Yes the dealers do have a book. Actually they have two. At least they did when I worked there. One is for non-warranty jobs and one is for warranty work. Guess which one is the more liberal with the hours?
When I worked for Ford in the early/mid 70's, labor was ~$25 - 35/hr IIRC. I worked for three Ford dealers and one Mercedes and they all had different rates. More important to us techs was the percentage of that labor that we received which was between 40 to 50%. We used to get alot of Lincolns and Mercs too because their dealers charged higher labor rates.
Anyway guys, front wheel drive cars are not cheap to repair for the most part. Just spread the cost of owning these vehicles over the length of time you own them or the mileage you drive them. It isn't as hard to take that way.
Karl
