26.75 Auto Star Smog Check & Repair

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Cole Schamber
9 months ago
Since the owner has decided to vent here, I'll update my review; my vehicle had a catalytic converter shield and an after-market air intake, so I failed, understandable. He then offered to have a factory air intake installed for a fee from him so I could pass; I declined (because I knew I had the factory air intake at home); after coming back with the converter shield removed and the factory air intake installed, he still failed me. Also a lot of weird specific signs inside telling customers what they can and cannot do. So I'll keep my original review as stated below.Every time that I go here, it's something wrong there. Every. Other. Smog place that I've been to, I've never had as many issues as this one.I spent over 220+ dollars, even with "discounts."

  Vincent Reynoso
2 weeks ago
Theif and a lier.He parks a white Toyota with a sign $29 for smog at the entrance.On 2/ 2024, I took my car to him, and he charged me $80 with no results.I go back today, 3/28/24 he charged me $200 with no results. Tells me to do it illegal

  Paul Laska
7 months ago
Just had my car smogged here today, and it was a great experience. The owner/operator is friendly, respectful, and knowledgeable about the work he does. He listens attentively, answers questions thoroughly, and patiently explains any issues. Price-wise, he charges a fair price for the smog inspection service. I ve been going here since I found the shop about 6 years ago, and have always had a similar experience.

  Beatrix Hendrix Ortiz
7 months ago
This was the text message I sent to him because I trusted him. He does know cars , but unfortunately greed takes the best from the best."Hey it's iliana again. I wanted to thank you for taking care of my father. However, I was a bit shocked to learn he paid $60.00. I called you before he got there because he wanted to get the best deal and heard me saying how much I trust you with my car which is a very important part of my life. I know you pride yourself in providing great prices that's why it's cash and not credit. So to learn that he paid that much, even with your name on Google search that comes up as "26.75 Auto Star Smog Check and Repairs," and even with the past 5 years I paid less than $40.00 each time, I feel saddened and taken advantage of. I don't expect him to get a free smog check for my mother's car, because at the end of the day we must make our money to put food on the table but I did not expect the upcharge simply because you knew me and had worked with me before. I was even planning on taking my car to you again for my broken AC this upcoming week because it's been too hot. Regardless, thank you for your work until now. Just know I am deeply saddened and will look for another repair shop. I will too be amending my yelp and Google review"I hope this helps you make a wise decision about your vehicle. This review is not made with spite, I have trusted him and have spent about $700 at his shop in the last 30 days to get my car fixed to pass my own smog check. Now I wonder if it really was a good deal or simply pulling wool over my eyes.

  Amanda Leon
7 months ago
We brought our car for a diagnostic test. When we got the call from the owner my husband was busy tending to our toddler so I picked up said I was the wife and could relay the message. He asked once again to speak to the owner of the Nissan Sentra to which I just restated myself. He did not want to speak to me but finally gave in. I told him I would have my husband call him back to discuss the quote. When my husband called he was told Just talk to your wife. She clearly calls the shots . We ended up not having them fix our car because of this comment. In fact, I would like the owner to know that I am the actual owner of the car. I purchased that car before my marriage and paid it off myself. Welcome to 2023 where women can do that AND take calls.

  Billy Newman
10 months ago
I have been coming here for years for both my cars and will keep coming back as long as they are here. Super friendly, very efficient, great fair pricing. Zero anxiety experience every time.So glad to have a place like this so close by.5 Star service, highly recommend.Services: Smog certification, Emissions testing, Registration renewal

  Ed Faucher
7 months ago
BEWARE!!! Terrible business practices with an unethical owner. "Tom" has done work on vehicles of ours without written estimates or invoices. In violation of California law. Under the business and standards code section 3356. Cars that are worked on here are boomerangs. They go out and come right back. We had multiple instances of this happening over the years. Unfortunately my family trusted him for far too long. The final straw is the situation below"Tom" sold my family a vehicle with a guarantee that the vehicle dispite being old was in "excellent" working condition.Even going so far as to offer a 1 year parts and labor coverage because it was such a great vehicle.Spoiler alert it was far from it. 2 hours after taking possession of the vehicle the service engine light came on. We took it back to him and he "repaired" it. 3 days later; he tells us the car is ready.Spoiler alert .. 45 minutes after driving it away... you guessed it folks.. the check engine light comes on... again. And did I mention the car smells strongly of gasoline in the interior?We lost confidence in "Tom's" guarantee. As he had certified as a. ASE mechanic the car was in excellent condition.Now we attempted to return the car.Not only did he become hostile he told us to leave his establishment.We generously left the vehicle with him, as a good faith gesture to get a refund. We returned 3 days later and he was again hostile and defensive. My family have been long term clients of his. So if this is the way he treats long term clients... buyer beware!!!Btw.. he has a VERY misleading photo on his website showing a repair bay that looks nothing like his.Since the OWNER decided to reply. Feel free to check my review on yelp and his response where he ADMITTED selling the car. And all this and he manages one sentence saying it's a lie. Just wow. SMH.Services: General repairs & maintenance, Change of ownership

  Jozik Mendez
9 months ago
This location was offering very suspicious upsells that had nothing to do with getting the car smogged. Went into mission Viejo and had no problems getting it smogged the same day I was rejected here. Weird and waste of money.Also, just read the previous responses from the owner or manager to other HONEST REVIEWS - my advice to you GET PROFESSIONAL.

  Michele Wylder
a year ago
I highly recommend this business. The owner was very kind, both on the phone and in-person.I brought my 19-yr old car in for a smog check, waited in his nice office, and just like he said, it only took about 10 minutes; I believe that was the fastest ever in my experience.Therefore, I definitely recommend this business.Also, he gave me a discount on the smog check, and on my receipt he attached a discount coupon for further service.Service: Smog certification

  Kevin
a year ago
This is a great business with great work. Tom does a great job and takes care of each and every vehicle with care. He treats it like his own. I definitely recommend this place to anyone lookingService: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Cal Vert Wong
2 years ago
Went there today without appointment for a smog check and the experience was great. Tom is a friendly guy, we had a chat and I got the smog check done in less than 15 mins (not including wait time which was about 15 mins too). Since I was there already, I asked for an estimate for my car's timing belt replacement. The estimate I got is very reasonable for the huge task and I like it.Service: Smog certification

  F ZarrinKelk
2 years ago
Want to have the peace of mind that you are getting ***the very best prices*** and ***the very best services*** in the area? Well, here, the owner is 100% honest, very friendly, rigorously professional, blazingly fast, most experienced, and extremely competent, not only for smog checks, but also for all sorts of mechanical work you may need, regardless of the type of your car. I have been coming here for many years and wouldn't go anywhere else, even though I don't live in this vicinity anymore.

  Zac Morton
a year ago
I take my car here every time for smog because the owner charges the best prices around and he does a good job. I ve been coming back for years now. He has fast service too. Thanks.Service: Smog certificationService: Smog certification

  James Goodin
a year ago
Very pleasant experience. Price was more than competitive. Test was done in a very reasonable time.. I felt I was being treated honestly and would definitely recommend them and return in the future.Service: Smog certificationService: Smog certification

  Kevin Stephan
6 months ago
Quick in and out. Very nice people, very professional. Use them for all smog needs.Service: Smog certificationService: Smog certification

  Julie Rhine
3 years ago
Being a single mom, i am a walking open bank account when places like auto star smog sees me coming. I had a car smog checked and the owner said it didn't pass. He said drive it for a while and come back for recheck. He charged me $59.00 for the smog check, it was an SUV. After i drove it around, i came back and had it rechecked and it passed. Awesome! Oh, by the way that will cost me another $59.00! I know me looked at me the second he told me it was going to cost me another $59.00 just one week after i already gave him $59.00, to see if i would be upset about it. I thought getting a recheck a week later wasn't going to cost me double. I know there are places that will give someone a free recheck, so please take your business to those places!!!Services: Smog certification, Emissions testing

  keivan hatami
4 months ago
Got a smog check here. Was quick and the owner was nice

  DiAnna DiForza
a year ago
Upon reading the reviews, this owner has quite thee unprofessional, rude, BAD attitude toward his very poor service. Glad I read reviews. I dodged a potential nightmare!Update:In response to your review, I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN YOUR BUSINESS, NOR DO I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD!AVOID this man...He is a liar, dishonest & deceitful. What a story!He obviously didnt read my review. You couldnt PAY ME to do business with him. Just dont do it!

  Kelly Macias
a year ago
This is the only place I take my old Pathfinder for smog. I can trust the owner, no shenanigans here! He even stopped by this Sunday when he was closed and took our car anyway. Superior service!

  Orsan Kocak
a year ago
The MOST EXPENSIVE SMOG CHECK in town! $58Unfortunately I needed to get this done urgently this time and paid this amount...I will not use his business, nor recommend it to anyone in Lake Forest and Mission Viejo neighborhood.Service: Smog certification

  Roger Moucheron
3 years ago
I wish I had something better to write but two years ago I came here and the service was great and brought my other 3 cars. I returned this year expecting the same care for a returning customer. The car had I brought had some repairs done (somewhere else) and they disconnected the battery that reset the emission sensors. The technician (owner) could have performed an OBDI 2 initial scan and told me it was not going to pass (obvious sensors not ready) but instead he hooked it up to the State computer and performed the official test and failed. Then he proceeded to charge me $54.78 and offer a $10.00 discount to come back when ready to test again. I will try to find a place that will re-test free if I do not pass.

  Bruce Lee
2 years ago
I called this place to ask about the smog check and the coupon. Surprisingly, a guy answered the phone with bad attitude and said that he didn't even know the coupon they had on their website. I asked if the coupon did apply to my vehicle but the guy refused to answer me and kept saying "have a good day, have a good day."

  Alex Duman
5 years ago
I needed a smog certificate to sell my car. I went in already with people interested in purchasing so I wanted to get the test done quick. Unfortunately I failed... BUT, Tom told me to go online and look into the drive cycle for my specific year, make and model of car. He suggested I might just need to drive it more and try re-testing it instead of paying to fix certain parts. Sure enough my car performed best with 1/4 to 3/4 of a tank of gas (I did my test with less than 1/8th since I was ready to sell it). The website recommended I drive at least 200 miles before I get it retested, keeping the fuel level within that range. Long story short I ended up driving to Palm Springs and back in one night. I spent $50 in gas to keep the fuel tank between 1/4 and 3/4 the whole time and Tom also gave me a discounted rate for my second test which I took the next morning. I PASSED, the extra driving worked! Glad I went here and Tom was able to give me advice on how to pass without having to pay even more to replace parts that were obviously working fine!

  Brittany Parker (Parker Carr)
3 years ago
So simple as easy! I walked in with no appointment and waited no more than five minutes before he took my car back. Less than 15 minutes later, I had everything I needed! Super sweet man at the desk, will be back for future smog needs and they fix issues as well! Thank you!

  Richard Gibson
3 years ago
My car failed the smog test, so I brought it here to be fixed and retested. The problem was fixed, the car passed, the cost was less than expected, and I drove away a couple days later a happy customer. I'll bring my other car here when its smog is due. Thanks to the owner for patiently taking the time to explain things to me.Service: Smog certificationService: Smog certification

  sanaz pourbabak
4 years ago
This is my first time getting my car smog at Auto Star Smog Check & Repair. Tom is very friendly and professional. The cost was reasonable and the service was exceptional.Definitely deserving of a high recommendation from me.

  Arshia Sharif
8 years ago
Customer service was excellent, I went in with my car and in no matter of time they found the problem and fixed it. The owner is very knowledgeable and is excellent at what he does. Bargain deals is just the icing on the cake. Fast and reliable, overall a great place to go to and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a auto tech and smog repair shop.

  Arshia Sharif
3 years ago
Excellent place to bring your car. It is very difficult to find a mechanic you can trust, but I trust the owner, Tom, with all my car problems. Tom, is very knowledgeable and is very reasonable on pricing. Will definitely come back again!

  Parsa Riazi
2 years ago
My car was making all kinds of noises in the back and I took it to many auto shops, but was not able to get it fixed. Auto Star fixed my problem in the least amount of time with the cheapest price. I m definitely coming back!Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Layne Salmond
7 years ago
Summary: Go to A-K Auto Repair around the corner. They honor their coupons and stick to their word. Auto Star Smog does not.Auto Star wouldn't honor his coupon for $23.75 (+$8.25 cert) I found online at his site because my car was a 1999 Crown Victoria. He said it was only for 2000 and up, which it doesn't state anywhere on the coupon (no matter how carefully you read the coupon, even though he said it in the fine print on another bad review). Either way, he also advertises that he will match and beat any competitors coupon.So I had a back up plan of going to A-K Auto Repair just around the corner with his $28.95 (+$8.25 cert) for 1996 cars and up, and I showed it to Auto Star. Auto Star said there is no way A-K Auto would honor it, because 2000 and under takes almost an hour with all the extra stuff they have to do (*spoiler alert: it really only takes 15 min). If I confirmed the coupon and got it in writing that they would do it for that price, he could beat it by $6. So, I went to A-K Auto, spoke with the mechanic, who confirmed after all was said and done, it would only be $28.95 +$8.25 for my car. I went back to Auto Star, showed that A-K confirmed the price of the coupon was good, and Auto Star then said they would need a full invoice, and still would not believe me. I was very polite with him and jumped through his hoops. However, I was sick of jumping through his hoops to give him my business, and just got the job done at A-K Auto. At A-K Auto the estimate matched the final receipt of $28.95 +$8.25. They did accept the coupon, and A-K Auto has my business. Also, (even though Auto Star acted unaware of A-K Auto) A-K Auto knows the owner of Auto Star very well, and has been personally cheated by him. Of course, I only know this from A-K Auto's word, but considering the honesty of A-K Auto vs Auto Star, I believe A-K Auto.Also, A-K Auto only took about 15 minutes, while Auto Star said they would take about an hour since my car is 1999.Oh, and A-K Auto did not charge $2 to use a credit card. I mention this because I saw in another review that Auto Star does.