Want to know why car/truck repairs are expensive?

Its a numbers crunch for me at this point. Get a new tranny and get another 100k miles out the silverado? Or use the 7k as part of the down payment for a newer Tundra or Ram.

Body shops in the Brainerd area are minimum $80 per hour now. They had to up their rates since the plandemic, made the decision for many boomers to opt into early retirement. They cannot hire experienced people, just as it is hard to find Auto Mechanics, its equally as hard to find body guys. For the last 2 years, if I need Warranty paint done on a vehicle, the body shops are a month or more out for appointments. My brother hit a deer with his truck last early summer, it took over 2 months to get repaired. I remember hearing a story about the bodyshop program at SCTC… they used to run 4 classes yearly, for the past 10 years, they can barely fill 1. It was even worse at Ridgewater (formerly Willmar Tech College) they used to have 6 classes and are also down to 1.

(most bodyshops use LKQ parts, so kind of hard to tell if new parts were installed or not)

big_g wrote:

Body shops in the Brainerd area are minimum $80 per hour now. They had to up their rates since the plandemic, made the decision for many boomers to opt into early retirement. They cannot hire experienced people, just as it is hard to find Auto Mechanics, its equally as hard to find body guys. For the last 2 years, if I need Warranty paint done on a vehicle, the body shops are a month or more out for appointments. My brother hit a deer with his truck last early summer, it took over 2 months to get repaired. I remember hearing a story about the bodyshop program at SCTC… they used to run 4 classes yearly, for the past 10 years, they can barely fill 1. It was even worse at Ridgewater (formerly Willmar Tech College) they used to have 6 classes and are also down to 1.

(most bodyshops use LKQ parts, so kind of hard to tell if new parts were installed or not)

My lady taught me to always demand oem replacement parts.

I go to an independent shop that has been very fair to me, have done a lot of business with them over the years. I had a hub assembly go bad after maybe 6 months 3-4000 miles recently and he said that parts quality has dropped dramatically since 2020-21. This was a toyota oem unit, warranty was no problem. He is saying that oem and aftermarket are both a total crapshoot, which makes it even harder for him to do business. Anyone else seeing this or is he just trying to keep a customer?

topshotta wrote:

My lady taught me to always demand oem replacement parts.

In many cases the OEM parts are lesser quality than some of the replacement parts. Just more expensive for no gain.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
Body shops in the Brainerd area are minimum $80 per hour now. They had to up their rates since the plandemic, made the decision for many boomers to opt into early retirement. They cannot hire experienced people, just as it is hard to find Auto Mechanics, its equally as hard to find body guys. For the last 2 years, if I need Warranty paint done on a vehicle, the body shops are a month or more out for appointments. My brother hit a deer with his truck last early summer, it took over 2 months to get repaired. I remember hearing a story about the bodyshop program at SCTC… they used to run 4 classes yearly, for the past 10 years, they can barely fill 1. It was even worse at Ridgewater (formerly Willmar Tech College) they used to have 6 classes and are also down to 1.

(most bodyshops use LKQ parts, so kind of hard to tell if new parts were installed or not)

My lady taught me to always demand oem replacement parts.

Lots of LKQ parts ARE OEM, just recycled. Things like radiator braces come to mind as popular one’s that get recycled. It depends on your insurance carrier also… some specify they can and will use LKQ parts… the cut rate cheaper ones do this.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Ditch the gm while your ahead

Think that can be said about everything. Got friends with Rams some good some bad. Same with ford. Dont have any friends that have gone Toyota yet.

JEREMY wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Ditch the gm while your ahead

Think that can be said about everything. Got friends with Rams some good some bad. Same with ford. Dont have any friends that have gone Toyota yet.

Yep they all have there issues for sure. However that vintage GM had some of the worst with the AFM causing lifter issues to the transmission having issues. By far the most reliable truck on the market is the Tundra you just have to poney up the cash up front.

.deleted. Bad info

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big_g wrote:

Having both Rams & Tundras at my dealer, we sell way more Rams and very rarely do we have to put an engine in a Ram under warranty… now the Tundras… one tech almost always has one in his bay for a new block. Currently…

Can’t wait for the toyota shills and fanboys to start their witch hunt, somebody protect this man at all costs!

big_g wrote:

now the Tundras… one tech almost always has one in his bay for a new block.

Curious we talking the new turbo blocks or the old 5.7l?

KPE wrote:

Can’t wait for the toyota shills and fanboys to start their witch hunt, somebody protect this man at all costs!

For the record I have been a GM guy all my life. In recent times I have come to notice the big three have the most noticeable issues and some of the most costly, so yes I think the Toyota’s are the best on the market, seems like less of them are rusting out too.

.

This might explain why the tundras don’t rust over the wheel wells like the big 3. 4 spot welds and 4 bolts. No outer wheel house like the others.

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John Rasmussen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>KPE wrote:</div>
Can’t wait for the toyota shills and fanboys to start their witch hunt, somebody protect this man at all costs!

For the record I have been a GM guy all my life. In recent times I have come to notice the big three have the most noticeable issues and some of the most costly, so yes I think the Toyota’s are the best on the market, seems like less of them are rusting out too.

That’s what has steered me towards Ford. I know the frame and all other components have the same unsightly rust on Fords and aluminum corrodes too, but being in fields and on gravel a lot with aluminum body panels is a better setup for me. I’m fairly confident anything else would rust really quick.

JEREMY wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Ditch the gm while your ahead

Think that can be said about everything. Got friends with Rams some good some bad. Same with ford. Dont have any friends that have gone Toyota yet.

His model chev that we are talking about, is the worst model afm motor out there. That’s why I said that. As I also stated we own a Tahoe and are prepping it to be sold at the moment as well. 1 year of owning it and it’s the most underperforming v8 I have ever driven. The 5.3 is definitely never on my list again.

1hl&sinker wrote:

They will take a vehicle in, heavily damageged and take an general estimate for repair and submit that estimate to the insurance company. Get the OK, then order those parts. Then the nit and gritty starts. After getting those parts and after the work is done and paid for by insurance the parts not used for repair are returned to supplier for full value back to the bodyshop.

That is fraud, and while I’m sure it happens, anyone doing it is putting themselves and their business at serious risk. Either from the insurance company finding out and pursuing Insurance Fraud charges, or even worse would be saying you replaced a part, didn’t, and then the client has a serious accident from the failed non-replaced part.

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>1hl&sinker wrote:</div>
They will take a vehicle in, heavily damageged and take an general estimate for repair and submit that estimate to the insurance company. Get the OK, then order those parts. Then the nit and gritty starts. After getting those parts and after the work is done and paid for by insurance the parts not used for repair are returned to supplier for full value back to the bodyshop.

That is fraud, and while I’m sure it happens, anyone doing it is putting themselves and their business at serious risk. Either from the insurance company finding out and pursuing Insurance Fraud charges, or even worse would be saying you replaced a part, didn’t, and then the client has a serious accident from the failed non-replaced part.

Sounds like he deal with some shitty scamy companies.

I have a friend that is Gung ho on Toyota. Never has a problem supposedly great mileage.
Yep he leases it and gets new every 3 years.

I think I owned at least 5 GMC vehicles between 1993 and 2016. They were either 1/2 ton 4X4 pickups or Yukon/Yukon XLs. I finally moved on from them in 2016. They just got to expensive for me to maintain. It was one thing after another. Anywhere from 500.00 – 1400.00 per repair. Front ends, Rear differentials, wiper motors, Oil leaks, etc. I really liked driving them but maintenance sucked. I downsized to a Honda Pilot and am amazed at how little I’ve had to spend on maintenance on the Pilot (I’m knocking on wood).

When I buy my next vehicle I’m about 90% sure I’m going to go with a Tundra. Test driven them and loved the ride and handling, and have a bunch of friends with them that have lasted really well over the years. My Explorer has had more parts go out or rust out a few years after replacement that I’m done with Ford. Not to mention Ford Sync is about the most useless thing in the world.

MX1825 wrote:

I have a friend that is Gung ho on Toyota. Never has a problem supposedly great mileage.

“Great mileage” and “Toyota” are three words that don’t go together At least as far as pickups/4×4 SUV’s

-Sincerely, a Toyota fanboy

Lab daddy had a reply but with your quote it will not post.

The older Tundra had the reputation of “Will pass everything but a gas station!”