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Southend-on-Sea Diagnostic Checks: Prices, Reviews & Local Insights
£55.00
Average price for a Diagnostic Checks in Southend-on-Sea
4.97★
average rating based on customer feedback.
530
customer reviews for garages in Southend-on-Sea
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MotorTechs Essex Offers
Physical Garage
8 Craftsman Square, Temple Farm Industrial Estate, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5RH
About Us
We guarantee an honest experience with complete transparency on every step of the process, allowing you to feel at ease knowing that your vehicle is being maintained by highly skilled technicians. ** COLLECTION & DELIVERY AVAILABLE ** -But please advise if there are parking restrictions in your area.
Diagnostic Check£60
4.93 (102 reviews)
Reviews Summary
AI Generated
Customers rave about Motortechs, with the vast majority praising friendly, helpful staff, honest advice and a reliable, professional service. Frequent positives include quick turnaround times, clear communication, convenient pick-up/drop-off options and competitive pricing, with many saying they wouldn’t go elsewhere. A few isolated issues crop up — occasional missed opening times, one or two problems with tyre work or supplier delays, and some confusion over what a “full service” covers (extra charges via Book My Garage).
D & G MOTORS
Physical Garage
11 CRAFTSMAN SQUARE, TEMPLE FARM INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, SS2 5RH
About Us
Our garage is a friendly, local business that has been running in Southend-on-sea in Essex since 1979. Our business puts our customers first and that's why we're proud to offer extremely high standards of customer service. We offer different services, MOTs and repairs and want to reassure you that you will be receiving quality work. We also aim to provide realistic, affordable prices that won't break your bank balance and that's why we're upfront and can give you an estimate on request.
Diagnostic Check£40
4.9 (348 reviews)
Reviews Summary
AI Generated
Reviews are predominantly positive, with customers repeatedly praising friendly, honest staff, clear communication and fast, good-value MOTs and servicing. Common strengths are easy online booking, punctual turnarounds (often same day or Saturday slots), helpful advice and useful extras like collection/delivery; a few reviewers wanted greater transparency (job sheets/breakdowns of what a "major" service included) and there were occasional concerns about thoroughness (engine cleaning/filters) in a small number of cases.
Ghost Autos
Physical Garage
Unit A4 Priory Works,, Priory Avenue, Southend-On-Sea, SS2 6LD
About Us
Ghost Autos ltd is a professional vehicle service and repair garage based in Essex. We offer MOT prep, servicing, diagnostics, brake and fluid replacements, carbon cleans, air-con regas, and more — all with honest prices and friendly service. Whether it's routine maintenance or major repairs, our skilled mechanics are here to ensure your vehicle is always running smoothly and reliably.
Diagnostic Check£60
5 (22 reviews)
K&O Autos Ltd
Physical Garage
Unit 1-2, Stock Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5QF
About Us
We decided to start 'K & O Autos' during late 2021. We spotted an opportunity in the market to provide brilliant service at even better prices and that remains our number one aim today. No hidden costs, no hidden issues! Good honest repairs at what we believe to be market leading prices...hopefully you'll choose us for you next car maintenance!
Diagnostic Check£60
5 (22 reviews)
DD Motors
Physical Garage
21 Robert Leonards Industrial Estate, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5QD
About Us
We are a family run business we undertake lots of different roles in the company mechanics maintenance MOTs car spraying and jig work
Diagnostic Check£40
5 (6 reviews)
007 Motors
Physical Garage
Unit 27, Grainger Ind Est, Grainger Road, Southend, SS2 5DD
About Us
We are a family run business with 30 plus years experience. We aim for customer satisfaction and are always honest and easy to deal with. We carry out servicing, brakes, diagnostics, engine replacements, front wheel alignment, tyres, aircon and much much more. Call for a quote.
Diagnostic Check£50
4.97 (30 reviews)
Reviews Summary
AI Generated
Customers consistently praise the garage — staff are described as friendly, knowledgeable and honest, with efficient workmanship, clear communication, quick turnaround times and reasonable prices. Reviewers frequently mention easy booking, dependable repairs, helpful drop‑off/pick‑up arrangements and high recommendation rates. Complaints are rare; one MOT failure was cited but staff explained the fault and carried out the repair promptly, so there are no recurring weaknesses.
What does a car diagnostic check do?
A diagnostic check is carried out on your vehicle by a mechanic, who will plug your vehicle into a specialised code reader. It can detect problems with your vehicle which may be difficult to spot manually.
The main components which are tested in a diagnostic check are the car’s:
- electronic control units (ECUs) - these control various element of the car and its performance including engine running
- emissions and exhaust sensors
- braking system
- electrical components such as central door locking
- transmission if electronically controlled
- ignition coils
- throttle setting
- fuel injectors
- air flow and coolant
Why is a car diagnostic check important?
A diagnostic check is very important as it can detect a potential problem with your car, even before a breakdown. The computerised equipment scans your vehicle’s system to check for any faults, no matter how minor or major. A diagnostic test is a quick, easy and accurate way to discover any faults and will give you the chance to get them fixed before they turn into bigger and more expensive issues. When your car has a fault, this may show as a warning light on the dashboard. If the light goes out the system will store the fault code so the garage will find this when they do the diagnostic check.
What are the possible signs that your car needs a diagnostic check?
There are many different signs which will indicate that your vehicle needs a diagnostic check. Essentially, if you suspect that there is an issue with your car but don’t know what, you will probably want to book a diagnostic check to find out what the problem is. Here are some of the key signs:
- Engine warning light - if the engine warning light appears on your dashboard, it’s important to take your vehicle to a garage as soon as possible as there is a wide variety of problems which the light may be flagging up.
- Strange noises – any strange noises coming from your car need to be checked out before they turn into more serious problem. Some of these sounds may include; whining from the bonnet, abnormally loud exhaust, uneven engine noise, brake squealing or gear crunching.
- Smoke - if you see smoke or steam coming from under the bonnet, your vehicle may be overheating.
- Vibrating - if you notice any vibrating or pulling under your brake, the issue may be due to work brake discs or pads. However, it could also indicate a problem with your suspension or steering.
How long do car diagnostics take?
You can expect a diagnostic check on your car to take approximately 90 minutes. You may want to allow for more time though as the mechanic who will be carrying out the check might not be available to start right away.
How much does a car diagnostic check cost?
The price of a car diagnostic test can vary, depending on the garage that you visit. Each garage has a fixed price for diagnostic checks, ranging from £30 - £100.
Enter your vehicle registration number and post code into BookMyGarage (at the top of this page) and you can instantly compare diagnostic check pricing from all of the garages in your local area. As well as price, you can see the garages’ reviews, distance from your post code, extra services offered and availability. You don’t even have to register to get access to all of this information. When you have selected a suitable garage, you can choose a date, any optional extras (such as collection and delivery, loan car etc.) and book online.
What do you need from your garage?
This might sound like a question with an obvious answer: you need a garage that can service or repair your car quickly and at a good price. But think again and you may realise there are other factors that affect your choice of garage in Southend-on-Sea. If you need to bring your son or daughter with you when you take your car in, are there toys in the waiting room? If you’re dropping the car off between school and work, can you pick up a cup of coffee while you’re there? Might the garage even collect your car and drop it back at your house after the work is done? You can find answers to all these questions on BookMyGarage.