Automotive Technician Shortage?

tech_0fc71a80

Dealerships and independent repair shops are struggling to find experienced automotive technicians and mechanics. Vehicles are becoming more complex, skilled technicians are in demand, and the industry keeps asking how to recruit the next generation into automotive technician careers.

The suits wonder why the automotive technician shortage keeps getting worse.

They're asking the wrong question.

Instead of the obvious:

Why Are Automotive Technicians Leaving?

Before worrying about recruiting more technicians, maybe they should ask why experienced technicians and mechanics are leaving the automotive industry in the first place.

Flat-rate technician pay?
Unrealistic warranty labor times?
Unpaid diagnostic time?
Dealership or shop management?
Burnout and work-life balance?
Automotive technician wages that haven't kept up with increasing skill requirements?
EV, ADAS, electrical, programming, and diagnostic demands?
Or simply finding a better-paying career outside automotive repair?

What would need to change for you to confidently recommend becoming an automotive technician today?

👇 Whether you're a dealership technician, independent mechanic, master technician, apprentice, diagnostic technician, former technician, or someone considering leaving the automotive industry, share the reality actually causing the technician shortage.

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tech_0fc71a80

{Google Search Trends: Automotive Technician Shortage}
{Technician Shortage Mal}
{Top Technician Shortage}

tech_84ff4cb5

Dealership tech here. Shops are only making it worse by throwing in untrained lube techs and calling them apprentices without proper training. They’re expecting their experienced techs who are flat rate to constantly stop what they’re doing to train and help them. loan tools, repair mistakes and take on their comebacks which often times the shop doesn’t even take responsibility. They’ll screw the tech over by trying to pass it off as another warranty repair.

tech_76e3bbf0

Former dealer tech here (now in government fleet work). I wanted reliable, steady work and pay check. Warranty work was killing me, especially on new BMW's where so much of the complaints were about apple carplay or something dumb like that. Lazy advisors were entering in my labor wrong, it got to the point where i had to keep track of every job and match it up to my timesheet, and for the last couple months there was a lot of time left out meaning i had to go to my manager and get it straightened out which of course takes more time out of my day. I told the story elsewhere on this site about the z4 convertible top job that they undersold by an insane amount and the x7 that i spent days trying to figure out a knocking noise in the body that turned out to be a bad seam so i wont go into detail there but all of that was the last straw for me. Im sure this happens at so many dealerships. The time shorting probably happens to so many of you guys too but who has time to keep track of every labor hour when your flat rate and already trying to get so much done in a day?

tech_b7cc7a83

tech_84ff4cb5 This has been a major problem my dealer has been dealing with. Even the "techs" we hire have minimal to no diagnostic capability.

Labor times are getting ridiculous. I've been comparing a few OEM repairs with AllData and AD times are less, equal or not available. I don't know how any other labor guide is but all data sucks.

tech_84ff4cb5

tech_b7cc7a83 there’s been a lot of talk about Alldata and Mitchell/prodemand working with manufacturers to reduce labor times since a lot of states are now implementing laws requiring manufacturers to pay dealerships/techs CP time for warranty repairs. It’s a conspiracy theory at this point but I wouldn’t put it passed them.

tech_b7cc7a83

tech_84ff4cb5 Certainly is looking like it. Snap on owns Pro Demand too which would make it even worse if they were in bed with the OEMs

tech_56b936d2

tech_84ff4cb5 labor times are at an all time low, but dealership rates are at an all time high, with tech pay remaining the same, dealerships raised rates to cover themselves however forgot about the techs.
my shop is 175/hr customer pay, I'm 34/hr and can't bill more than 20-30 hours a week and I've got volume but no hours from the volume of work I do because every car I touch is only 0.5-1hr max and takes about that much or more.

tech_84ff4cb5

tech_56b936d2 That’s why I believe free labor is such a big discussion. Free MPI’s a lot of shops now are pushing free video inspections so techs are now doing part of the advisors job actually selling the work. A lot service departments won’t pay to hire competent parts advisors so a lot of techs have to build their own parts quotes. We’re doing free wipers, DEF fills, washer fluid, ride along’s, Radio connectivity concerns and explaining customers car functionality. (Bad salesman and service writers) and talking to customers. It’s literally costing techs thousands a year in free labor. This isn’t even getting into warranty labor times you can’t beat, faulty OEM parts, incorrect parts, parts forgetting something. Most repairs require multiple single use fasteners or the claim gets kicked. The amount of IT work we’re required to do and not get paid. I’ve often questioned if it’s a pay problem at all or is it a techs being taken advantage of because of how we’re paid. Dealerships need a reality check of paying their techs because it’s the cost of doing business.

tech_56b936d2

tech_84ff4cb5 yup, the techs keep absorbing this magical "cost of doing business" portion that dealerships are too baby to accept, I have given away hours upon hours of my life and of billable hours to try to sell a job for customers or help out customers and my advisors/managers because they're in a bind. On top of customers expecting this high end dealership experience out of a low-cost budget manufacturer paying for warranty work and warranty diagnostics. what I mean is they expect us to make their vehicle "problem free" with no diagnostic pay from the manufacturer and spend 3 hours test driving their car or they won't pick it up, so I end up doing all the free test drives in the world for them only to not replicate the concern and send the car out or just replace a component to make them feel like its fixed.

tech_e33056e5

I was an Automotive tech with all licenses who have done engines & transmission replacement & subframe , floor repair job all in 1 day (12hr) even with frame threads seperated & spinning inside the floor . I can do simple electrical or can bus issues without looking up any procedures. I got my own tricks to various issues nobody ever even posted on YouTube.

Even with all that experience....

I quit the industry last month, and so far that was the best decision i ever made...!!!

One thing i noticed is shop sells cheaper & good parts for higher price. then they lower labour time to look good ( but its unpaid job when that cheapy part fails, cause customer cant be billed). Never a call to customer to revaluate labour when something goes wrong...., and since i was in a non dealer private shop, every one wanted to squeeze every dollar.

Now I'm a heavy equipment tech, paid hourly. punch out at same time everyday. takes time to do the job. but no stress at all.....

I'll never recommend automotive to anyone.!!

tech_10ccb062

I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this job. Working for free. Being given the burden of other people’s job responsibilities for no pay.
Example : quoting repairs labor time and the requested parts to perform the repairs. We quote the labor. We ask parts to give us pricing on the parts we request. We transfer that to the service writer. Now with electronic quotes and inspections we have no way to access the quote when parts has completed they’re pricing and availability. The service writers can delete and overwrite our labor quote to whatever they want with no record. Then we get blamed for not quoting a repair that they themselves deleted from the electronic MPI. We get blamed for filming damaged or worn components on the MPI video because “we cannot tell them that their tires are completely bald, we just sold the car yesterday” - management. We get approved repairs for 16 hours and when it’s completed they’ve suddenly changed the repair to warranty and paid you 0.00hrs because you didn’t put the labor op code in your story. Which is only required for warranty repairs and not customer pay. Buying all our own tools and equipment. Got hired to rebuild transmissions and was told a transmission bench would be provided only to find myself rebuilding a transmission on the floor and not enough money to find another job with a family to feed. Backed up on work with back ordered parts that show up on the 30th of every month. Your work gets given away because you can’t fix 30 cars in one day when the parts magically appear. Then your back to scrambling to get more work the next day on the first. The constant belittling by techs who are 50+ years old and commit fraud while hacking cars up tell you that they’re better than you because you won’t do the same thing. The supposed promise of things changing and getting better. Wages that won’t keep up with inflation. No PTO or Sick time effectively since they pay you 8 hrs a day at minimum wage for that and only 20 hrs a year. Having your numbers compared to a hacking fraudster and being told you’re not good enough. Looking at yourself flagging 90-110hrs every 2 weeks while the fraudster buys his 3rd house, Rv, pickup, motorcycles, and a boat as you’re eating no breakfast or lunch for your kids to have food, clothes, and a house. Spending 60+hrs a week at work being blamed for back ordered parts, service advisors not selling your quote, and being told to suck it up as hours go lower and lower under warranty. Not to mention working in a freezing shop with no heat in the winter and no ac in the summer.

All in all I’d say I’m pretty happy doing what I do and will continue doing it until I’m dead. I’m 35 and have only done this career since I was 18.

tech_68f6d768

tech_0fc71a80 I think I’m burning out, and hating my work life balance due to the management at my shop. I’m at a corporate dealer, been here for 4.5 years. This year is bad, my foreman is very temperamental. Has ignored me multiple times in the last few weeks, and in fact left me on read this morning and is sitting in his office as I type this. Our express kids are getting ignored too. The only people making money are the guys here with kids, or favorites. I’m not making enough money to support my own home. I’m also afraid to speak up because no one else will and I don’t have another job lined up. He has a habit of firing people when they put their 2 week notice in. It’s made me not want to be in the industry anymore but I have no clue what I’d do when I leave