How can we help?

Autera is an on-demand mobile mechanic platform. Rather than taking your car to a garage, a fully vetted and insured mechanic comes directly to you — at home, at work, or wherever your car is parked.

You describe the problem (or let our AI diagnose it), choose from available mechanics near you, pick a time, and confirm your booking. The mechanic arrives with the right parts and tools. You pay only after the job is complete and you're satisfied.

Autera currently operates across all major UK cities and surrounding areas, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Coverage is expanding monthly.

To check your postcode, start a booking and enter your location — you'll immediately see available mechanics near you. If none are available yet, we'll notify you when we launch in your area.

Yes — a free Autera account is required to complete a booking. This lets us securely store your vehicle details, booking history, and warranty records. Creating an account takes under 60 seconds using your email or Google account.

With a traditional garage, you have to arrange transport, wait in a waiting room, and often accept an estimate that grows once work begins. With Autera, your mechanic comes to you, pricing is fixed before you confirm, and you never have to leave your home.

Our mechanics carry the same qualifications and insurance as any reputable garage — they simply operate mobile, passing the overhead savings directly to you. Most jobs cost 15–25% less than an equivalent garage repair.

Booking takes three steps: describe what's wrong with your car (or use the AI diagnostic tool), browse mechanics available near your location and choose one based on ratings and specialism, then select a time slot and confirm. You'll receive an instant booking confirmation by email and in-app.

Yes. Same-day appointments are available in most areas, subject to mechanic availability. In major cities, we typically have same-day slots available up until 4pm for afternoon and evening appointments. You'll see real-time availability when selecting your time slot.

Yes. If you've previously booked a mechanic on Autera, they'll appear at the top of your search results. You can also tap their profile and select "Book Again" to see their next available slots directly.

You can reschedule or cancel any booking up to 2 hours before the scheduled start time at no cost, directly from your Autera account under "My Bookings".

Cancellations made less than 2 hours before the appointment may incur a small cancellation fee to cover the mechanic's travel. This will be clearly shown before you confirm the cancellation.

You'll need your vehicle registration number (so we can pull the correct parts and service history), your postcode or address for the mechanic to travel to, and a description of the issue. Everything else — parts sourcing, quoting — is handled by Autera automatically.

Your price is calculated before you confirm — it includes parts, labour, and a call-out fee. Our system uses your vehicle registration to source the correct OEM or equivalent parts, adds the standard labour time for your specific job, and presents a single fixed price. There are no surprise additions after the work is done.

No. The price you see at checkout is exactly what you pay. Parts, labour, and VAT are all included. The only exception is if you request additional work beyond the original scope during the appointment — in that case, the mechanic will quote you separately before starting, and you can accept or decline.

We accept all major debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and bank transfer for orders over £500. Payment is collected only after the job is marked complete by the mechanic and you confirm you're satisfied.

Since payment is only charged after job completion, there's nothing to refund on a cancellation. If you cancel after the mechanic has already purchased specific parts for your vehicle, a parts restocking fee may apply — this will be shown clearly before you confirm the cancellation.

New customers receive 10% off their first booking automatically — no code needed. We also run seasonal promotions and a referral programme where both you and a referred friend each receive £15 credit when their first booking completes. Check the Autera app for current offers.

You don't need to be physically next to the car, but you should be contactable and within reasonable proximity. Most customers leave the car on their driveway or outside their workplace and check in when the mechanic arrives. You'll need to hand over the keys at the start and receive them back when done.

At the address you specify when booking — your home, workplace, or any safe, accessible location with enough space for the mechanic to work. For jobs requiring a ramp (e.g. full undercarriage work), the mechanic will advise you if an alternative needs to be arranged.

An estimated duration is shown on every booking before you confirm. Most common jobs — brake pads, battery replacement, oil change — take between 45 minutes and 2 hours. More complex repairs are clearly flagged as such and given a realistic time range.

Your mechanic's live location is visible from the moment they depart. If they are running more than 15 minutes late, you'll receive an automatic push notification with an updated ETA. If a delay exceeds 30 minutes and isn't communicated, you can cancel at no charge and rebook immediately.

If you're not satisfied, do not confirm job completion in the app — this pauses payment while the issue is resolved. You can raise a dispute directly through the app, and an Autera quality agent will contact you within 4 working hours. All disputes are covered under our satisfaction guarantee.

Once you confirm job completion, a review prompt appears automatically. You'll rate your mechanic on five criteria: quality of work, punctuality, communication, tidiness, and value. Your review is verified against your booking record and published publicly on their profile within 24 hours.

Go to "My Bookings" in the Autera app, select the relevant completed job, and tap "Report an Issue". Describe the problem and attach photos if relevant. Autera's support team will respond within 4 working hours. Issues covered by the 12-month warranty are handled at no additional cost.

Yes. A detailed digital receipt is emailed and saved to your account immediately after payment. It includes a breakdown of parts and labour, the mechanic's details, and your 12-month warranty start date. This receipt is all you need for a warranty claim.

You describe your car's symptoms in plain English — a noise, a warning light, a feeling when driving. Autera's AI cross-references your vehicle's make, model, and mileage against a database of thousands of known fault patterns. It returns a prioritised diagnosis, an urgency rating, and a recommended repair — which is then pre-loaded into your booking.

The AI correctly identifies the primary cause in over 90% of common fault types. For complex or unusual faults, it provides a shortlist of likely causes rather than a single conclusion. All AI outputs are reviewed by your assigned mechanic before work begins — the diagnosis is a starting point, not a replacement for professional assessment.

That's exactly what the AI is for. You can be as vague as "it makes a grinding sound when I brake" or "the orange light on the dashboard came on". The AI will ask a few follow-up questions to narrow it down. You can also book a diagnostic inspection — a mechanic visits, plugs in our OBD reader, and gives you a full report before any repair work is agreed.

Yes. If you already know what you need — "replace front brake pads on a 2020 VW Golf" — you can enter this directly, skip the AI diagnostic step, and proceed straight to mechanic selection and booking.

Every Autera job comes with a 12-month, unlimited-mileage warranty covering both parts and labour. If the same fault recurs within 12 months of the repair date, we will send a mechanic to fix it at no additional charge. The warranty applies to both parts and the work carried out.

Go to "My Bookings", select the original job, and tap "Raise Warranty Claim". Describe the issue and we'll book a return visit — typically within 48 hours. Your original receipt is all the documentation needed. You won't be charged anything for a valid warranty repair.

The warranty is voided if: (1) the same component is subsequently worked on by a third party not affiliated with Autera, (2) the vehicle has been in an accident affecting the repaired area, or (3) the fault is caused by misuse or neglect unrelated to our repair. In all other cases, the warranty applies in full.

Autera mechanics use OEM-equivalent or genuine manufacturer parts and follow manufacturer-specified service procedures. This means our work is fully compliant with the EU Block Exemption Regulation — your main dealer warranty remains valid. We provide a stamped, dated service record for your logbook on request.

Every mechanic undergoes a multi-stage vetting process: identity and right-to-work verification, DBS criminal record check, qualification verification (IMI, ATA, or equivalent), a practical skills assessment, and a probationary period with review. We accept fewer than 1 in 5 applicants. Mechanics must maintain a minimum 4.5★ rating to remain on the platform.

Yes. Every mechanic on the platform holds a minimum of £2 million public liability insurance and motor trade insurance. You can view their insurance certificate on their profile page before booking. Autera also carries platform-level insurance covering any gap.

All mechanics hold a minimum of Level 3 Vehicle Technology qualification (equivalent to A-Level). Many hold additional certifications in EV/hybrid systems, manufacturer-specific training, or advanced diagnostics. Their verified qualifications are listed on their individual profile pages.

Yes. Qualified, insured mechanics can apply via the "Become a Mechanic" link on our website. All applications are manually reviewed by the Autera team — your profile will not go live until we have verified your credentials and approved your account. We aim to review applications within 5 working days.