how do they keep selling cars today

[GranCuda1970]

I agree. It makes everyone nervous. Wonder if that is why all the doomsday prepper type shows are popping up? The higher prices aren't so bad, it is the uncertainty that gets people riled up. People change habits slightly when gas prices climb, but as you are seeing and we are seeing people don't start checking the bus schedules. I blame it on the ease with which people could get 7 year car loans and interest only home loans and live above their means for so long, which was only 10 years ago. I think what bothers people now is that they are being forced to live within their means or at the very least reevaluate how they are living. Sad thing is getting people back to manageable living standards hurt.

 Not just preppers, I saw something like 11 million firearms were pruchased here in the states last year alone adding to the 400 million we already have. People know shart isn,t right and would rather be armed than unarmed and a victom.

[Cooter]

How do they keep selling cars today? Cause the bottom line is, NOBODY'S going back to Horse and Buggy...

NOBODY'S gonna walk to work, pedal a bike to work 35 miles, NOBODY'S gonna try and rent a mule to haul little suzy to Soccer practice. Therefore, All you guys/gals that have manufacturing jobs will be worried. Us mechanics that have been told we aren't allowed to make $100K/year like Doctors and Lawyers WILL....


Jesus(Pronounced Hey-Zeus) can stack those boxes and take that Manufacturing job, but very few of him can actually diagnose and repair today's vehicles. I can almost hear my classmates at the "Job fair" back in HS saying sh*t like "Well, I certainly don't wanna be a grease Monkey after Grad."...

Just don't hate too much on this "Grease Monkey" when he's living in a bigger house than you with your "Office job"....

[cudabeforeIdie]

I've always been a huge fan of the trades for kids in school. You *will* find the money to fix your car to get you to work, you *will* find the money to fix your toilet if it doesn't flush, you *will* find the money to fix your homes' electrical system if there's an issue... major trade jobs have always been recession proof. Carpenters, masonry, etc, not so much.

[ViperMan]

I'm confused on your opinion of warranty work... the dealership will be paid for the parts, and the hours charged to fix a rack, in or out of warranty, remain the same. Parts aren't R&R'd 'faster' because they're out of warranty or priced cheaper.

No opinion about it - the manufacturers set the "book" time for their vehicles.  I unfortunately lost access to All-Data, or I'd gladly post some figures.  Standard labor-time on a job for - say a power steering rack - might be 3 hours.  Warranty time would be around 2 or maybe 2.2.  You're right - the time to actually do it probably isn't any faster, but the manufacturer won't pay the extra profits to the dealership.

The trade off is that warranty work can't be refused.  You can tell the shop, "no thanks - I don't want that work done."  With warranty work, you don't even have to ask.  So your shop can run a bit more efficiently (verses say waiting for a customer to authorize repairs, etc) but the profits aren't as good.

Of course this only applies to dealerships.  If you take your car to a Sears or Goodyear, etc, this doesn't apply.

[4 speed fish]

Was told by a Ford dealer 475.00 dollars to fix my sons mustang,the part was 45.00.I replaced it in 30 minutes,they told me 650.00 to replace the waterpump.Part was 75.00.I replaced it in 1 hour,can someone explain this.

[brads70]

Was told by a Ford dealer 475.00 dollars to fix my sons mustang,the part was 45.00.I replaced it in 30 minutes,they told me 650.00 to replace the waterpump.Part was 75.00.I replaced it in 1 hour,can someone explain this.

Shop foremans name was Benjamine Dover?

[06Daytona]

I think a lot of the time the cost depends on the amount of overhead the business has. Our daughters car needed the AC recharged so we took it to a place with computers on the counter, a van or 2 with full body wraps, multiple employees with matching bowling shirts and the whole nine yards. They wanted 60 bucks to recharge the system without changing any parts or testing anything once we made an appointment to take the car in. We ended up going to a small place that was 6 posts, a roof, a desk and the company vehicle was a toyota corolla. We got charged 20 bucks and he tested the system to make sure it wasn't leaking.

[brads70]

Around my neck of the woods the dealerships are dead, no work. If it wasn't for warranty work they would have nothing. I can't imagine why with $98/hour plus shop rate?    Looks good on them I say, the smaller shops are busy!
I had the speedo cluster crap out in our family sled, 05 Suburban.... the local GM dealer wanted over $600 plus taxes and would tie it up for 2 weeks to fix it. I said I'll have to think about it. I was heading down to PA to visit the inlaws that weekend, got into town early and pulled into the local GM dealer to see what they said. Oh ya we can do it tomorrow it will take about 1/2 labour. The total bill was $265 and change....

[priderocks]

Who's buying? Government employees. And there's more of them than ever.

[Cooter]

Was told by a Ford dealer 475.00 dollars to fix my sons mustang,the part was 45.00.I replaced it in 30 minutes,they told me 650.00 to replace the waterpump.Part was 75.00.I replaced it in 1 hour,can someone explain this.

I will attempt to.....Would have to know the actual parts being replaced.
First off, AGAIN, you don't bring your own burger to Mickey  D's and ask to eat in their establishment do you? Yet, people seem to think the Dealer/shop/mechanic should allow them to not make ANY MONEY on parts AT ALL, because they can buy it down the street for WAY less. However, here's where things get sticky. If the dealer installs their parts, they have to cover the Time the tech has in it and the part if something goes wrong and needs to be warrantied. YOUR part isn't guaranteed and YOU will be installing it for free next time yourself. The dealer isn't gonna do this.  That cheap part you bought for peanuts may be ok for you if it fails, but not for the dealer/shop.

Water pump replacement same thing. I would have know more specifics about the car, but sounds like the labor rate to replace was a little high. Bottom line is this, unless your willing to diagnose and work on these newer cars yourself, this will happen. Not saying all shops are honest, but there are reasons why things cost the way they do..

What's really funny is the fact that although when it comes to repair work, people complain about being ripped off, yet they will walk into a dealer and pay $3000.00 over MSRP for a new Challenger??

[hpe600rt]

sounds like to me you have someting agenst the new challenger,well theris give and take with everything you say its 2 big and coust 2 much.well i can say the same about the old one it coust to much when it was new and still does today you can pay 10k for something that came out of a junk yard just because it used to have a 440 6  in it well it dont now does it.,dosent handel very well rust out isnt that safe in a crash,its give and take.if you ran the 2 stock to stock the old one would louse.and who knows mabee in 30 years they will all be 100k for one.i dont have anything agenst the old one i like them bolth but for what they are. if you want a fast car you can get an 80s mustang to run 9s or better all day long for 10k or less all done you have to look at what it is