Sticker shock

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

So I got tasked with the job of taking care of a small fleet of vehicles at work.

My boss tells that one of our vehicles (an 09 Ford Explorer) was making a funny noise and wanted me to check it out. I took it for a test driver and sure enough, it was making a very strange almost like turbo noise. It almost sounded like a set of planetaries going out in the tranny.

I take it to a local shop that a friend owns and he checks it out but he can't find out where the noise was coming from so my boss said take it to the dealer.

So I make an appointment at the dealer and they can't reproduce the noise. Super nice tech. He took me for a ride to see if I could hear it again. Nope, gone. All well.

Anyway I haven't been to a dealer in a long time and when I looked at their labor board I about had myself a heart attack! $158.00/ hour!! $158.00/ hour!!

I'm out of touch!

Is this what some of you outside of Kalifornia are seeing at your Ford dealer?

Just wondered.

[Terryallan]

Don't be all tore up. they want $130.00 just to plug in, and tell me which seat sensor is bad. Not to fix it. Just tell which one is bad. so. it is still bad, and probably won't be fixed. she said the air bag won't work with it on. Truthfully. that ain't a bad thing for me. I sit pretty close to the steering wheel, and it isn't good for a airbag to go off when you sit close to it.

Why do I sit so close. I found I have better control while sitting close, as opposed to having my arm stretched out.

[Tvov]

Super_Dave wrote:
I wonder what the rate is when divided by actual time spent versus the book rate that we are charged?

Talking to some mechanics, the "book rate" is sort of the maximum amount of time it should take to do a repair. Most experienced mechanics can work much faster, but the "book rate" helps them when a job doesn't go smoothly, gives them sort of a cushion.

Most independent shops now use the same "book rate" (or more precise "computer rate) as the dealerships, or close to it. As posted earlier, they sometimes also add in the "shop rags" and other expenses now.

[pianotuna]

I believe the mechanic should get the lions share of the service fee. Unfortunately the opposite is a fact of life.

[fj12ryder]

valhalla360 wrote:
Not the cheapest rate but dealerships have always been on the higher end of the spectrum.

What a lot of people fail to realize is just because the mechanic get $30-40/hr, doesn't mean that is what it costs the owner to supply a mechanic for an hour. This is particularly so at dealerships where they have to be set up to handle any and all repairs (independent shops can simply decline some types of work). Dealers also have to have the latest training. They need expensive diagnostic systems and an array of parts in inventory.

I've never seen a shop where the mechanics get $30-$40/hour wages. Maybe Porsche, MB, or Ferrari.

[colliehauler]

Groover wrote:
The thing that upsets me is that dealers generally add on surcharges for things like shop rags and cleaning materials. I run a small business and my rate includes everything, as it should.

Those rates are why I very rarely take my vehicles to a dealer once the warrentee has expired.

My independent charges for shop supplies as well.

[time2roll]

Long been known that dealers make their money on service. Maybe a little bit on used cars. New car sales bring in comparatively very little.

This is one of the big disruptions with electric vehicles. Far lower need for service. This is why dealers do no want electric vehicles to be sold. Dealer associations block Tesla from having 'dealerships' for this very reason in about half the states. Existing dealers that do have an EV for sale will always push the gasoline models unless the customer insists.

[BB_TX]

Reasonable? Yes, as dealers have a huge overhead with their large facilities and associated building overhead costs (utilities, taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) and all their personnel besides just the mechanic's salaries. (service advisors, parts personnel, people taking payments and doing paperwork, cleanup personnel, supervisors/managers, etc). And salaries are much higher than the basic hourly rate when you add in the employment taxes that must be paid and the hours for vacations and holidays that are paid for no work performed. Those costs are easy to overlook when wondering why they charge so much. Unless you have owned a business yourself and know the facts of owning one it is easy to accuse someone of overcharging. Just a fact of life.

[Super_Dave]

I wonder what the rate is when divided by actual time spent versus the book rate that we are charged?

[Lwiddis]

Yes, it’s the shop rags that runs the bill way up.

[Groover]

The thing that upsets me is that dealers generally add on surcharges for things like shop rags and cleaning materials. I run a small business and my rate includes everything, as it should.

Those rates are why I very rarely take my vehicles to a dealer once the warrentee has expired.

[CA_Traveler]

Cummins bills for the standard number of hours and the rate for RVs is higher.

Seems reasonable IMHO since RVs are not designed for service, only to be OK until the warranty is over.

[midnightsadie]

I know two mech that work in a ford dealer ,one makes $17.54hr the other $18.65hr. never met a $40hr mech.

[valhalla360]

Not the cheapest rate but dealerships have always been on the higher end of the spectrum.

What a lot of people fail to realize is just because the mechanic get $30-40/hr, doesn't mean that is what it costs the owner to supply a mechanic for an hour. This is particularly so at dealerships where they have to be set up to handle any and all repairs (independent shops can simply decline some types of work). Dealers also have to have the latest training. They need expensive diagnostic systems and an array of parts in inventory.

[Hondavalk]

Whats as bad as the hourly rate sometimes can be the diagnostic fee. Had a water pump making noise that eventually started to leak. Took it into the shop and told them I needed them to replace the pump. When I picked it up there was a $150.00 diagnostic fee. At least they did remove the charge when I pointed out I had specified what I wanted done.

[colliehauler]

My independent mechanic labor rate is $95 a hour so $150 a hour sounds about right. Had a Mobil RV tech come from Wichita to help put on a new rubber membrane, he's charge was $1500. for 10 hours or $150 a hour.