How we chose
We started from the Telford auto electricians on Google Maps. Trade recognition was sourced from the IMI Professional Register, each firm's own website and the platforms checked [1]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place. Both firms met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score, then qualifications, then whether the firm has traded two years or more and whether its cover is stated, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated early September 2026.
How to hire
Match the specialist to the fault first. An auto electrician owns diagnostics, wiring traces, battery and charging faults, starter motors, alternators, lighting and module coding — the wiring and electrons rather than the oily bits. A general garage suits a service with an electrical sideline, while a main dealer suits warranty work and brand-new models with locked-down software. When you first enquire, give the make, model, year and registration, say which warning lights show, and say whether the fault is constant or comes and goes.
For hybrids and electric cars, ask about high-voltage competence specifically. IMI TechSafe recognition marks technicians qualified to work safely on electric, hybrid and other safety-critical systems, with ongoing training required to keep it [2]. The IMI Professional Register lets you search for a member or business by name and see what sits behind the claim [1]. Since no mandatory registration applies to the trade, a voluntary listing like this is the closest thing to a badge worth checking.
Check the business behind the van too. A limited company with years on the record is easier to trace than a name with no footprint, and a published workshop address tells you where the car will actually sit. Businesses signed up to The Motor Ombudsman's Service and Repair Code commit to open and fair dealing, and the ombudsman can step in when a complaint cannot be resolved [7]. Ask for public liability insurance detail and a local reference you could verify.
Describe the symptoms before anyone sets out: which lights show on the dash, what happens when you turn the key, what has already been tried, and a photo of the dashboard helps. Agree the diagnostic fee for the first hour and ask whether it comes off the final bill if you go ahead with the repair. For a mobile visit, say where the car is parked, whether there is room to work around it, and whether it starts at all.
Get the quote in writing with diagnostic time, parts and labour split out, and ask whether each part is new, genuine, pattern or reconditioned — the answer explains most price gaps. It should name any call-out or mobile fee, say whether VAT is added on top, and state the warranty on parts and labour separately. Treat an outlier far above or below the rest as a question rather than a bargain, and compare every quote on the same written scope.
At the end, keep the itemised invoice, the diagnostic or fault report naming what was tested and found, and the warranty terms for parts and labour. If the car has start-stop, check the new battery was registered to the car's management system. File everything with the service history — it matters at sale time. If the work goes wrong and the firm will not put it right, Citizens Advice sets out your consumer options [6].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, a car diagnostic test typically costs £80 to £120, with many drivers paying close to £99 [3]. A basic fault-code scan sits around £80 to £110, while in-depth electrical diagnostics with live system testing runs £150 to £250 or more, with luxury and performance cars at the top end for their specialist kit and longer sessions [3]. Always ask whether the quoted fee is deducted from the repair bill if you go ahead.
Beyond the diagnosis, published guides put simple electrical repairs from around £70 for brake lights, with an alternator replacement near £250 [4]. A replacement car battery costs £80 to £250 fitted, with fitting adding up to £40; start-stop cars need costlier AGM or EFB batteries that must be registered to the car's management system [5]. Neither Telford firm publishes set rates, so treat these as context for the quote, not a quote themselves.
What moves the price is mostly time and kit: intermittent faults that need hours of tracing cost more than a fault with a clear code, dealer-level software for premium badges adds to the bill, and a mobile visit can carry a call-out fee a workshop job avoids [3]. Start-stop battery type, awkward access to wiring, and parts choice between genuine, pattern and reconditioned all shift the total.
Ask whether VAT sits inside or on top of every figure, since published ranges do not always say [3] [4]. Get the scope in writing before work starts — exactly which tests, parts and making-good are included, and what changes the price if tracing uncovers worse wiring than expected. Agree payment stages and keep every quote, invoice and report together.
Red flags
Quotes a wiring repair without seeing the car or asking about the symptoms and warning lights first.
Starts replacing parts before any diagnostic test has named the fault.
Cannot name the qualification or recognition behind the person doing the work when asked.
Tackles high-voltage hybrid or electric systems with no EV qualification or TechSafe recognition to show [2].
Gives one fixed price with no split between diagnostic time, parts and labour.
Asks for full payment in cash before starting, with no written quote or terms.
Clears a warning light without explaining the fault or giving a written report of what was found.
Will not put the scope, price and warranty in writing before lifting a tool.
The bottom line
For most drivers, start with Telford Auto Electrics: an established Oakengates workshop with a wide fault-finding spread and regular weekday hours. Its site quotes no set prices and states no insurance detail, so ask for both in writing alongside your quote.
Choose OBD_Pal when the car cannot easily reach a garage or the badge calls for dealer-level diagnostics, and confirm cover, price and arrival time before it travels. Then describe your symptoms in writing, get the quote itemised, and keep the fault report with your service history.
Send both firms the same written symptoms and compare their replies: the diagnostic fee, whether it comes off the repair, and what the warranty covers. Then book the one whose paperwork answers those questions first.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.