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Australia's mechanic shortage leaves car owners waiting months for repairs Mechanic shortage crippling industry READ MORE: Australia urgently needs 100,000 mechanics for electric vehicles By MATT JONES, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 03:32 GMT, 6 November 2025 | Updated: 03:45 GMT, 6 November 2025 Australian car owners are being forced to wait months for servicing and minor repairs due to a critical shortage of mechanics. The problem has been bubbling away for years but has reached a breaking point as motorists wait months for simple jobs while being hit with higher prices for repairs. The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce said mechanics remain one of the hardest trades to fill. The roles most critically lacking in staff are automotive electricians, general motor mechanics, diesel motor mechanics, panel beaters, vehicle painters, parts and accessories fitters, and auto glaziers. VACC CEO Peter Jones said: 'Australia cannot afford to ignore the problem any longer.' 'These are the skilled roles that keep workshops operating, vehicles safe and Australians moving - and they are still extremely hard to fill,' Mr Jones said. 'The pressure on automotive businesses is real. Repair wait times are increasing, costs are rising for consumers and small family-run workshops are feeling the strain.' One in three automotive businesses have reported technician vacancies going unfilled for more than six months. Australia's shortage of mechanics is causing wait times to blow out to six months Upskilling the existing workforce to work on electric vehicles will be vital in the coming years At the start of the year, wait times to book a mechanic were estimated to be around two months, not including the additional time required for more complex repairs. Director of Government Relations and Advocacy at the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association, Lesley Yates, told Drive that the problem wasn't just about convenience and cost, but also a danger to road safety. 'Given that your brake pads and steering systems are all part of the regular service that affects road safety,' she said. 'And inevitably supply and demand means that the price goes up, wait longer, you'll put off critical repair and the price goes up for that too.' Mr Jones said that to address the problem, the industry needed to change the perception of mechanics, upskill the existing workforce to work on electric vehicles, and attract more women to the field. Data from the Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance revealed last month that women made up 20 per cent of the industry's workforce, with just 2.6 per cent in trade roles. CEO of the AAAA, Stuart Charity, said: 'Women are a largely untapped resource within our industry.' 'We know that increasing female participation isn't just a matter of equity - it's a practical and urgent response to near-term labour shortages. Even a modest rise in the number of women enrolling in automotive trades could make a substantial difference,' Mr Charity said. Statistics show that women made up just 2.6 per cent of mechanic trade roles CEO of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association Stuart Charity wants to get more women involved in the trade By 2030, it's projected there will be 3.4 million hybrid and electric vehicles on Australian roads, but at the moment there aren't enough people to service or repair them. 'Today's automotive technicians work with advanced electronics, software diagnostics and zero and low-emissions vehicle technology. This is a sophisticated, high-tech career,' Mr Jones said. 'We must position automotive as a first-choice profession for young Australians, not a fallback.' Jones suggested the Federal Government's $10,000 payments for construction apprentices should also apply to people training to become mechanics. 'If we fail to invest in training and workforce development now, Australia risks falling behind just as the global shift to low-emissions transport accelerates,' he said. In September 2024, Daily Mail reported on Ryan Nightingale, 24, a fourth-year light vehicle mechanical apprentice who was considering quitting the job he loved because of cost-of-living pressures. His wage of $850 after tax was too low to live on in Sydney, and a whopping 60 per cent of automotive apprentices were abandoning their training, according to a report by industry body Capricorn. Peter Jones Share or comment on this article: Australia's mechanic shortage leaves car owners waiting months for repairs Add comment
