Auto repair shops keep saying they need more technicians, but one mechanic says the industry itself has made the job so frustrating, complicated and poorly paid that many experienced workers are simply leaving.
Commentary YouTuber Jack Morgan explored that argument on the Red Leather Podcast, reacting to automotive TikToker and mechanic Maxwell King, who laid out several reasons he believes people no longer want to make auto repair a career.
King pointed to increasingly complicated vehicles, expensive specialty tools, flat-rate pay, repetitive warranty work and what he sees as a growing gap between what repair shops charge customers and what technicians actually earn.
Morgan said the explanation made sense to him because modern cars can be incredibly difficult to work on, even when the repair itself sounds simple.
“You got to pay me a doctor salary to do that,” Morgan joked.
King Says Modern Cars Are Overengineered
King’s first complaint was what he called the overengineering of newer vehicles.
He argued that repairs which once took two hours can now require four because technicians have to remove more parts, learn unfamiliar systems and work around increasingly complex designs.
That extra complexity also means mechanics often have to buy specialty tools with their own money.
King said manufacturers have created a situation where technicians are expected to keep learning new systems while spending more out of pocket just to do their jobs.
Morgan compared modern cars to smartphones and computers, arguing that vehicles are becoming more like large electronic devices that owners may eventually have to replace rather than repair indefinitely.
He joked about taking a broken car to an electronics repair shop because of how much software and digital hardware now sits inside newer models.
The joke works because the line between car mechanic and computer technician really has become harder to see. A mechanic today may still need to understand engines and transmissions, but also sensors, software, modules and electronic systems that barely existed in older vehicles.
Flat-Rate Pay Creates A Different Kind Of Pressure
King then turned to compensation, especially the flat-rate system used in many shops.
Under flat rate, a repair is assigned a certain number of labor hours, and the technician is usually paid based on that estimate rather than the exact amount of time the job takes.
King gave the example of a repair that pays four hours.
If a technician encounters a new vehicle, has never done the job before and needs five hours to complete it, King said that worker may still only be paid for four.
“You’re not getting paid for that extra hour,” he said.
The problem also works in the other direction when business is slow.
If there are not enough cars coming into the shop, King said a technician’s paycheck can shrink even if that person is ready and available to work.
He called flat rate a “dog pay system” and said starting technicians can sometimes earn wages comparable to jobs that require far less training and responsibility.
Morgan said that was difficult to square with what customers see on their repair bills.
He pointed out that a shop might charge $120 or $150 an hour for labor while the technician himself earns far less.
“You would think they’re getting like 50 an hour,” Morgan said.
Warranty Work Can Burn Mechanics Out
King also blamed warranty work for driving technicians away.
He described it as tedious, repetitive and especially frustrating when manufacturers create complicated designs that technicians later have to fix under strict labor-time limits.
Morgan used his old 2017 Ford Fusion as an example.
He said the horn once began going off randomly and stayed on, forcing him to bring the vehicle in for warranty service.
According to Morgan, the repair required technicians to remove large sections of the dashboard and interior trim just to fix what sounded like a small sensor-related problem.
“All of that for just the horn,” he said.
That kind of repair shows why labor costs can become so high even when the broken part itself is inexpensive.
The part may cost very little, but getting access to it can require taking apart a large section of the vehicle.
Morgan said he had experienced similar sticker shock with other repairs, including getting an estimate of around $8,000 to repaint a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis and roughly $2,000 for more limited body work.
Expensive Repairs Do Not Mean Rich Technicians
Morgan said customers often assume mechanics are making huge money because the final bill is so high.
But King argued that much of that money does not reach the person actually performing the repair.
That disconnect may be one of the biggest reasons the profession feels increasingly unattractive.
A technician can be doing physically demanding, highly skilled work while also purchasing tools, studying new systems and working under time pressure, yet still feel underpaid compared with what the customer is charged.
Morgan compared mechanics to “surgeons for automobiles,” saying the skill involved is often underestimated.
He also noted that technicians in many trades have to bring their own tools, which can become a major personal expense over time.
The result is a strange industry where customers feel like repairs are too expensive while technicians feel like they are not earning enough.
Both sides can be frustrated at the same time.
King Says He Is Leaving The Trade
King said he eventually found another line of work that he enjoys more and that pays better.
He made clear that he still likes working on cars as a hobby, but he no longer wants to do it professionally.
“I am done with it as a career,” he said.
King said he believes many other technicians feel the same way, while younger people are also choosing not to enter the field.
He blamed large automotive companies and dealerships for constantly making vehicles more complicated while failing to make the technician’s job more attractive.
Morgan agreed that the trade rarely gets promoted the same way as plumbing, HVAC or electrical work, even though cars are a basic part of everyday life.
“You never hear car mechanic,” Morgan said while discussing trade careers.
That is an interesting gap because nearly every community depends on mechanics. Cars break, people still need to get to work, and modern vehicles are not becoming easier to repair.
If fewer workers enter the field while experienced technicians leave, the pressure eventually lands on everyone who owns a car.
Even Veteran Mechanics Are Losing Interest
Morgan also reacted to comments from viewers who said long-time mechanics were becoming frustrated with modern vehicles.
One commenter said his father had worked as a mechanic for roughly 40 years, earned many certifications and reached master technician status, but had lost much of his passion because newer cars were so overengineered.
The commenter described repairs that required removing seats to reach batteries or taking apart major sections of a vehicle to replace lights.
Morgan said he had seen similar examples himself.
He noted that his older 2007 car was relatively simple to work on, while a 2020 Volkswagen felt far more complicated.
He also mentioned vehicles where replacing a basic running light or headlight could require significant disassembly.
That is where the argument becomes less about mechanics resisting technology and more about whether complexity is actually helping the people expected to maintain the product.
Some advances clearly improve safety, comfort and performance, but every added layer can also create another failure point and another difficult repair.
Morgan Says Mechanics Deserve More Credit
By the end of the video, Morgan said he understood why technicians would walk away from the profession.
He praised mechanics for doing difficult work that most drivers rely on but rarely think about until something breaks.
Morgan even said he sometimes gives extra money directly to the person repairing his vehicle because he suspects the technician is not receiving as much of the labor charge as customers assume.
“I get why they would leave,” he said.
King’s larger point was that the shortage of auto technicians did not appear out of nowhere.
In his view, workers are responding to an industry where the vehicles keep getting more complicated, the tools keep getting more expensive, and the pay system often shifts the risk onto the technician.
Morgan’s reaction was that this should matter to drivers, too.
If the people capable of keeping modern cars on the road decide the job is no longer worth doing, the repair problem will not disappear.
It will simply become slower, more expensive and harder for everyone else.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
