Mechanical repairs, servicing and MOT in South London
This is the workshop side of KITH Cars: everything that keeps a car running, stopping and legal. Routine servicing and MOT testing, brakes, suspension and tyres, clutches and gearboxes, diagnostics on a fault that has beaten two other garages, and the heavier engine work that many independents send elsewhere. It all happens at Unit 1, Soho Mills in Hackbridge, under the same roof as the bodyshop and the recovery truck. Every job is quoted in writing before it starts, repairs carry a three-month workmanship warranty, and the doors are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and Saturday until 5pm.
- ★★★★★ 4.9/5 from 193 Google reviews
- Written quote before any work
- Mon–Fri 8am–8pm · Sat 8am–5pm
An independent garage is defined by how much it keeps in-house, and we keep a lot. Servicing and MOT preparation share the same ramps as cambelts, timing chains, head gaskets, turbochargers and gearbox work, so a rattle at 2,000rpm does not have to be passed between three premises before anybody commits to an answer. Diagnostics is treated as a job in its own right rather than ten free minutes with a code reader, because a stored code names a circuit, not a culprit. Certain makes come through constantly, among them Audi, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Citroën and Fiat, and knowing where those engines habitually fail shortens the search considerably. Fitting parts in sequence and hoping the symptom disappears is not diagnosis, and it is not how a bill gets built here.
Every job opens with the registration, which tells us the exact engine, build date and specification. The right oil approval, filter and friction material are then on the shelf before you arrive, rather than being ordered while your car occupies a ramp. At check-in the mileage goes on the record and your description of the fault is written down in your own words, because the conditions a problem shows up under are usually more useful than the noise itself. From there the order never changes: confirm the complaint, measure or test rather than assume, then replace. You are telephoned with the findings before anything is committed to. The vehicle is road tested afterwards, and whatever came off stays on the bench until you have collected it.
Nothing begins without a written quote, and that quote names the parts instead of giving you a single number. Where there is a genuine choice between an OE part and an OE-equivalent from the firm that supplies the manufacturer, you are given both figures and the difference between them explained, rather than having the decision taken on your behalf. Diagnostic time is charged as time; where it leads straight into the repair, that charge comes off the bill. If something turns up that was not on the quote, the job stops and becomes a phone call, never an extra line noticed at the end. Servicing starts from £182, an MOT is £50 when the DVSA permits a station to charge up to £54.85, and every repair is backed for three months.
What we do
Servicing, oil changes and MOT
Scheduled maintenance and the annual test, with the correct oil approval looked up from your vehicle rather than guessed from the badge.
Brakes, suspension, steering and tyres
The parts that decide how a car stops and holds the road, measured and recorded rather than judged by eye.
Engine, clutch and gearbox work
The heavy jobs, from a slipping clutch to a cambelt, a head gasket or a complete engine change.
Diagnostics, emissions and electrics
Warning lights, running faults, charging problems and the emissions systems that modern diesels depend on.
Make specialists and remapping
Marques we see week in, week out, serviced to the manufacturer's own schedule, plus tuning work on the engine map.
Why drivers choose us for this
A written quote comes first
The parts, the labour and the total are in front of you before a spanner is lifted. If the job changes, it changes with your agreement, not on the invoice.
We diagnose before we replace
Testing a circuit or measuring a component costs far less than fitting three parts that turn out to be healthy. Nothing goes on a car because it might be the answer.
Test and repair on one site
An MOT failure can be quoted, repaired and retested without the car leaving us. Advisories are priced in the same visit so you can decide what is worth doing now.
three months on every repair
Our workmanship is guaranteed for three months on mechanical work. If something we have done is not right, bring the car back and we will put it straight.
Get a price now
Enter your reg and pick the work. You get a real range from our own rate card before you commit to anything.
- Free, about 30 seconds, no sign-up
- Parts, labour and VAT included
- 3-month workmanship warranty
- Collection across South London
“It’s rare to find a garage you can truly trust. Fair price, brilliant customer service.”Thinushan K. · ★★★★★ Google
Prefer to talk? Call 020 4629 9469 or WhatsApp us.
Common questions
Will using an independent garage affect my manufacturer warranty?
No, provided the work is done properly. Under Block Exemption rules a manufacturer cannot insist you use its own dealers to keep a new-car warranty, as long as the vehicle is serviced to the published schedule using parts of matching quality and the work is recorded. We service to the maker's schedule, fit OE or OE-equivalent parts and give you an invoice detailing the oil specification and parts used.
Can you carry out repairs after a failed MOT?
Yes, and most people do it that way because the car is already here. You get a written quote for the failure items before any work starts, and you are free to take the vehicle elsewhere instead. The retest rules are worth knowing before you decide. Leave the vehicle with us and have it retested within ten working days and the partial retest is free. Take it away and bring it back within ten working days and it is a partial retest at half the usual fee, unless the failure is one of a short list of items DVSA allows to be put right and returned by the end of the next working day, which is free.
How do I know which level of service my car needs?
It depends on mileage, age and what was done last time, not on a sales ladder. Give us the registration and roughly how many miles you cover a year and we will tell you which items are actually due, including anything on its own interval such as brake fluid, spark plugs or a cambelt. Paying for a major service when an interim is due does your engine no extra good.
What accreditations does the garage hold?
We are members of the Independent Garage Association and Trust My Garage, and we work to the TSI Approved Code, which is the Trading Standards-backed consumer code. In practice that means a written estimate, clear invoicing and an independent route for complaints. We are also proud to use Castrol oils.
Areas we cover
What is included in each service
The same rows for all three, so you can see exactly what the extra money buys. Oil grade, plugs and filters are always to your own vehicle manufacturer’s specification — we do not fit a generic service kit and call it a service.
| What you get | Interim | Full | Major |
|---|---|---|---|
| How often | 6 months or 6,000 miles | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 24 months or 24,000 miles |
| Inspection | 25-point | 40-point | 60-point |
| Parts replaced | |||
| Castrol engine oil, to your car’s own specification | Included | Included | Included |
| Oil filter | Included | Included | Included |
| Sump plug washer | Included | Included | Included |
| Air filter | Not included | Included | Included |
| Cabin / pollen filter | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Fluids | |||
| Coolant topped up | Included | Included | Included |
| Screen wash topped up | Included | Included | Included |
| Power steering fluid topped up | Included | Included | Included |
| Brake fluid topped up | Included | Included | Included |
| Brake fluid tested for moisture | Not included | Included | Included |
| Brake fluid changed | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Coolant strength tested | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Gearbox and differential oil levels checked | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Checks | |||
| Tyre condition, tread depth and pressures set | Included | Included | Included |
| Brake pads and discs inspected | Included | Included | Included |
| Lights, wipers, horn and battery condition | Included | Included | Included |
| Battery tested under load, charging system checked | Not included | Included | Included |
| Suspension, steering joints and exhaust on the ramp | Not included | Included | Included |
| Drive belt condition and tension | Not included | Included | Included |
| Underbody and engine bay checked for leaks and corrosion | Not included | Included | Included |
| Air conditioning operation | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Wheels off for a full brake inspection | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Afterwards | |||
| Anything found is written down and priced before it is done | Included | Included | Included |
| Service book stamped and next service date set | Included | Included | Included |
Anything we find is written down and priced before it is done, and you decide. Nothing is replaced without asking you first.