Mechanic explains why it’s so hard to find a good mechanic these days as technicians ‘walk away’ from the job

People used to scour the net in search of the best car to buy. A good deal for a good machine — it was pretty simple. But these days — partly because car manufacturers have gotten better at what they do — most people just want to know where they can get their car fixed. A mechanic on TikTok has an explanation for why it has suddenly gotten so hard to find a good mechanic.

There are statistics from the federal government that point to a disturbing trend in the automotive industry that may provide some answers. But for most car owners who can’t get a nagging warning light to go away, all they want is to find an affordable mechanic who knows more than they do. Not many people want to admit this, but these days it’s not uncommon to go to a mechanic and find yourself knowing more than them — leading a lot of people to even feel like they’re getting scammed.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 70,000 openings in the automotive industry. Each year, the numbers have remained the same since the turn of the decade. There has been an undeniable lack of service technicians and mechanics. But before you think it’s an issue of mechanics not keeping up with new technology — which sounds reasonable, after all these days a Tesla looks pretty much like a spaceship inside — that’s not the case at all.

In fact, the National Automobile Dealers Association estimates that roughly 40,000 new mechanics graduate annually. It doesn’t take a math professor to figure out that this number could easily fill those posts. So what’s the hold-up, you wonder? Automotive expert Chris (@chris_mf_craig) on TikTok aimed to address this issue, and according to him the issue is simple: a flawed pay system.

Chris explained, “Over half the people working in automotive right now will not be working there this same time next year. Now we can mull over these statistics, and we can talk about why that is, but I wanna talk about people for a minute.” He continued, “Now they’re chasing metrics. They’re chasing hours. They’re trying to flag warranty time. They’re working with advisors and managers that just don’t understand what it is they do. You see, they’re put on a pay system that treats them more like a commission-based employee than a salary- or hourly-based employee.”

The comments had former mechanics also sharing their experiences, with one user writing, “Been doing this for 40 years. If you liked cars in the beginning you’ll lose that passion for them in the end working at these toxic hellhole dealerships.” Another chimed in, adding, “It’s not just current mechanics, it’s future ones who realize it’s not just customers — it’s coworkers, owners, and fellow workers who keep you in lube and tire jobs rather than helping move your career forward.”

Chris insisted that automotive industry workers are not often looked at as essential workers, but when you actually think about how they affect your day — they might just be. All he wants is for mechanics to be treated fairly by the industry before it becomes another wasteland of an industry.