The Last Old School Mechanics Are Retiring. Who Fixes Your Car Now?

Your mechanic of twenty years just retired, the dealer can't see you for three weeks, and the new shop down the road says they don't work on cars as old as yours. If that sounds familiar, you're not imagining it. I'm Frank Decker, a retired mechanic from Dayton, Ohio. I spent 38 years in this trade, 15 of them in dealership service departments and 23 running my own shop, and I've watched the old-school mechanics hang up their coveralls one by one. In this video: What's really happening to mechanics (and why "they're all quitting" isn't quite true) Why the most experienced mechanics are leaving and the young ones aren't staying How flat-rate pay works and why it drives good mechanics out of the trade Why labor rates keep climbing while the man under your car isn't getting the raise Why some shops now turn away older cars Why waiting for an appointment can turn a small repair into a big one Simple checks you can do yourself between visits, without picking up a wrench Who's going to fix your car now: independent shops, dealers, specialists and mobile mechanics Eight ways to find a good mechanic and keep him The one question to ask your mechanic before he retires No gimmicks, no sponsors, no sales pitch. Just what I learned in 38 years of fixing cars and watching this trade change, so you can keep your car on the road and keep a good mechanic in your corner. How many years have you been going to the same mechanic, and does he know your car better than you do? Tell me in the comments. I go through every single one. Chapters: 00:00 My Last Day in the Shop 02:27 Are Mechanics Really Quitting? 04:28 How Flat Rate Pay Works 05:52 The Best Mechanic I Ever Worked Beside 08:24 Why I Paid My Mechanics by the Hour 09:10 Labor Rates, Warranty Work and Tools 10:41 The Toll on a Mechanic's Body 11:00 Why Some Shops Won't Fix Older Cars 11:41 The Respect Problem 12:46 What This Means for Your Car 13:42 Simple Checks You Can Do Yourself 14:40 What You'll Run Into Now 15:21 Who's Going to Fix Your Car Now 17:37 8 Ways to Find and Keep a Good Mechanic 20:38 How Dorothy's Story Ends 22:36 The Bottom Line