Right To Repair

[scorpionsix]

Came across this yesterday: Ford CEO Jim Farley’s right to repair comment should make every car owner uncomfortable

Basically Farley over at Ford doesn't want you (or anyone else other than the dealerships) to be able to work on your Ford. The President is getting involved and appears to be on the side of the vehicle owner. Hopefully he is not swayed the other way. If this were to eventually play out against the owner, there would be a domino effect amongst the manufacturers.

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[BXFXJeep]

The real money is in repairing their crap when it fails.

 

[scorpionsix]

The real money is in repairing their crap when it fails.

The degree of manipulation would be astronomical.

 

[croppz]

This would hurt the salvage industry if something like this happened. I work for the largest auto recycler in the world and while I’m against lobbying for the most part, it’s a safe bet that our CEO will fight tooth and nail to make sure it doesn’t go that route.

Ford and any other OEM in support of this would really be shooting themselves in the foot. Didn’t really go over well for farmers and only hurts the consumer

 

[WillysMeow]

John Deere started this several years ago, most farmers were and still are pissed...they sued the MF'ers and won.

https://www.farmprogress.com/farmin...ettles-right-to-repair-lawsuit-for-99-million

 

[Dusty Dude]

Ford and GM both met with the president and he basically brushed them off. Elsewhere Farley had commented that they have about 6000 dealer bays empty due to lack of mechanics and that was where dealers make most of their money. The vehicles are so complicated that most existing mechanics are having difficulties repairing anything. At the same time, they don’t want to pay mechanics for all the education they need to work on these computers on wheels.

 

[BXFXJeep]

It's not like the dealership service are any good, especially when you factor in the money they charge, the have all the fancy diagnostic equipment, yet they mostly get it wrong, my experience is with Ford, Pontiac, Jeep.

30+ years I've very rarely gone back to the dealership for service or repairs after purchasing.

This 4xe is obviously a different ball of worms.

 

[dac219.9]

Came across this yesterday: Ford CEO Jim Farley’s right to repair comment should make every car owner uncomfortable

Basically Farley over at Ford doesn't want you (or anyone else other than the dealerships) to be able to work on your Ford. The President is getting involved and appears to be on the side of the vehicle owner. Hopefully he is not swayed the other way. If this were to eventually play out against the owner, there would be a domino effect amongst the manufacturers.

I’m not a brand loyalist (I own Fords and Hondas), and before getting my Wrangler, I also looked at the Bronco for comparison.

Once I took a look inside the engine bay of a Bronco, it was VERY obvious that Ford designed that engine bay with the purpose of discouraging owners from ever attempting to fix their own vehicles. It literally looks like you need a GPS and coordinates to find engine parts inside.

If I want to work on MY motor, I should have every right to work on MY motor, even if I’m not a mechanic or technician.

 

[GabeBoyTheGreat]

I’m not a brand loyalist (I own Fords and Hondas), and before getting my Wrangler, I also looked at the Bronco for comparison.

Once I took a look inside the engine bay of a Bronco, it was VERY obvious that Ford designed that engine bay with the purpose of discouraging owners from ever attempting to fix their own vehicles. It literally looks like you need a GPS and coordinates to find engine parts inside.

If I want to work on MY motor, I should have every right to work on MY motor, even if I’m not a mechanic or technician.

I agree. I was taking a look at the engine bay of a Ford Exploder police cruiser. I could see the oil filter, but it was so crowded in there that I couldn't get my hands or a wrench on it. As a result, I will never consider buying a Ford Exploder as a POV.

The Wrangler is truly a treasure by comparison.

 

[wibornz]

Dealerships are fucking horrible. My 35 year old son has a Ram 1500. It is under warranty. The 4wd was not working. He took it to the local Ram dealership in Fayetteville North Carolina. They told him it was a $5000 repair and it was not under warranty because th the drive axle shaft was rusty. They charged him $300 to do the diagnostic for the truck. His truck has never off road. He take excellent care of his vehicle and it is super clean. He was at the dealership for 3 hours.

He calls me and tells me what the dealer hold him. The truck has about 48,000 miles on it and it is a 2023. So it is still under the drivetrain warranty and the corrosion warranty. Not that it is a corrosion warranty anyway.

I tell him to take it to a different dealership as it should be fully covered under warranty. He drove to different dealership. They looked at it for 15 minutes, and covered it under warranty with no out of pocket cost. It was not a $5,000 repair it was about $500 to replace a front axle shaft.

This is why dealerships don't get work. they can not be trusted. My son went back to the Fayetteville dealership and got his money back for the diagnostic charge and ripped the service manager a part.

Like fuck, dealership for maintenance. My Jeep came with three free oil changes. The first and second oil change, they put 6 pts in the Jeep that takes 5 qts. of oil. I did not use the 3rd free oil change. as I could not trust them. I went to change my oil and the drain plug was so tight, I had to put my Milwaukee 1/2 impact on the drain plug to remove it.

So trying to force me to use a dealership is a no go.

 

[WillysMeow]

...Elsewhere Farley had commented that they have about 6000 dealer bays empty due to lack of mechanics and that was where dealers make most of their money. The vehicles are so complicated that most existing mechanics are having difficulties repairing anything. At the same time, they don’t want to pay mechanics for all the education they need to work on these computers on wheels.

We all go to school or OJT and learn a job/trade with risks of future employment/pay, my industry has had many ups and downs over the years, got laid off on New Years Eve etc. Dealer mechanics (and many independent shops) mostly have computer diagnostic equipment that plug in and test everything and tells them what to replace or at least where to begin. The newer OBDII vehicles provide more detail via these diagnostic tools.

Dealerships have so many empty service bays because IME most of their mechanics are lacking, they break things (and just leave it), forget to install fasteners/small parts. Many dealerships don't give a rip about customers at all anymore...not that American car dealers ever did in a VERY long time. I would love to find a good honest dealership or independent (using OEM parts not China stuff) to work on my Jeep when I don't have time to do so. And yes AutoNation dealerships (and probably others) often use aftermarket made in China oil filters etc.

Even our well trusted for decades independent Toyota, Subaru shop is no longer a good place to get our vehicles repaired. I know there are good mechanics out there, but they have become very difficult to find...sad. YMMV.

Edit: Yes, I re-typed this several times trying not to be too negative lol.

@wibornz You just reminded me that I've ignored every email, phone call and text from the Jeep dealer where I bought mine! NO you may not change my oil two times for free and probably break my oil cooler housing!

 

[WannFly]

most dealership employ morons OR they dont pay much of anything to real mechanics and hence employ morons.

Unless its a big ticket item under warranty, I am not going to a dealership. I am a moron when comes to wrenching, I break more things than I fix, but its my moronship (is that a word? if not, it should be from now on) and I am proud of it. At least I know what else I broke

 

[straydog]

Slightly off topic but I subscribe to "Uncle Tony's Garage" on YouTube (I have a GM Squarebody project truck).
Over the last couple months he's been discussing similar issues. Obviously apply your own "personal filter" regarding conspiracies and what to believe, but he makes some valid points.
Here's a link to his latest:


Carry on...

 

[GinaC]

John Deere started this several years ago, most farmers were and still are pissed...they sued the MF'ers and won.

https://www.farmprogress.com/farmin...ettles-right-to-repair-lawsuit-for-99-million

Yep, here in the Vermont NEK the farmers were especially pissed about that. I'm so glad they can go back to repairing their own tractors.

 

[WillysMeow]

@straydog Love Uncle Tony's Garage, he reminds me of the good ol days and some friends that are gone.

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