Full diagnosis
We test the actual cause — and every diagnosis includes a full vehicle health & safety inspection.
$150flat — inspection included
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Car advice · Green Light Automotive
How much does a car diagnostic actually cost?
Straight answer: $150 flat at our shop, and it includes a full health & safety inspection of the vehicle. Here's what that buys, why the “free diagnostic” down the street isn't one, and when paying for testing saves you money.
What you're paying for
A code read and a diagnosis are different products.
The free scan at a parts store reads the code your car stored — ten seconds of work, and genuinely useful as a starting point. But a code is a symptom, not a cause. “Oxygen sensor code” can mean a bad sensor, damaged wiring, a vacuum leak, an exhaust leak, or a fuel-mixture problem.
A diagnosis is the testing that follows: checking circuits, measuring components, confirming the actual cause. That takes a trained tech, real equipment, and shop time — which is why it costs money everywhere, and why shops that advertise it free usually build it into the repair price instead.
The math favors testing. One $200 part replaced on a guess — that doesn't fix the problem — already costs more than the diagnosis that would have prevented it. Two guesses and you could have paid for testing twice over.
What $150 includes
What you walk away with.
- A tested answer — the actual cause, not the first guess.
- A full vehicle health & safety inspection, included every time.
- A call or text walking you through findings in plain language.
- Priced repair options before any work happens — you decide.
- No pressure either way — the findings are yours to act on or not.
- Documentation of everything, useful for warranties and resale.
Pricing
Flat, published, no asterisks.
Visual multi-point inspection
An honest written rundown of what's good, what's wearing, and what needs attention.
$45about an hour
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FAQ
Diagnostic cost questions, answered straight.
Why do some shops advertise free diagnostics?
Usually the testing cost is folded into the repair quote — you pay for it either way. We'd rather publish the real number and keep the repair quote clean, so you can compare honestly.
Do I lose the $150 if I decide not to repair it?
You never lose what it bought: a tested answer plus a full inspection of the vehicle. Plenty of customers use the findings to negotiate a sale, plan a budget, or decide a vehicle isn't worth fixing — that's the fee doing its job.
Why does diagnosis take hours instead of minutes?
Because testing is methodical: reproduce the symptom, follow the circuit, isolate the cause, confirm it. Plan on at least 5 hours with the vehicle here — a full-day drop-off is ideal. Fast guesses are the expensive kind.
Is it ever fine to just try the cheap part first?
Occasionally — and when the odds genuinely favor a cheap first step, we'll tell you that. The trouble is knowing which times those are, and that judgment is exactly what testing and experience provide.
Related: All car advice · Diagnostics · Vehicle inspections
Good to know
No waiting room — plan to drop off.
If you can leave the vehicle with us for the day, that's the best way to get it done right. We'll call or text with findings before any work starts.
Book a drop-off time- 🚗Diagnosis & repairs: plan on at least 5 hours — full-day drop-off is ideal.
- 🕑Oil changes & inspections: usually 60–90 minutes.
- 💰No surprises: pricing is confirmed with you before work begins.
Green means go
Stop guessing. Start with the answer.
$150 flat, inspection included — book online in about a minute.