[LT4Greg]

No I’m not a mechanic or technician but I have several friends that are and they definitely are not dishonest! They have to earn a living just like you, me and everyone else does in this world! You really need to wake up to reality!

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by LT4Greg

No I’m not a mechanic or technician but I have several friends that are and they definitely are not dishonest! They have to earn a living just like you, me and everyone else does in this world! You really need to wake up to reality!

I am looking at this completely objectively. Making a living and ripping people off are two completely different things. What do you think a $150.00 charge for 20 minutes or a half hour of diagnostic time is? If you think that is an honest, reasonable fee for the little time spent, your definition of "earning a living" is misguided.

Mechanics are just like car salesmen, and neither should be on commission. They should be paid a straight salary or hourly wage.

[Camaro_QC]

I think too that 150$ is a lot, but that's how they make their money and if the job is done right, then go for it.

Ask them to explain you what's underneath that price. They might have a reason.

- they have to pay the building (building itself, electricity, insurance, etc)
- they have to pay the guy that will run the scanner
- they have to pay for the scanner itself
- they have to pay the salary of the girl who took your phone call for your appointment. She doesn't fix the car but she still adds up in the bill.
- etc.

Lots of stuff are going on.

Your car works now? Swallow the pill and drive on!

[ZED SLED]

Another thing that has been glossed over is the up front cost of the scanner. Most service depts don't just use joe bob's code reader off amazon for $199.95 Their diag machine likely cost in the neighborhood of $7-10k or more. Who pays for this? and the periodic repair, certification, or calibration that has to be performed? They don't just eat that cost for the customer. The service is priced to recoup some of this cost over time.

[arpad_m]

Incremental rates with a minimum threshold solve the bulk of the disagreements here. Basically, charge for actual time spent but at least x (maybe 0.5 or 1) hours for any transaction, even minimal ones, but charge in increments less than a full hour for fairness and advertise accordingly. Costs of training, education, equipment and various overhead are 100% legitimate and should be built into the hourly rate.

[I`m Batman]

The problem with charging the "actual time" is, the initial quote won't be accurate. Some mechanics or shops will milk that too. They'll just take their time to do the work and charge you more. What is their incentive to get the job done quickly if the longer they take, the more they make? There has to be a fixed rate so the customer will know what to expect. If they go over the estimated hours, they won't charge you more. If you don't like it, then go somewhere else. Pretty simple.

I want to see how people that want to charge $25 pay all their employees salary, building lease, utilities, maintenance, tools, etc.

I don't go to dealers because it's expensive. I have no complaints about them. I understand the business and I understand that they have to pay their employees and other bills. That's why I try to do as much as I can myself.


Don't like it, don't do it. Zero complaints.

[ctrlz]

Originally Posted by jabcam

They told me the car was out of warranty and that they where going to have authorize a $150.00 dollar charge.

Sounds like they were up front about their policy and it is YOU who should have asked more questions.
Without getting overly critical, here is what you should do if you get a check engine light in the future:
1) Get the code (or codes) read for free at any of the places mentioned above
2) Come back to a forum like this, post the codes, and you will get good advice

[2017Darkness]

What one or two of you do not understand is that the technician is not getting paid the full $75-$150 labor charge...Top techs usually make about $25-$30 per hour, of course some make more and some make less.

My store charges $59.95 for a diagnostic fee and yes, we are a dealership. If it takes a seasoned tech over an our of actual time at $25/hour to figure out what is wrong with your vehicle, where's does the dealer make any money?

A some have already tried to explain to you, are going to pay higher rates at a dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed properly by factory trained technicians, backed by the manufacturer, using factory parts and pieces....All of this COSTS MONEY. If you can't afford a professional, don't whine about their prices.

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by 2017Darkness

What one or two of you do not understand is that the technician is not getting paid the full $75-$150 labor charge...Top techs usually make about $25-$30 per hour, of course some make more and some make less.

My store charges $59.95 for a diagnostic fee and yes, we are a dealership. If it takes a seasoned tech over an our of actual time at $25/hour to figure out what is wrong with your vehicle, where's does the dealer make any money?

A some have already tried to explain to you, are going to pay higher rates at a dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed properly by factory trained technicians, backed by the manufacturer, using factory parts and pieces....All of this COSTS MONEY. If you can't afford a professional, don't whine about their prices.

The question isn't whether I can afford a professional, it's whether said professional is egregiously price gouging.

The demand is that knowledgeable professionals charge a reasonable rate. That is something you're not getting.

Charge for the actual time your tech spends on the job, and divide that up by his hourly rate. Plain and simple. If it takes an hour and 15 minutes to run the diagnostic and he makes $25.00/hr that's $31.00.

[BluinSC]

Probably unrelated, but at my last oil change the dealer put in the wrong amount of oil. I got 4 quarts instead of 8.


Needless to say I won't be going there again.

[L78toLT1]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

The question isn't whether I can afford a professional, it's whether said professional is egregiously price gouging.

The demand is that knowledgeable professionals charge a reasonable rate. That is something you're not getting.

Charge for the actual time your tech spends on the job, and divide that up by his hourly rate. Plain and simple. If it takes an hour and 15 minutes to run the diagnostic and he makes $25.00/hr that's $31.00.

Wo's going to pay the light bill, taxes, insurance, and various other overhead expenses? I work in aerospace where the technicians on the floor make an average of $35/hr, the fully burdened rate is almost $350/hr.

[BluinSC]

Originally Posted by L78toLT1

Wo's going to pay the light bill, taxes, insurance, and various other overhead expenses? I work in aerospace where the technicians on the floor make an average of $35/hr, the fully burdened rate is almost $350/hr.

Agree with this.

[ItsChristianInHD]

Get a scan tool my dude, not like a 5000 dollar one, $150 will do wonders. I’m still under warranty but I need to get one.

[I`m Batman]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

The question isn't whether I can afford a professional, it's whether said professional is egregiously price gouging.

The demand is that knowledgeable professionals charge a reasonable rate. That is something you're not getting.

Charge for the actual time your tech spends on the job, and divide that up by his hourly rate. Plain and simple. If it takes an hour and 15 minutes to run the diagnostic and he makes $25.00/hr that's $31.00.

I don't know what's not to get.

I want you to open a shop and I'll pay $25/hr for the mechanic's time for the work... with $0 left for you and your shop/business. You'll pay for the rest out of your own pocket: the shop's building lease, electricity, water, shop tools costs, lift, furniture, receptionist salary, cleaning, insurance, employee benefits, etc. The list goes on. That's a lot of $$$$$.

Now, with all that overhead, how much would you charge per hour?

A little Googling shows.

1990 E Powell Blvd , Gresham, OR 97080
Rental Rate $18.96 /SF/YR Gross Leasable Area 20,800 SF Property Type Retail Year Built 1990 Property Subtype Auto Dealership

That's $394,368 / year for the building lease alone.