Anyone use yourmechanic?

[NutBucket]

Yeah, I have to say that's pretty far fetched.

 

[repoman0]

We stopped a long time ago allowing customers to bring in their own parts. There is just too much liability. We also make close to 40% on most parts.

This is why I almost always diy

 

[Yuriman]

I do nearly all of my own work. My car has parts you can't buy locally, and are even sometimes unavailable from the dealer. There are some independent shops which refurbish things like transmissions, and axles can be found on RockAuto but basically nowhere else (even a dealer). How do shops handle situations like this? Do they say, "We can't get the part, and we won't use yours, so we're not going to do it."?

 

[Raizinman]

Find me a single case where someone installed the parts to original spec that lost a lawsuit like you described. You won't, its basic FUD you are spreading.

Ask your insurance liability company. I have neither the time or statistics to satisfy a troll like you. Similarly, I didn't say original spec (you misquoted me).

 

[Raizinman]

How do shops handle situations like this? Do they say, "We can't get the part, and we won't use yours, so we're not going to do it."?

There are occasions where a part is on backorder with an undetermined shipping time. Depending on the part, our dealership (and I believe this applies to most all dealerships) have permission to go aftermarket to keep the customer satisfied. Purchasing the part at an Auto Zone or other parts store comes with warranty that often includes labor. Customers bringing their own parts is never allowed.

 

[HarryLui]

My car has parts you can't buy locally,

You have a Honda Insight, I bet most shop won't even touch it unless it is basic stuff like brakes.

 

[Yuriman]

There are occasions where a part is on backorder with an undetermined shipping time. Depending on the part, our dealership (and I believe this applies to most all dealerships) have permission to go aftermarket to keep the customer satisfied. Purchasing the part at an Auto Zone or other parts store comes with warranty that often includes labor. Customers bringing their own parts is never allowed.

Luckily my Insight has been incredibly reliable and will probably be rolling past 300k before too long with all but the factory clutch master cylinder and a wheel bearing, but when looking at parts, many of them are simply not available anymore, and have no aftermarket equivalents. They must be sourced used or refurbished.

 

[_Rick_]

At my local shop I had to provide everything but tires, because the Elise doesn't have a model ID key, so any non Lotus-specialist can't find the parts in their sourcing system. Took them 3 weeks to acknowledge that, then I got them online, where the Elise is listed by model year and engine variant...

 

[Jimzz]

Ask your insurance liability company. I have neither the time or statistics to satisfy a troll like you. Similarly, I didn't say original spec (you misquoted me).

So in other words your BS claim is just that, BS.

 

[mindless1]

A lot of GM parts are made in China now, so your guess is as good as mine when it comes to parts quality. The thing is, most shop gives a labor warranty on the parts they sell, so you can bank on that.

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about parts. The OEM part that came on a vehicle, may not even have the same manufacturer when you buy the OEM replacement years later. It may not even look the same, and "might" be lower quality.

The shop warranty may include labor, but for the part itself, shop warranties are among the shortest unless something major like a reman engine or tranny. What do you get on a $250 alternator that you paid $120 to have installed? A year, maybe two. What do you get on a $120 Autozone alternator? Lifetime warranty.

However there is also the vehicle lifespan aspect. Suppose that alternator lasted 15 years. Do you need another 15 years at over 200% premium price? Will you even own the vehicle that long?

Then there is the irony. OEMs may make body panels and other very unique parts, but not more commoditized parts. Say for example that Monroe supplied shocks to the OEM. The same thing with the OEM label can cost over twice what it costs under the manufacturer label.

 

[mindless1]

Rent, water, electricity, trash, internet, subscription, tool payments, tax, paper, must I go on? Also, unlike office workers, mechanic often do not get a 40 hour / week of work.

Yes there is a lot of overhead, and many of us don't want to pay all that overhead. They are entitled to charge whatever they like, but we are not obligated to like it.

They lose a significant amount of business due to it, from people gravitating towards DIY, and much more in recent years with the vehicle owner forums, good parts sources like Rock Auto, Amazon, etc.

Vehicles may be getting more complex but there has never been a better time to DIY repair them. Shops may soon find that they need to streamline their business like most other industries have had to.

 

[Raizinman]

Dealerships and independent garage labor and parts prices have continually gone up most every year. Keep in mind that good technicians have become much more difficult to find, which also makes the labor prices go up (supply and demand). Our dealership is currently paying a $5000 sign on bonus for a quality technician.

Cars are becoming much more difficult to work on even for technicians and even much more so for the DIY. We invest quite a lot in our technicians with factory training. Fortunately, we have access to the factory technical support for the more difficult cases.

Independent garages come into the dealership with problem cases asking for our assistance all the time. We have seen the continual closing of the corner gas stations with mechanics pretty much eliminated. The proprietary service tools and scanners and access to repair manuals with all the factory TSB’s and more make it too difficult and expensive for an independent shop to stay in business, unless they just try and grab the ‘gravy’ work like Midas, CarX and Meineke that have lower prices than a dealership.

 

[Pulsar]

I'll add to that. Manufacturers are actually fighting court cases right now that could result in you not being allowed to fix your car ever again. In fact they are arguing that their programming and other "technologies" are too complicated for the average wrench-turner to understand. "It's not safe," they say. "It's our programming that you're messing with," they say. And in this litigious society they may find a judge or two that agrees with them. After all, if the badge says "Ford" and the driver kills someone, Ford is going to end up in court fighting a lawsuit.

 

[mindless1]

^ Got links?

I'm inclinded not to believe chicken little, sky is falling type assumptions. The same argument could have been made for 100 years yet there is a thriving industry in aftermarket parts... unfortunately not being made in the US for the most part.

 

[Jimzz]

^ Got links?

I'm inclinded not to believe chicken little, sky is falling type assumptions. The same argument could have been made for 100 years yet there is a thriving industry in aftermarket parts... unfortunately not being made in the US for the most part.

Nope he is right. Its mostly large agriculture equipment people like John Deere pushing the hardest right now. But the likes of GM, Toyota, Apple, and even Tesla are pushing back against right to fix/repair laws.

http://www.newser.com/story/228367/farmers-fight-for-right-to-repair-own-tractors.html

 

[mindless1]

^ Nope, that does not support the sweeping generalization made. Not at all. It is loosely related to some bumblefsck not knowing how to work on a tractor, then lawyers got involved lol.

It does not run afoul of DMCA to do a repair. Quite the opposite, every day we repair cars that don't require any activity that violates DMCA. That is not "pushing back" against right to fix/repair laws. There have been computer controlled engines in vehicles for over 30 years and most OEMs never did release firmware or facilitate hacking it. It's just this new breed of hands-off mechanic that thinks a mechanical problem can be fixed by dorking around with lines of code, instead of learning how the equipment works.

"Pushing back" means very little. We could similarly argue the rich are "pushing back" to make minimum wage 20 cents/hour, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. That does not change right to fix/repair laws. Those laws never required manufacturers to provide the level of access that joe bumblefsck wants and enforcement of them does not prevent repair.

There is nothing new here except their lawyers defending their rights against owners who don't know WTF they're doing, or are lying with hidden agendas trying to steal that IP or hack their tractor to do silly things like drag race lol.