Who makes the most?

[Rick]

In about 4 months I will start a co-op with my school. I figure let them do all the leg work of finding me a dealership that will understand my school schedule and work with me on it.

My biggest question is, who do I work for?

Seems that the “big 3” dodge, chevy, ford including, Buik, GMC, Lincoln, and Cadillac are the best choices.
Then of course NIssan/Infinity Toyota/Scion/Lexus, Honda, Acura,

What are some opinions?

I know all cars have different issues. All cars break down. I want to know who’s going to be the easiest to work on, and break the most often. And customers that will most likely pay for repairs

I almost forgot F*** Hyundai

Topic

[none]

Answering this question is the same as answering what’s the best oil or who sells the best tools. Individual results will always vary. Pattern failures of the cars is one thing and it’s a good aspect to consider, but it’s the politics inside the shop that could burn you the most if you’re not careful. The largest Toyota dealer in my neighborhood is well reputed for paying peanuts to their techs. I know they offered one guy with over 20 years as an ASE master tech $14 an hour to be their lead tech. I was making that much doing oil changes when I got my start in this trade over ten years ago.

I actually have a better example straight from McDonalds of all places. I’m acquainted with a manager at the nearest McD’s who told me that she found out that she was making three bucks an hour less than another manager at another nearby McD’s that was franchised by a different owner. There was no difference in the job title or the duties, just the money. There was an agreement between the two franchisees that they wouldn’t accept any employee transfers between their restaurants. When the other McD’s manager position opened up, she was automatically disqualified for it.

The people running the show are always the biggest wild card. They’d rightly say the exact same thing about trying to hire people into the same jobs you’re applying for. I’ve had two managers at the shop I work at currently. I like my new manager, but I feel like a little integrity went out the door with the previous manager. The last guy I worked for was a year into opening his own shop. The guy was such a rancid asshole that I quit him on a Saturday and left him a note to find Monday morning. It was a little out of spite and hatred, but much more so out of making sure he wasn’t going to take a sledge hammer to me or my tool box when I left. It’s tough to find out who’s the best to work for in this regard, but it’s worth it to find out what you can. I was set to quit my current job last August before I hurt my back. I guaranteed my boss one more year to stay knowing he might fire me in a month or two if my back didn’t heal. It was still better than getting fired on the first day of a new job. The silver lining to this is that it’s allowed me to keep my eyes open on job postings to see who’s constantly hiring. I have found some shops hiring every three to six months. They’re at a capacity to have maybe five techs at most in their shops. If you can find time for it, keep an eye open for chronic hiring places in your neck of the planet too.

As far as pattern failure stuff goes, I come from a general service shop, but I’ll share my experiences that I can think of anyway. I love the Chrysler group for lousy suspension and steering parts. Mopar transmission have forever been a weak link and I don’t think that’s ever changed. I hear the V6’s in Pacificas are prone to eating cam lobes. You always have a selling opportunity when a Mopar comes in. I hate GM because they’ve always had a knack for designing stuff in the car to get in its own way. I’ve found a lot of parts that look like they’d be easy to remove and in plain sight, yet it’s still somehow inaccessible. I have learned how to deal with most of it without screaming too much though. You can’t do an oil change on their 3.6 engines without dropping the filter and spilling oil all over the engine mount and burning your forearm on the exhaust. What I’d want to know myself about a GM garage is if you can make money for all those recalls GM has.

There’s a lot of makes and models I’ve learned to loath for how they undermine what used to be a simple oil change. I can’t find the lift points under a new Ford Fusion to save my soul. What’s worse is these giant fucking plastic pans they’re putting under cars with 16 different types of fasteners you’ve got to pull just to find a filter and the drain plug sometimes. (I stole an access panel off a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I plan on eventually dedicating a post to just so I can hate on engineers some. Oil changes shouldn’t be getting so complicated.) Ford EcoBoost engines, I hear, are good at keeping a guy busy. I’ve heard some complaints about cooling issues. I met one that had sprung a leak through a core plug in the block behind the alternator. My local Oreilly’s is sponsoring a seminar just for these engines and I’ll share what I learn if I get to go. The Asian manufacturers have gone from timing belts to timing chains so you’re losing selling opportunities just on maintenance. It seems like everybody is getting rid of their transmission dipsticks and I hate all of the manufacturers for it. Chrysler was at least kind enough to still leave you a tube with a cap on it to access from the top side in most cases. Then you get a universal dipstick and a chart to tell you what the level should be depending on fluid temperature…

It’s past my bed time. Good night.

[James O’Hara]

Ford’s break all the time.

Honda’s are by far the easiest to work on.

If you are looking for a mix of the two its Chrysler.

Government contracting is what pays the most.

Mercedes is probably best paid from what I can gather. Though you will need to know electrical and you will be constantly I mean constantly learning new technologies. You also need to be able to use a scan tool well.

That is my experience anyway.

Ask your teachers what is always the issue with xyz brand. You will find patterns across the board. Mopar is definitely a trannsmission eater and they tend to do really weird stuff like batteries behind wheels. Fords rust a lot and break often. GM can’t get out of its own way. VW/Audi have issues with everything plastic and electrical and have solenoid issues in trans and dual mass flywheel issues. BMW is accessories and electrical. Mercedes is everything is so gd complicated even they don’t fully understand what they did and 1/2 the owners take their cars to other places for oil changes and simple stuff.

Whatever you do try and avoid working on super cars. They are a pain for so many reasons its not funny. From uppity drivers, to not being able to put any weight on body panels due to fiberglass/thin aluminum, mid mounted engines when you have to work on the top scaffolding or top creeper is almost required.

That is all I really have personal Experience with.

[2leadfeet]

If you’re that concerned about where you’ll be placed by your school, it’s time for you to do some homework. Go visit the dealerships in your area, talk to the tech that’s been there the longest and also the new guy. See what they like about the place and what they don’t. Ask about management, a good paying job with a sucky supervisor is a sucky job. Watch the techs and see how they operate. If they have their stuff together great, if they’re like the Three Stooges on crack, move on.

But that’s just my opinion.

[Francisco]

Just my opinion, I would try for any of the higher end brands Cadillac, Acura, Lexus, Audi.

[curt charles]

You forgot Mercedes! if you would like to be the best of the best go for Mercedes. the pay is very good. you go to school about 3 times a year. no shortage of cars to work on. currant models C E CLS S, CLA, GLA, GLS, SLK, SL, ML, GL, GT AMG.

[Jesse]

I would talk to all of the teachers that run the various programs, and check the dealerships they are affiliated with. Usually you can see a list. I happened to choose Toyota because the teacher seemed the most genuine, professional and skilled. He didn’t try to sugarcoat anything, and he was very honest about his time as a Toyota mechanic. Most of the teachers seemed dishonest, almost a bit sleazy in their representation of their auto company (GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda).

I also checked, and applied at all of the dealerships available for each of these companies. Each teacher essentially got you interviews and such. While I was there I asked the technicians questions when I was done with my interview. I ended up at Toyota because this particular dealership gave me the best starting wage, and from what I understand paid their top techs the most money.

I hear Mercedes, and Audi pay pretty well, but they’re hard to get in at the very first. As a Mercedes tech be prepared to learn a lot about electronics, and computer diagnostics. The only people I have seen go straight to the local mercedes dealerships are UTI, and WYO Tech grads that did very well in school, that said I would still try to get in. I want to try after I’ve been working on Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles for a few years.

[Author]

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