'Same at Kia and Hyundai:' Toyota Tech Gets Work Order. Then He Looks at Step 5

'Consistently shady.'

Toyota tech gets work order

Photo by: AdobeStock

Nina Hernandez

By: Nina Hernandez

Jan 5, at 4:00pm ET

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Flat-rate billing is among the more controversial practices in the automotive industry. Now, a Toyota dealership mechanic is slamming the company over what he describes as a billing discrepancy on his work order.

TikTok creator Tobias (@tobias_lee) is a mechanic working at an undisclosed Toyota dealership. He posted a video about his issue with Toyota’s flat-rate billing manual on Wednesday. "This is so blatant," he says to start the video.

He goes over to his computer terminal to explain. "Alright, so step five for this water valve is to remove the intake manifold with intercooler assembly," he says. "Over here in the warranty flat-rate guide, you can see that the intake manifold pays 2.4 hours, but the water control valve takes 2.3. They don’t give a [expletive]."

What Is the Toyota Flat-Rate Manual?

Essentially, most modern dealerships pay technicians by the hour or at a flat rate. Advocates say the latter is intended to boost productivity because technicians can theoretically make more money the more jobs they take on.

The flat-rate manual is how mechanics and service departments calculate what to charge customers for repairs. Every job comes with a standard labor time, a corresponding rate, a series of instructions, a list of required materials, and any relevant service bulletins.

The manual is supposed to help mechanics accurately estimate how long it’ll take to complete certain jobs and stay up to date with manufacturer warranties. It can also help the dealership cut costs because—as was the case with Tobias’ job—technicians can be paid in tenths of an hour.

When it comes to warranty jobs, the manufacturer determines how long the repair should take and how much of that cost it will reimburse the dealership for the repairs. Therefore, some mechanics report earning less from those jobs. Others, however, argue that the pay averages out because other jobs take less time, and technicians get faster with experience.

Viewers React to the Toyota Mechanic’s Work Order Discrepancy

In the comments section, viewers weighed in on Tobias’ situation and offered their thoughts on the Toyota Flat-Rate Billing Manual.

One person said, "Warranty work is a strong contributor in the technician shortage." In response, Tobias wrote, "But they have no idea why people don’t want to do the job."

However, another person questioned whether the figures Tobias showed add up to a discrepancy. "Not to be that guy, but I’m assuming the R&R intake manifold labor is for removal, as well as disassembly and transfer of parts onto new unit," they wrote. "I’m not saying labor times are perfect, but it may be slightly less egregious than at first glance."

What do you think?

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Tobias replied, "The intake manifold/intercooler comes as an assembly. I get what you’re saying and it is something that makes sense for, say, a cylinder head. But I think that there’s more than enough evidence floating around that warranty times are heavily tilted in the manufacturer’s favor."

Motor1 contacted Tobia via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Toyota via email for comment. This story will be updated if either party responds.

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