Rick Carr, the service manager at Buff Whelan Chevrolet in Sterling Heights, remembers the old days when cars broke down as fast as mechanics could fix them.
In the past two decades, though, Detroit's automakers and their foreign competitors have dramatically improved quality and reduced defects. The most trouble-plagued cars today are still far more reliable than the best cars of 20 years ago.
It's a boon for automakers, whose warranty costs are lower, and good news for customers. But it is taking a toll on the service end of the auto business.
"They're just not breaking like they used to," Carr said.
Some dealers and garages are laying off technicians because of the drop in business; others are trying to offset the losses by staying open later, or by specializing in fixing today's high-tech, computerized vehicle systems.
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