While many auto repair shops charge a diagnostic fee to identify a problem, others offer it for free. This is an enticing offer, as the incoming car repair bill can inspire people to try to cut costs wherever possible.

However, as with just about anything in this world, you get what you pay for.

Let’s put it this way. With just about anything else, if someone was giving it away for free, you would expect there to be something wrong with it.

It’s true of that couch on the side of the road and it’s just as true with diagnostic testing.

Let’s explore how paying for a diagnostic actually ends up saving you money in the long run.

Taking the Time to Get it Right

Have you ever asked a neighbor for help with something for free? Some of them will be absolute pros and help you exactly how you needed. Others might not do so well.

But in those situations, you can’t really complain because hey, it’s free help, right?

When you pay someone to do a job you are holding them to that job. Someone working for free has very little incentive to do that job thoroughly and properly.

However, when you pay someone for a half-hour or an hour of their time, you can rightfully expect that person to do a good job. This is just as true of a diagnosis as it is of an oil change.

“Free” Isn’t Always Free

You can’t run a successful business by giving everything away. All businesses need to make money.

An auto mechanic who offers free testing has extra incentive to find things in your car that “need” repairing or replacing. In order to make up for the loss of time and income on that free diagnosis, you might end up being suggested extra services that aren’t necessary or even useful.

On the other hand, treating a diagnostic as a service in and of itself means that the shop is paid properly for that service. That means it can pay its employees for that service properly and demand that the job be done to the highest standards.

Paid diagnostic testing means that the mechanic doesn’t need to try and make up that loss of income some other way.

The StrutDaddy’s Way

In the past, when we have told customers that we charge a diagnostic fee, it has raised a few eyebrows. That’s understandable. Repair shops have been giving away testing for quite some time.

However, our motto is and always has been “Fix it once, fix it right.” In order to do that, we need to have confidence in our testing.

While a free look-over might identify the symptoms you see, they might miss the underlying cause. A full diagnosis will test not only the issue you came in to solve, but everything in your car that could possibly be contributing to that problem.

Because we take our time with your diagnosis and charge you for it, we are able to offer a guarantee on our services that our competitors can’t.

This is because with our diagnostic testing, we can be certain of what the problem actually is. From that point, our ASE-Certified team of expert mechanics can easily find a solution and repair your vehicle properly.

That’s just one of the ways StrutDaddy’s makes sure to “Fix it once, fix it right.”

Quality testing makes quality service possible. Schedule your next test or service using our handy online service request form or by calling us at (336) 599-4911.