It’s A Bad Thing (?) To Allow Scout Motors’ to sell cars directly to customers !

[2025 deleted member]

This!

Add in dealership drama and that is why people are walking. Techs don't actually work for Ford, each dealer is its own business. No idea where you would have to go to get 6 figures...

My brother was a Sr Master Ford tech at a dealer for 16 years, was at a previous dealer for a few years so he has almost 20 years of experience. Small dealer and he was actually their only fully certified tech. Dealer got bought out (still a small dealer, nothing really changed but the management and name) and poof, he was a new employee and lost his PTO (no PTO until after a year). That was the year he got married so he couldn't go on a honeymoon, something better came along so he bounced...

This problem is solved if they can sell direct. The dealer model is a huge money suck the consumer has no choice but to cover.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

This problem is solved if they can sell direct. The dealer model is a huge money suck the consumer has no choice but to cover.

Not really, the independent shop I worked at was 110% worse lol.

 

[2025 deleted member]

Not really, the independent shop I worked at was 110% worse lol.

You are taking a sample size of one. If you poll all Americans in the market for a new car if they prefer a business model such as Amazon to make the purchase- and let warranty work be performed at Indy mechanics- you’d get 90 percent in favor. Politicians and employees of big 3 and their dealer networks would make up the other 10

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You are taking a sample size of one. If you poll all Americans in the market for a new car if they prefer a business model such as Amazon to make the purchase- and let warranty work be performed at Indy mechanics- you’d get 90 percent in favor. Politicians and employees of big 3 and their dealer networks would make up the other 10

By worse I meant to work for. I was there almost a year and had 6 different supervisors. When I put my notice in mid February I was the 7th employee to put their notice in for the year... yet somehow a year later the place is still open.

But to your point techs industry-wide are tired of spending thousands on tools to put up with BS.

If the big three fixed their warranty payout scheme they may not have such a shortage of techs. Warranty work doesn't pay well at all, which means as it is it will be hard to get independent shops to sign up and push out the good paying work they have now to get paid pennies on the dollar to chase can-bus issues for days.

Customer pay reman engines/transmissions/brakes/suspension print money compared to that BS.

Car sales, I didn't get into that professionally. I haven't really looked into it but just buying it on Amazon or whatever is so easy... we ordered our Bronco online. Aside from having to redo our order as a '22 we really only went to the dealer for paperwork. When you pay sticker and don't haggle on the price everything is a lot easier. When you order new haggling is tough and there were no discounts offered for the Bronco it was pretty cut and dry... which is what people like.

 

[FrenchieXJ]

Frenchie,

Did she get one of the newly redesigned 2026's? Not sure if 2025's were still being delivered to dealers...She wanted the 2925 because she wanted a all gas engine.

She wanted a all gas powered vehicle. and the deliveries for all 2025's are done and the new 26's should be starting to show up on the lots now.
From Toyota's web site.
"The 2026 "America’s best-selling compact SUV will now be 100% electrified, in a choice of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrains"

The 26's are also a lot more expensive.

 

[Todd780]

She wanted a all gas powered vehicle. and the deliveries for all 2025's are done and the new 26's should be starting to show up on the lots now.
From Toyota's web site.
"The 2026 "America’s best-selling compact SUV will now be 100% electrified, in a choice of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrains"

The 26's are also a lot more expensive.

So you were able to locate a 2025?

Yes the 2026's are. I'm happy with my gas powered 2021 Trail (Adventure).

It's only got 35,000 miles on it so hoping it lasts a while.

They only come one way in Canada. In the US they are equivalent to being optioned with the tech and cold weather packages.

 

[FrenchieXJ]

So you were able to locate a 2025?

Yes the 2026's are. I'm happy with my gas powered 2021 Trail (Adventure).

It's only got 35,000 miles on it so hoping it lasts a while.

They only come one way in Canada. In the US they are equivalent to being optioned with the tech and cold weather packages.

Yes, we found the vehicle at a dealership in Colorado that had what I wife wanted.

We have had good luck with all of the Toyota's. The Avalon had 220,000 miles on it and only the wear out items like tires, headlight, battery, brakes and windshield wiper blades. we replaced. It looked perfect shape and ran good so we sold it for $1,000 to a neighbor. It was for their 16 year old daughter. It took about 2 weeks before she hit her parents RV with it in their yard. All of our other Toyota's the same thing they have worked great.

The important thing she got in in white (metallic ). That is a different story and the first vote I have won in 30 years.