Why don't auto manufactures pay a supplement to "job hours" for vehicles in rust belt states?

[GON]

Then there's the random guy from Milwaukee who retired and moved to El Paso....

When I lived/ worked in Phoenix, AZ (Luke AFB) 2012-2014, there was a used car dealer that had a lot bursting full of pickup trucks, and it was not surprising to see a transporter dropping off pickup trucks pretty regularly.

What this used car dealer was doing was buying used pickups, often fleets, from Wisconsin. He would recondition the trucks to include sealcoating the underneath of the trucks to include the frame. No easy visual signs of rust to the untrained eye.

He moved a lot of these trucks. I doubt the majority of his buyers knew these were rust belt trucks.

 

[atikovi]

What this used car dealer was doing was buying used pickups, often fleets, from Wisconsin. He would recondition the trucks to include sealcoating the underneath of the trucks to include the frame. No easy visual signs of rust to the untrained eye.

Wouldn't it make more sense to ship them the other way?

 

[GON]

Macro is the law of averages and the whole point of the book of hours. If a job goes far beyond billed hours, a shop could bill for exigent circumstances

I understand your point but can't say I concur. That is like saying that if the average cost of a single-family home in the USA is $300,000, an appraiser of an average single-family home in let's say San Diego should not be able to appraise a home in San Diego for more than $300,000.

The book time for a Blazer fuel pump replacement in Milwaukee should be consistent (macro), but book time for the same job in El Paso should be less (on a macro basis).

 

[GON]

Wouldn't it make more sense to ship them the other way?

I sense people purchased the used trucks in Arizona believing they were buying an " Arizona" vehicle. I think both my Sons would likely be gullible to a used car dealer with that business model. My Daughter (our eldest child), not so much. She does her homework on everything.

 

[atikovi]

The point was, wouldn't a Wisconsin buyer pay more for an Arizona truck then an Arizona buyer who thinks he's buying an Arizona truck?

 

[PF52]

I sense people purchased the used trucks in Arizona believing they were buying an " Arizona" vehicle. I think both my Sons would likely be gullible to a used car dealer with that business model. My Daughter (our eldest child), not so much. She does her homework on everything.

Imagine some poor sap from Milwaukee going all that way to buy a rust-free desert truck only to get it home and have all that hidden rust flourish and cause the undercoating to flake off....

I shouldn't laugh. I'd like another Cobalt for a daily driver (since mine has tons of rust). I bet there's some nice ones in Phoenix!

 

[GON]

The point was, wouldn't a Wisconsin buyer pay more for an Arizona truck then an Arizona buyer who thinks he's buying an Arizona truck?

Not sure every Wisconsin buyer is willing to pay the premium in costs in the selling price of the truck, time to find the "Arizona" truck, and transport costs. I would be one that would pay those costs, but I may be the exception.

 

[GON]

Imagine some poor sap from Milwaukee going all that way to buy a rust-free desert truck only to get it home and have all that hidden rust flourish and cause the undercoating to flake off....

I shouldn't laugh. I'd like another Cobalt for a daily driver (since mine has tons of rust). I bet there's some nice ones in Phoenix!

I used to rebuild 2000-2005 Pontiac Bonnevilles. When I would go to Phoenix, AZ pic a parts, I could not believe the massive difference in the time it took to pull parts, when compared to when I pulled Bonneville parts from vehicles in yards located in the Midwest/ North East. The parts being pulled from Bonnevilles in AZ pull a parts looked like the parts were just out of the factory. The same part in a Midwest Bonneville would look like it had sat in the Atlantic ocean for an extended period of time.

 

[John105]

I never thought I'd do it but I got a car from Florida 10 years old. The first time I had an indie look at it he goes you must wash this thing all the time. I said whaddya mean? He said no cars in NJ look like yours on a lift at 10 years old, there's no rust. I said oh, I'm the third owner it's from Florida

The point will come where I've had it the longest. Right now? I've driven it the most miles, it's at 126k I think may be 128k lol

Will take 2 more years where I match the original owner at 8 years. Second owner only had it 2 years. They likely were told it needed $7k in repairs by the dealer, like I was told (needed $0)

 

[UG_Passat]

Why don't auto manufacturers pay a supplement to book hours to mechanics working on vehicles in rust belt states?

I have never understood how an auto manufacture "book hours" for repairs is the same across the USA. An example, replacing a fuel pump on a 2000 Chevy Blazer that lived its life in El Paso, TX, is likely two hours (or more) less labor than replacing the fuel pump on the same vehicle that lived its life in Milwaukee, WI.

The Milwaukee, WI Blazer will have gas tank straps that won't come off, the fuel pump ring will be frozen in place, etc. The same Blazer in El Paso will have none of these issues.

How can the book hours for the repair be the same? The time needed to perform the repair will be significantly different.

The fallacy of your argument is based on your example. 2000 Chevy Blazer is far, far, far from being warrantied by GM, for warranty reimbursement to the dealership

 

[atikovi]

I shouldn't laugh. I'd like another Cobalt for a daily driver (since mine has tons of rust). I bet there's some nice ones in Phoenix!

Peeling paint. Shredded seats. Cracked dash. But at least the A/C blows ice cold.

 

[cb_13]

Under warranty Ford has what is called M-time. If a seized bolt snaps off you clock off of the warranty job, clock in on a separate line for broken bolt extraction, clock out on the M-time line after completing that part of the job and get the service manager to sign off on it. Same for a chassis cab that needs an add on removed for access such as hydraulic lines for a boom, a utility bed that has to be removed or a giant brush guard that needs removed.

It’s a pain and can be rejected but usually if you jump through all their hoops they pay you.

 

[GON]

The fallacy of your argument is based on your example. 2000 Chevy Blazer is far, far, far from being warrantied by GM, for warranty reimbursement to the dealership

Book time is the same to the best of my knowledge for warranty, non-warranty work.

I used the Blazer as an example, as I was being transferred to FT Leonard Wood, MO in 2007. Driving in my 1999 Bravada on I90 outside of Chicago, the fuel pump failed. Had the Bravada towed to Larry Roesch Chevrolet in a town I believe was Elmhurst (or Bensenville), IL.

The dealership charged me book labor for the repair. The Bravada was not under warranty.

 

[Jetronic]

Understood but OP was not referring to that from the 2000 Blazer example, and as someone else pointed out, anything under warranty isn't likely to have major rust issues.

I tell you hyundai fasteners do. The body stays rust free, but if I didn't know better I would swear Hyundai uses Corrosion instead of loctite on fasteners

 

[bdcardinal]

There is a way to get additional labor on warranty. Basically it is actual time and you have to be a really good story teller to get it. Ford will provide it on cab/chassis vehicles that have service bodies that need to be removed to do certain jobs, like a cab off on a boom truck kinda thing.

 

[GON]

Wouldn't it make more sense to ship them the other way?

I suspect that pickup truck owners in Arizona keep their trucks for a much longer time than the same truck owner in Wisconsin. If that is accurate, then availability of used trucks that lived their lives in Arizona have much less available than same truck that lived its life in Wisconsin.

 

[Hall]

How can the book hours for the repair be the same? The time needed to perform the repair will be significantly different.

Your whole premise might be flawed thinking every shop always follows the book hours to the minute. Sure, they might the first couple of times but then quickly learn to add an add'l "X" amount of time. Or what about those jobs that the book says takes 1-1/2 hours but they get done in 1 hour ? There's always that trade-off.

 

[PF52]

Had the Bravada towed to Larry Roesch Chevrolet in a town I believe was Elmhurst (or Bensenville), IL.

Bensenville. My Cobalt came from there. But I think it's Elmhurst right across the street. That stretch of Grand Avenue included Long Chevrolet (famous for it's commercials featuring newsboy Timmy proclaiming "Extra! Extra! Long has new Malibus! Monte Carlos! Camaros!" and then someone off-camera would throw a pie in his face. And also Howard Pontiac.... Which came heartily recommended by Howard's mother.

 

[UG_Passat]

Book time is the same to the best of my knowledge for warranty, non-warranty work.

I used the Blazer as an example, as I was being transferred to FT Leonard Wood, MO in 2007. Driving in my 1999 Bravada on I90 outside of Chicago, the fuel pump failed. Had the Bravada towed to Larry Roesch Chevrolet in a town I believe was Elmhurst (or Bensenville), IL.

The dealership charged me book labor for the repair. The Bravada was not under warranty.

Still, your original argument still makes no sense, because auto manufacturers are not on the hook to reimburse dealerships for repair of vehicles out of the auto manufacturer's warranty, unless it's for a recall

 

[cb_13]

Book time is the same to the best of my knowledge for warranty, non-warranty work.

I used the Blazer as an example, as I was being transferred to FT Leonard Wood, MO in 2007. Driving in my 1999 Bravada on I90 outside of Chicago, the fuel pump failed. Had the Bravada towed to Larry Roesch Chevrolet in a town I believe was Elmhurst (or Bensenville), IL.

The dealership charged me book labor for the repair. The Bravada was not under warranty.

Warranty time is usually 60-70% of book time.

Ft Wood is right down the road from me. Live about 30 miles east of there now. I grew up in one of those little never heard of towns south of the east gate.