The most common questions from vehicle owners booking in-shop diagnostic and repair service at Spot-On. Plain answers, no marketing fluff. If yours isn't here, call (210) 439-7905.
You bring the car to us. Spot-On serves individual vehicle owners in-shop only, by appointment, at 4715 N Stahl Park, Suite 105, San Antonio, TX 78217. We do not dispatch mobile service to retail customers under any circumstances — mobile dispatch is a trade-only offering for repair shops, body shops, dealerships, and fleets.
Two ways. Call (210) 439-7905 during business hours, or submit a request through the schedule form. Tell us year/make/model, what the vehicle is doing, and bring any prior estimates or paperwork from other shops or the dealership. The more we know before you arrive, the faster the diagnosis.
We charge a diagnostic fee because diagnosis is the work. It's time spent with manufacturer-grade tools narrowing down the actual fault, not throwing parts at the symptom. The fee covers that work regardless of whether you choose to proceed with a repair afterward — it is not refunded and is not applied toward repair costs.
Most diagnoses complete same-day or next-business-day. Straightforward fault codes can resolve in a couple of hours; multi-module communication issues and platform-specific work (BMW, Mercedes, Tesla, Land Rover, etc.) may take longer because they require the vehicle to be driven through specific OEM procedures. We'll give you an honest time estimate at drop-off.
Both. We diagnose and complete most repairs we identify. For specialty cases that fall outside our scope — transmission rebuilds, bodywork, paint — we'll give you a clear referral to a shop that can handle it, often a trade partner we already work with.
Probably yes — provided your vehicle is 2010 model year or newer. We cover 40+ OEM platforms including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi/VW/Porsche, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, Tesla, Ford, GM, Stellantis (Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram), Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti, Hyundai/Kia, Subaru, Mazda, SAAB, plus full diesel and heavy-duty diagnostics (Cummins, Duramax, Powerstroke). Tesla, Land Rover/Jaguar, Porsche, and diesel/heavy-duty are work most San Antonio independents can't service — we can. Call (210) 439-7905 with your year and model if you don't see it listed.
Honest advice: please bring the vehicle in actively faulting. Diagnosis is billable time, and we don't want to charge you for a fault we can't reproduce. Note exactly when it happens — temperature, drive cycle, what's running, recent work performed elsewhere — and bring the car in under those conditions. Faults we can replicate at the bay are the only ones we can resolve cost-effectively.
Yes. We offer financing through third-party lenders, subject to credit approval. We also accept all major credit cards, ACH, and check. Most repairs are itemized so you can prioritize critical work first and defer optional items to a later visit if you need to spread cost.
Three things. (1) We run the same manufacturer software the dealer uses, plus engineering-level tooling the dealer doesn't have access to — so we can sometimes complete work the local dealer would refuse. (2) No multi-week wait list. Most diagnoses are same-day. (3) We work on one vehicle at a time, properly. A dealership service writer typically isn't a master tech; the lead tech at Spot-On is.
General repair shops are excellent at the work they see every day — brakes, alignments, scheduled maintenance, common repairs. Spot-On is built around the work that lives outside that volume: module failures, complex electrical, ADAS calibration, key & immobilizer, hybrid/EV, security-protected platforms. We're the shop other shops call when they're stuck.
Yes. 12-month workmanship warranty on services performed. Parts are covered by their respective manufacturer warranties. If the same problem recurs within the warranty period and is attributable to our work, we will re-perform the service at no charge. Full terms are on our Terms & Conditions page.
Your vehicle, all keys/fobs, any documentation from prior repairs related to the problem (estimates from other shops, dealer paperwork, parts receipts, previous diagnostic reports), and a clear description of when the issue happens. If a warning light is on, leave it on — do not clear codes before bringing the vehicle in.
No. Honest answer: we can't quote a repair without seeing the vehicle and running real diagnostics. Anyone who quotes you a repair price over the phone is guessing. What we can do over the phone is tell you whether we cover your platform, the diagnostic fee, and roughly how long it will take. The repair estimate comes after diagnosis.
Yes — all four. Diesel and heavy-duty diagnostics (Cummins, Duramax, Powerstroke) is a strategic specialty: our lead technician holds ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck and L2 Electronic Diesel Engine Diagnosis Specialist. Hybrid and EV work is covered under ASE L3 Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist. Tesla service is performed with Toolbox 3 and Service Mode+ access, which most independent shops do not have.
Often, yes — but not by cutting corners. Dealers frequently quote module replacement when the actual fix is module programming, a security access procedure, or an EEPROM repair that's a fraction of the cost. We've seen quotes for full transmission replacement when a TCM clone resolved the issue. Bring the dealer paperwork; we'll verify what's actually wrong before you authorize anything.
Drop-off only, by appointment, at 4715 N Stahl Park, Suite 105, San Antonio. Tell us what the vehicle is doing and we'll have the right tools ready before you arrive.