Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - November 15, 2025 - Hour 2 - Looking For A Mechanic? - [phone] 24/7 Hotline

In this episode of Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, Ron steps away from the wrench for a moment and talks from the heart about a growing crisis in the auto repair world: there aren’t enough mechanics to fix tomorrow’s cars. Sparked by Ford CEO Jim Farley’s recent comment that he can’t fill 5,000 technician jobs paying $120,000 a year, Ron digs into why the trade gets so little respect, why consumers don’t see what really goes on in the service bay, and how that disconnect is hurting everyone.

Ron shares real stories from his New Jersey shop, including a 2016 Chevy Equinox owner who “pre-diagnosed” his own timing chain problem, and explains how modern cars, complicated electronics, and a lack of machine shops have pushed repair work into all-or-nothing territory. He calls out YouTube University, the graying technician workforce, and the urgent need to bring auto shop and the trades back into schools before the backlog of broken cars gets even worse.

If you care about auto repair, trade careers, or what it’s going to take to keep America moving, this is one you don’t want to miss.

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