The Reality of Dealer Servicing - Beware!

Nice here’s more food for thought. How many of you are aware it’s perfectly legal and common practice for airlines to contract out maintenance to third party and foreign repair shops with little to no oversight?

They all do it even the majors. FAA says you have to be able to speak and read English to use the manuals but as long as a licensed mechanic will sign off the paperwork it’s good to go. They get around it by having one guy signing the release for 30 guys doing the actual work. It’s not like you can just pull off the side of the road if you had a problem American Airlines still does most of their maintenance in house but who knows for how long. Southwest contracts all heavy maintenance to third party. Be safe sleep well.

 

You need to put the salary it in to perspective; region of the country, benefits, hours, etc.. It's an entry level job where it could be some kid right out of highschool still living at home working his way up the ladder. No different than working at Walmart or Burger King.

 

Real question for all you DIYers, has anyone tried to just get the oil and filters at the sale of the auto that come “free” with the Toyotacare? Also, to clarify by “free” I mean the $199-699 service schedule they require you to buy with a new vehicle.

 

Lol my employer pays well above minimum and encourages WFH, and people still don't care.

It's all work ethic on the oil changers part and "trust but verify" on yours. I've had good luck with the dealer service so far, no horror stories.

 

agreed, ive never met a worker who would do a better job if they were paid more. the few that do a good job dont stay at that level for very long and the ones that dont do a good job get fired.

 

Can you explain what a required ‘$199-699 service schedule’ is?

 

No different than all the diy guys on here that can’t tell the difference between the oil pan and transmission pan. Have one them change your oil.

 

Toyogaurd, it is a "required" non-removable add on cost to all Toyotas sold by SETD, in 2012 and 2014 (the last time I bought new Toyotas) the ToyotaCare was a $199 charge that was 'hidden' in the fine print as a port option, also non-removable.

 

Better to try and fail. Than never try at all. While I’ve not done it myself, I did watch a guy do that on a Nissan and I myself didn’t even catch it.

Mistakes happen. As long as you learn from the mistakes you make I don’t see it as a failure.

The hardest part for most people is admitting the mistakes that make.

I suppose my biggest automotive mistake this far was stripping the oil drain plug on my GSXR. I pulled on the wrench the wrong way. Twisted the threads clean out if it. Things turn different directions depending what side you are looking from.

So what did I learn from the mistake.
Well, which way to turn the wrench next time.

And how to install a new oil pan.
And that the oil pick up is way down low in the pan. Wheelie that baby all day. It won’t starve for oil unless there is none in it.

 

Me too, my proudest achievement lol. I thought about putting “CFO-Retired” beside my name on company emails since it’s been many years since I got that forklift certification and it sounds better than engineer.

 

Forks down when parked.

And never bet anyone that says they can pick up a quarter with forks. They can, and you will loose. The only way to recoup your money is to make the same bet with the “next” new guy.

 

Most of the dealer horror stories go beyond "common sense". Difference between undertrained and an idiot. My last dealer trip was for the free oil change. Spent the day prior washing and waxing. I went to the dealer the next morning with a super clean (dry) truck to get it back wet and spotted. I asked WTF, and the said we gave you a complimentary wash. Huh? Stevie Wonder would have noticed it didn't need it. Dealers for the most part suck...

 

Ignorance is bliss. Once you know better, you can’t get away with it any longer.

Every time I do something that I know I shouldn’t, it comes back to bit me.

 

Well done - it truly are the guys like you that make the successful dealers

 

First, I can't believe they call the position "Lube Technician". My friends would never let me hear the end of that. Second, who goes to the dealership for an oil change?

 

You are missing the flat rate part. Flat rate on an oil change is 1/2hr. You should be able to knock it out in 15-20. That means the guy is making close to $20 per hour. If he gets good, even more. When I was getting out of high school, I would have killed for a job like that, and killed it at that kind of work. Could I have made a mistake changing someone's oil? Sure, no different than the chances of making a mistake changing my own oil.

 

Ya they pay .5 and its possible to make some money on it when its a new low mileage car. flat rate techs dont make money on oil changes when they need to build a laundry list of recommendations of issues on an older vehicle. and if its just an oil change and no tire rotation it only pays .3.

 

HEY, it is called a certified "Powered industrial truck" operator . Get your shit right!

Your right, pick things up and put them down, wear your seat-belt, don't be dumb LOL

 

I go to the Toyota for oil changes when I don't want to do it (i.e. in the winter, lol) because my local shop is run by morons (Gordon's Goodyear in MTL, I'm looking at you) and they always fuck cars up. Other shops are even shadier.

They Jammed a reg oil filter in my brother's old diesel VW and broke the housing, they drained my transmission fluid instead of engine oil by accident and tried to get me to drive away from the lot with mag style flat lug nuts on my steelies that require conical lugs. Telling me "just don't drive far".

We truly live in an era of idiocracy. I wouldn't trust a cardiac surgeon touching me at this point.