I paid $175 for a diagnostic scan at a mechanic shop. When I asked for a printout of the scan results, they said all the repair information is just listed on the invoice. Is this normal practice, or should mechanics typically provide the actual diagnostic printout?
Diagnostic Scan Printout from Mechanic
Kennard on 23/08/2025 - 16:22
Comments
Also not, their reader might not have the ability to "print it out".
Yep, unlike a brake test after a bench test.
Id say any "issues" brought up in the diagnostic scan would have been addressed and listed on the invoice.
That is what the mechanic is saying.I think diagnostic scans only show up error codes or matters requiring attention anyway.
OP needs to understand that the mechanic would have invested a fair bit of money into the scanner and probably the software as well and needs to recover that cost.
varies some do some don't, my last mechanic printed out 2 pages all showing no codes, I didn't even ask him for a printout as he was fixing other things, I guess he just did a scan to see he fixed it (replace MAP sensor was main item), you may need to ask up front
they said all the repair information is just listed on the invoice
Are you wanting to see things that don't need repairing?
No. I just want to see proof they actually did the scan. What is so unusual about wanting to see the "product" I paid for
Bet you can buy the tool to scan for $175.
Probably yes. I just needed it quickly.
$175 😂
What is the usual price for a scan at a mechanic then?
Less than that. You could have bought a topdon topscan or something for about $120 and scanned it forever. Supercheap does it for $30. I charge $150 to do very specific coding on a certain VW to solve an otherwise $4000+ problem. $175 for a generic code scan is daylight robbery.
I think you are confusing a Diagnostic Scan with a Diagnostic Report
Im guessing the scanner dossnt feed to a printer so theyve interpretedit to an invoice for you.
How much was wrong and why did you ask for a scan?
According to the mechanic, only one thing was wrong, but it was pretty serious. The engine light came on and I needed to know what was wrong quickly.
Lol. FFS.
Probably the mechanic doesn't know exactly what all those Diagnostic Report codes are.
Experience teach them to address one or two particular codes and then all other codes will disappear.
It is not cost-effective to chase all other secondary codes.Sounds like OP should have bought a chap ODB from ebay and used it before going to the mechanic.
The information is on the invoice… What more information do you want? You want a hand written list?
You need to tell them what information you are after. If you want the diagnostic codes, then ask for them, almost all mechanical shops should be happy to give you a list of random codes for you to Google and then (fropanity) up the repairs and bring it back to them when you broke something.
We are not mind readers (nor fortune tellers for that matter). There is no great gate keeping conspiracy going on to withhold information…
Now, if you didn't pay for that information. Yeah, you're getting nothing. But since you paid, they should be happy to hand over what they scanned/downloaded.
Also not, their reader might not have the ability to "print it out". I know our $5,000 unit at work does not do print outs. There is no printer (well, there is, I think, but it was like a $2,000 add on my boss said no to).