28/07/2026
I've just come across this post from UK Today, and I expected the comments to be full of people calling it a rip off.
Surprisingly, I'd say around 70% of the comments actually understood that diagnostics aren't just "plugging in a laptop."
Maybe public opinion is finally starting to catch up with the reality of modern vehicle repair.
Here's my take...
If it's so easy, do it yourself.
Buy the diagnostic equipment. Pay the manufacturer subscriptions. Invest thousands in specialist tools. Spend years learning how modern vehicles actually work. Then tell me it's "just plugging it in."
A fault code is not a diagnosis.
It tells you where to start looking, not what to replace.
The real skill is knowing why that fault code is there, proving it with testing, and having the confidence to stand behind your diagnosis.
You're not paying someone to plug in a computer.
You're paying for the knowledge and experience that stops you wasting hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds replacing parts that weren't faulty in the first place.
Now, if a garage charges £65 to read fault codes, prints them out and sends you on your way, I'd agree that's poor value.
But if they spend the time to investigate the fault properly and give you an accurate diagnosis, then £65 is probably one of the cheapest hours of professional expertise you'll ever buy.
So, what do you think?
Should diagnostic time be charged separately, or should garages be expected to do it for free and hope they get the repair afterwards?
