Maybe this isn't "Tundra Only" but..Why do we need dealerships?

Can you post a photo of the bill? Just curious what each item was for parts/labor.

Chuck the skid... and then leave it off or buy a real one with an access door.

 

I will snap one when I get home.

 

You don't have to take the skid plate off to change the oil filter. I just reach in from the side, it requires one hand operation but it's much faster/easier than removing the skid plate every time. Of course the filter housing needs to be tightened a reasonable amount instead of dealer service with a impact tight.

 

The best is when you ask a question about a vehicle and they have no idea what you are even talking about.

 

Dealers are there as a layer in the supply chain to help stabilize the vehicle market by preventing manufacturers from having to directly assume too many different layers of risk. This is generally why we have different layers in supply chains and manufacturing, distributing, and retailing are separated out. IT stabilizes the market by preventing one party from assuming too much risk by itself.

If Car companies tried to sell the finished product directly to the consumer they'd probably do poorly measuring market conditions in every region in the country. If the car company can't sell what they build directly to the consumer profitably they go out of business and those cars aren't available anymore.

If car companies ship cars and trucks to dealers in different markets, those dealers assume the risks of profiting in a constantly evolving regional retail market. A dealer in one region may thrive and a dealer in another region may go out of business. The manufacturer has made their money off the dealer already and can continue building and shipping cars. Eventually if a dealer closes, another may open in its place and life goes on.

The dealership layer in the supply chain assumed the risks of trying to profit in the different market conditions so the manufacturer doesn't have to take it upon themselves. If one market is weak for trucks but strong for sedans, that dealer can figure out what to discount and where he can pad his profits to make that up. In the next region over from that it may be weak for trucks and strong for sedans and dealers need to make the opposite decision about what to discount and what to pad to keep the bottom line healthy. That's way too chaotic for one manufacturer to try to do profitably.

TESLA sells about a million cars total per year of about what, 3, 4 different models and can get away with it. A manufacturer that makes millions of cars per year with a full range of models each with a range of trims can't.