160k
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:31 am to 777Tiger
quote:
and Ford is probably including whatever benefits package they have as if it is income, and sort of implying that they start off at $160k
Ahh the tradesman special.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:38 am to MikeAV8s
"consumer rightly or wrongly". The whole service check in business is designed to screw the customer. Got a check engine light? Your Manuel sez take it to a dealer immediately before the engine falls out, then the service dude charges 500 bucks to plug in a hand held computer to tell you the alignment needs checking. Why not just put that hand held info in to the car information data base and tell the consumer directly to take it to a wheel alignment place that is competitive.
Its the same business model as movie theaters You buy the car/ticket, then get screwed on the 15 dollar popcorn
Its the same business model as movie theaters You buy the car/ticket, then get screwed on the 15 dollar popcorn
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:42 am to SludgeFactory
quote:
unless you want to crawl under the wheel well and feel your way through like a blind man in an orgy.
I could go on and on.
I'm never buying another Ford ever again.
Sorry to break it to you, but it's not just Ford. Ridiculous maintenance is created by design changes and CAFE standards that minimize empty space, etc. I have to take off an engine cowling to get to my air filter, and my oil dipstick is three and a half feet long and a PITA to grab and replace.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 10:00 am to lsu777
quote:Not even fricking close.
all they have to do is go get food stamps, welfare, section 8 housing and its around 75k a year
Wherever you are getting your information from, find a different source.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 10:13 am to prplhze2000
If they would supply the tools (kept on site) and the training this problem would be resolved
Posted on 1/8/26 at 10:15 am to Kjnstkmn
quote:
If they would supply the tools (kept on site) and the training this problem would be resolved
No, it would not. The problem is dramatically more complex than that.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 10:36 am to prplhze2000
Another example of the flawed dealership model. Why does the dealership not provide the tools? Imagine a hospital hiring a surgeon but saying you have to bring your own scalpels, etc. or a fry cook at a fast food restaurant bringing in his own deep fryer!
I was told recently that car dealerships are now the second largest lobby in congress and very powerful at the state
I was told recently that car dealerships are now the second largest lobby in congress and very powerful at the state
Posted on 1/8/26 at 10:51 am to Kjnstkmn
quote:
If they would supply the tools (kept on site) and the training this problem would be resolved
A reasonable expense account for tools and non-provided PPE especially at a place as big as ford should cover it.
Techs can be like women with their math on needs vs wants so I understand why companies avoid covering all tools
Posted on 1/8/26 at 11:52 am to NorCali
quote:
Imagine a hospital hiring a surgeon but saying you have to bring your own scalpels, etc.
I imagine they would as long as the surgeon takes the liability for sterilization. I imagine not many surgeons make enough to afford a DaVinci system on their own though ($1.5 million btw).
quote:
a fry cook at a fast food restaurant bringing in his own deep fryer!
The dealership provides vehicle lifts, lighting, bay space, fluids, etc. Maybe you need to think harder when it comes to your analogies.
Imagine being a plumber or an electrician, showing up to a job, and asking to borrow a customer's tools or relying on bumming off co-workers. You can't because you are clueless. If you actually talked with a mechanic, you'd know they give new guys shite for borrwing tools, most have a pretty hard held rule that if you ask to borrow the same tool twice, the next time you'll be told to buy your own.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 11:58 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
The problem is dramatically more complex than that.
why does it have to be? Here is your station and your tools, the next guy has his, and here are the common items. Seems pretty simple.
Is this just a domestic car dealership issue? I don't hear of these issues at Toyota and Honda.
Posted on 1/8/26 at 12:31 pm to Clames
quote:
So do plumbers, welders, electricians, carpenters, HVAC techs, etc.
Only if they are self employed.
Every hvac, electric plumbing ect service company I know with trucks on the road outfits them with tools for the employee.
The whole "supply your own tools" is largely unique to mechanics who are employees.
In the 80's they were writing articles about how mechanics were going to demand very high wages in the coming future. For most, that never materialized. The same story again? who knows.
One thing is for sure, the Ford CEO is a putz who can't solve problems and instead wants to offload his company's woes onto the fault of society.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 1/8/26 at 12:35 pm to kywildcatfanone
quote:
why does it have to be?
People, especially "mechanics" are unique. The person who occupies the role of automotive mechanic spans everybody from meth head 18 year old retard who can't start a lawn mower to 60 year old machine whisperer who could build a working turbine out of legos and everybody in between.
Supplying tools to mechanics is a massive expense and when they don't own them, they destroy them, lose them, steal them. It's not a problem if you only hire the people who don't do that kind of stuff, but that's not realistic unless you're going to pay the average shop mechanic an exorbitant wage so that you can hire and fire them at will with a line of guys trying to get in. No automotive repair facility can actually do that.
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