Certainly getting a lot of 'realistic' feedback, aren't you...

I'm not so certain the auto biz is really as bad as some folks say, though I'm sure regional factors vary dramatically.

In my region, demand is now way up, because supply is way down.

Pretty much every repair/filling station has now been converted into a 'quickie-mart'. Fewer hassles for their absentee owners, and good margins. 'Highest and best use' has commercial land getting converted into housing developments. Remaining commercial land is being turned into 'big box' stores and shopping malls. Zoning boards frown on repair shops as a use. Many established shops have closed simply because they got an offer on their land that they could not refuse.
The real estate cost barriers have raised the bar for those interested in entering the business.

At the same time, the number of people becoming auto mechanics has fallen dramatically, just like for most fields that require getting one's hands dirty.

So this sounds bad, right? But those shops that have survived are really booked, with seemingly little regard to 'quality of service' factors. Competition is not much of an incentive to provide good service in the current market. Folks still need their cars repaired. There are more people, and more cars per capita than ever. If one can overcome these high 'costs of entry' factors and build it, they will come, because supply is low, and demand is very high.

Anyways, that is the situation in my region.
Better than the software biz right now...

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1986 300E 5-Speed 240k mi.