service advisor

apprentice automotive technician

mécanicien automobile

automotive detailer

technician

Steele Auto Group

with over 30 years as an auto technician i can say the 2 steele owned car dealers ive worked at were the worst places i have ever worked,,
both operated to the same guide lines with maximizing company profits by regularly taking advantage of employees at every opportunity,,
the management are completely unqualified to lead,
 mostly because of the low pay, they wouldn't attract any real professional with leadership quality's and experience, 
they treat technicians as uneducated labour , and give no perks, not even a turkey at x-mas, nothing, 
lunches are frowned upon and forget about breaks,
 they made up their own flat rate book at the second dealer i was at that paid far less than industry accepted manuals such as chilton and motor, and only followed dealer times when it suited their interests,, 
the easier ,money making jobs , like brakes etc. all go to apprentices and steele invest nothing in their learning towards journeymen status, 
the difficult ,low paying work goes to the more senior experienced techs, 
its very hard to make an 8hr day if your a journeyman, you need to be somewhat resourceful, or just out right crooked, which seemed to be un-spokenly encouraged, especially financially, 
all departments seem to work against each other, i never understood the reasoning in that,
just a terrible and toxic place to work, it amazes me i stayed there as long as i did, lots of empty promises,,

I’ve had the privilege of working in a management role at Steele Auto Group, and I can confidently say it’s one of the most supportive and growth-oriented organizations I’ve been part of.
From day one, leadership has emphasized integrity, teamwork, and customer-first values. As a manager, I’m trusted to lead my team while also receiving strong support from upper management. The communication between departments is open and collaborative, which makes it easier to solve challenges quickly and keep morale high.
One of the biggest strengths of Steele Auto Group is its commitment to employee development. There are clear pathways for advancement, ongoing training opportunities, and genuine encouragement for career growth. Many leaders within the company started in entry-level roles, which speaks volumes about internal promotion and long-term opportunity.
The company culture is fast-paced and performance-driven, but also respectful and team-focused. Hard work is recognized, achievements are celebrated, and there’s a strong sense of pride in representing the brand within the community.
Compensation and benefits are competitive within the industry, and there’s a strong emphasis on work-life balance considering the demands of automotive retail.
Overall, Steele Auto Group is an excellent place to build a career. If you’re motivated, team-oriented, and looking for long-term growth in the automotive industry, this is a company that will support and reward your efforts.


Having seen the company change for the worse over the last 6+ years, I once felt like I would never want to leave the Steele Auto Group, but now I can't wait to get out. They have been using their size and their monopoly to continuously suppress wages consistently since 2020, and Head Office has tried to take all the credit for the success of the last three years when they've hindered results and all the credit should actually go to the market. Their inflexibility and stubbornness has cost them talent on the recruiting side, and soon it will start costing them talent on the retention side. If you've been a apart of the Steele Auto Group for 2-3 years or more, I'd recommend looking outside the company for a new opportunity if you're looking for more income, because you won't find it here. 

You're just a number to head office. Head Office couldn't do the job of most of the employees, but tries to tell them how to improve. Remarkably poor decision-making from Executives have left the company very thin for support, so growth opportunites only come to those who are friendly with upper management or are in the "inner circle". The top of the organization is due for a big shake up.  

To begin I had to train myself using pdf files before eventually gaining access to the courses, which don't fully prepare you for the actual day to day activities and tasks. It felt a bit like being thrown to the sharks at the start while slowly learning the ropes. I have made a few sales in the short time there yet still did not feel fulfilled in my position or like I was doing nearly enough. 
Competitiveness may be the leading factor (along with pay) for why they have trouble retaining new employees. With a reduced inventory it is almost as if each sales member is working for themselves and not the business (Obviously commission persuades most to become overly competitive) trying to up their sales above all else. On top of that, most sales members have been at the dealership for 15+ years thus meaning they still try to sell cars like its 2005.
Low inventory and competitive work lifestyle makes trying to make commission on top of your pay difficult and leaves you with a low base salary if no sales are made.
Important to note is that GM will be keeping inventory lower than the past and will most likely move online in the years to come.

I loved working for all the Steele dealerships.  They were a great group of companies to be employed by.  The management was great, friendly and never afraid to speak up when they needed something done, and the management always had a very soft approach when it came to dealing with any issues at all.

The people and atmosphere were positive and I really liked that part of the job.

I was given the opportunity to drive every type of luxury car on the market and was in charge of organizing the cars on the lots.  It was a really fun job and gained a lot of knowledge of cars from this job. 

I was in charge of moving, parking, and detailing vehicles for test drives and sales.  I also was responsible for driving the vehicles to other dealerships if they were being sold or moved to another location, so in turn, I was able to gain more driving experience and learned how to handle different models and makes. It was a great first job and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

At Steele Auto Group if your title doesn’t have ‘Manager’ in it you are nothing but a number. With rigid policies that protect the company and harm the employees, bureaucracy, and self-righteous leadership. They will pat themselves on the back for being one of the “Best Managed Companies” but in reality, all they care about is making money, paying their employees very little, and padding the pocket of Rob Steele. 

Any concerns brought to HR or head office or management will be addressed in 6 months to a year. Complaints about a manager means they promote them and give them even more money. 

To be successful you need to shut up and do as you are told. Toe the line or else! 


The only pro is that they have some amazing people making it happen on the ground level. The mechanics, service advisors, sales people go above and beyond. Their detailers and apprentices have real talent. Too bad they’ll let them all leave because paying a liveable wage would mean they couldn’t all buy a Cybertruck. 

If your working in sales or management you can definitely make a good living with Steele. Any other department don't expect much for the workload they expect of you.

Management will make all sorts of promises about things getting better just around the corner and that "good things are coming", just don't expect them to deliver. Management does what it wants and head office either doesn't know or doesn't care about how its employees are treated. It's all about making as much money for management as possible while paying their employees as little as possible. Turnover is horrendous and management acts clueless when people with 20+ years in are leaving left and right after they are treated and paid horribly. 

If you're new to the industry don't expect to move beyond an entry level pay grade, even as your workload and responsibilities keep increasing. The outright lying from management was really the last straw. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The old management until they fired them

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When they hired new management, they just started firing people if they would not quit. I was written up for using the bathroom, despite them knowing when I started that I had bowel issues. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Since I was fired in 2019, I have no idea. It was great until mid to late 2018 when they changed management, to my old workplaces management. So, their conflict with me, stemmed from my previous job, and they made it known, and then put me into an ultimatum where, either I quit or I'm fired. So I told them that i would be fired because i would have been given a chance at government assistance, according to them, then they wrote down that I quit, just so I could not get the help. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
For years, we all had a great time doing our job, working hard. Then they changed it and we were all shown the door

When I was first Hired on as a Apprentice mechanic, I loved my job and going there everyday. But fast forward to March 2020 When Covid hit they decided to lay off all the apprentices minus one and I was told since I was one of the first that was laid off I would be bought back. Months went by and I found out from inside people that people that were laid off after me were bought back months before me and that they were cleaning house with a lot of the women that worked for the company. Aug rolled around and I finally got a call back , which at that moment was too late as I applied to school full time. April 2021 I went back to this dealership during a major lockdown to just be laid off again after three weeks and wasting my time.

I appreciate that. Let's just say Steele Auto Black listed me from ever getting another job for any of their dealerships thanks to the idiot running the one I was at. And I'm pretty sure you didn't want women working there either as you knew I was amazing at my job.

I've had the privilege of working with the Steele Auto Group since 2018 in various roles during my tenure. I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without the career advancement opportunities and flexibility that the group has provided me with. Great earning potential, top tier benefit packages that meet my family's needs,  RRSP matching that enables my family and I to save towards retirement, a positive, empowering, and inclusive work culture, and my favourite part.. the Steele Auto Group puts a huge emphasis on promoting from within, because they sincerely value their employees. If you have the opportunity to join the group, you will have the opportunity for a life-long fulfilling, rewarding and challenging career. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Service advisor 4 salaries reported	$22.99 per hour
Apprentice automotive technician 4 salaries reported	$24.54 per hour
Mécanicien automobile 64 salaries reported	$31.42 per hour
Automotive detailer 1 salary reported	$18.15 per hour
Technician 13 salaries reported	$69,731 per year

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