Garages will pay £75 per year to subscribe to the Car Service and Repair Code of Practice, which launches to the motor trade later this month.

The only additional cost will be £175 every 24 months to fund a compliance audit.

The SMMT, which is administering the code, said it hopes to have 5,000 workshops signed up by the media briefing and trade launch, on May 23, when it will reveal the code’s website.

A separate launch to the consumer is planned for late summer.

“Workshops which join now will have the cost of subscription deferred until the consumer launch, but will benefit from having had time to put systems in place and liaise with all relevant parties prior to motorists coming through their doors,” an SMMT spokesman told AM.

“A key factor in why the industry believes it will be a success is the fact that it is a low-cost venture for a garage to enter into,” he added.

“It is an industry-wide code, demonstrating that we can work together to self-regulate the profession.” The code’s aim is to help consumers identify better garages. Any UK business servicing or repairing cars or light commercial vehicles can sign up, providing it agrees to comply with the code by a biennial compliance check.

The code has not yet gained approval by the OFT. This is necessary in order to allow workshops to display the OFT Consumer Code sign and benefit from national OFT promotions.

The SMMT spokesman said the OFT wants to see the parties signing up to it in agreement of its content before it will grant its seal of approval.

“But the fact that the briefing will be at the OFT is a sign that it is happy with the way this is progressing,” he added.