DOWNTOWN SMOG CENTER

Reviews

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

  H. U.
7 years ago
Long overdue, but I thought I'd write in. I've been going to Andrew for at least 10 years--if not longer. Never had to wait long, and he's always been friendly, professional, and efficient in doing the inspection and testing. Back in the day when they did the tailpipe emission test, he executed that with efficiency, too--down to the inspection of car.Today, I just went again, and great as usual. I was in and out in 10 minutes. What else can you ask for?

  Karin Jeffery
11 years ago
Great experience. The owner is extremely honest and won't test you if he knows in advance that you can't pass. He saw that my car had some non-regulation modifications from the previous owner, so he didn't test me until I had those parts removed and replaced. Thanks to him, my car passed. He's one of the most honest business owners I've ever dealt with, and I recommend him to absolutely everyone. Plus he's a marathoner, which is pretty cool too. :)

  Kim Schroeder
5 years ago
This place rocks! I come here every 2 years (is that how frequently they make us do smog checks?), and I'm always impressed with the service.The equipment here is up-to-date, facilitating a speedy visit. Andrew, the owner, started by scanning my DMV registration paper to load my car's information, completed the check, and sent the Smog Report results back to the DMV electronically, all within 10-15 min. It was effortless and pleasant. Andrew is a positive and friendly guy, and I enjoyed chatting with him. He's also a Navy vet! You can support a veteran and get high quality service here at Downtown Smog Center! (Cheesy, I know. =))

  Haley Stinnett
5 years ago
Pricey! Great experience and good work, the mechanic was timely and I didn t have to wait. But man it is expensive! The mechanic told me (I ll quote him) you moved to the most expensive zip code in the country, sweetheart. So he knows it is pricey, too! Just be aware that you are paying $80 for a smog test here. I failed the smog test too, but I know that isn t the businesses fault. They provide a half off discount to test it again.

  Sara Lugonzbi
7 years ago
I've been to the other smog places in town, and this is the first positive experience I've had.The Pros: I was in and out in ten minutes. The man who owns the place is chatty and friendly and wanted to check my battery because he had concerns that it wasn't running well for its age. The price is average for a smog check. There was no line, no frills, and no funny business of trying to sell me things.Negative(ish): He only takes cash or check and he doesn't quote over the phone. He has very good reasons for this, and if you bring in the car he'll give you a quote.Overall: I like him, and I like the service. Expect an average price for the smog and you should be fine.

  Paul Wong
5 years ago
Andrew, the owner of the shop is very cool and knowledgeable. Brought my car in to get smogged and it was done in a very reasonable amount of time. I've gone to other smog shops where the techs were looking under the hood for 30+ mins, obviously they didn't know what they were looking at, but that was not the case here. Smog technician Gary was working with Andrew on this day and he's a great guy as well and knows a lot about cars.With older vehicles, it is hard to find a a smog shop you trust knows what they are doing so I am really glad I found this place. I will definitely be a repeat customer!

  Jacob Mandell
6 years ago
It's easy to find a shop willing to smog our Audi, since it's a simple plug-n-play check (quick, easy money). It is not easy to find a shop willing to smog my 1985 Toyota 4x4 (very involved inspection that is not quick easy money). Andrew was not only happy to help, he cheered the truck on. Andrew is a professional, good humored guy. Who knew getting your old truck smogged could be a fun experience? I will be taking my vehicles to him for as long as his shop is open.

  Alex Lee
11 years ago
This was the first time I ever did a smog test so please keep this in mind. Reasonably priced (50 bucks). I called 15 min before I went to see if there was availability (there was). It took 15 min (idk how long smog tests usually take) and he seemed to know what he was doing. Plus, he was really friendly. All in all, it was a pretty painless experience and that's worthy of a 3 in my book.

  Chris G
2 years ago
Andrew, is the BEST. Having people work on your car is all about trust, and I trust Andrew to smog any car. He is nice, professional and quick. Great place. Awesome service.Highly recommended, you would be foolish to test any place else!!!CService: Smog certification

  Truong Tran
8 years ago
Anderw is a great guy. Great price, efficient, gets you in and out in about 10-20 minutes. I would highly recommend him if you need a smog check. Definitely my new go to spot for a smog check.

  A Orris
6 years ago
Could smog testing be a pleasant experience? Yes. I was able to stop by at Downtown Smog Center with no appointment. One person was ahead of me, so while I waited, I walked across the street to a nearby cafe where I enjoyed a coffee. By the time I finished the coffee, my car was done. Thanks Andrew!

  Katherine Donaldson
6 years ago
No appointments, fast in and out, cheerful and friendly. Super convenient since it is right downtown, and you can walk across the street to Dana Street Roasting, so you don t really have to wait at all. I took a star off because it was twice as expensive as I was expecting, but it is a small independent business right in the heart of downtown.

  Hudson Brower
6 years ago
This guy is so personable and up front about getting your smog test done. I've used the shop 3 times now for my '94 Chevy van. Not all stations will smog this vehicle because it is a pain to set up! And you don't need an appointment, he's great about walk ups. If you're in the area, this is the place to get your DMV smog check off the to do list.

  Lusann Yang
8 years ago
Andrew is spectacular, going far above and beyond.I inherited an old car from my Grandfather that had been sitting in his garage, undriven, for several years. I had new brakes and new tires put in and drove it over to Andrew for a smog check. He plugged it into his computer and realized that no way would my car pass the smog check - the catalyst monitor wasn't ready yet. Andrew unplugged my car, didn't charge me a cent, and talked me through my options. Another smog check center might easily have smog checked my car anyways, failed me, and taken my money.Andrew recommended taking my car through its drive cycle a few times. I did this, but then the check engine light went on - no good! Again, I took my car to Andrew and he plugged it in. He told me that a mechanic would tell me to replace the catalytic converter (very expensive), but there was a small chance that replacing the oxygen sensor (less expensive) would do the trick. But first, he recommended that I drive my car around for a bit with a high octane gas - it's possible that I could burn out some debris that had accumulated in there for a few years and things would get better. Again, Andrew didn't charge me a cent.In the end, I wound up getting a new catalytic converter. I probably went to Downtown Smog Center 10 times before I passed the smog check - each time it was either a problem with the check engine light or the catalyst monitor not being turned on yet. Can you imagine visiting ANYWHERE ten times without being charged a cent? Andrew and I were on the "get my car street legal status" team. The last time, Andrew plugged in my car and I rocked the smog check in 5 minutes. I'm now happily driving a street legal car.In short - Andrew walked me through a bunch of problems with my car without charging me a cent. He's a super knowledgable mechanic and a great smog check guy!

  Peter Boose
11 years ago
Andrew was professional and very personable. I called ahead of my lunch hour smog check and it seemed like he left his lunch just to get my buisness. He is trust worthy and worth talking to. I will be returning to him for my next check.

  Matt Wong
10 years ago
Absolutely painless experience when I got my car smogged today. Andrew had my car on the dyno and the test underway within 5 minutes of me rolling into the station, without a reservation or any early notification. Will definitely be returning in the future.

  Jackson King
6 years ago
By far the best experience I had with any smog testing shop, andrew is knowledgable and knows what he is doing. If he sees a problem in your car he would tell you (but he don't fix cars so he is not doing it for the profit), great guy, quick and efficient!

  Hrag
7 years ago
The easiest, nicest, and fastest smog experience I've ever had in my life - hands down. It's privately owned and the owner runs all aspects of it, and is super personable. I think I found my new smog place.

  dana wu
11 years ago
Extremely efficient! The computer printout said my car failed some test but Andrew (the owner) told me to drive around and he'd retest it for free. I followed his instructions and sure enough, my car passed the tests (weird computer glitch?). Glad to have it all resolved quickly!

  Peter Hawkins
14 years ago
I had a good experience with these guys. I didn't have an appointment, just dropped my car off with them on a Saturday morning, went and had a cup of coffee over the street, and 15 minutes later my car was ready exactly as promised. Nice and painless.

  Ben Ungs
6 years ago
Got my car smogged here on 9/19/2017.No appointment necessary, no wait in line.Super friendly guy, forgot to get his name.I was there and out in less than 10 minutes.Thanks so much!

  William Koury
10 years ago
Drove my car in without an appointment and had no wait. All I had to do was fill out a form, then about 20 minutes later everything was all set. I paid $55 which seems like a reasonable price for a one-time test.

  Brian Healy
8 years ago
Great experience. Came in with an older van requiring a more extensive smog test. Got seen immediately, and took a lot less time than the quoted 45 minutes. Very efficient, recommended.

  Vinh Nguyen
6 years ago
Came here last minute to get a smog on my m3 as i was selling it and not only was he fast but walked me through everything thoroughly and took care of the car. Excellent guy w a lot of knowledge who can get thinga done quickly.

  peter von Clemm
6 years ago
Andrew the owner is super friendly, service was quick and we talked running marathons and cycling, his wall is full of event memorabilia. We also talked Mercedes Sprinters (which I was having tested) which are the best for all sorts of fun :)

  Anne Kelly
7 years ago
Went to three different shops here in Mountain View. Andrew was the only one who didn't try and swindle me... He actually legitimately explained to me what was going on, and what I needed to search online for, and how to solve the problem. He's full of awesome "pro tips"! I'm coming back to him every time.

  Jonathan Shneier
10 years ago
Quick, easy, friendly, straightforward. I was in and out in about 20 minutes. Just showed up on Saturday afternoon and he waved me right in. Paid $60 for standard smog check.

  Matthew Albrecht
6 years ago
Thought the other reviews were lying, but I was actually in and out in 15 minutes and the guy was nice.You access from Hope St, not Dana since it's on the corner, behind the mechanic.

  Schuyler Ullman
13 years ago
Fast service, reasonable prices, and a knowledgeable and super friendly owner/technician. There was really nothing else I could have asked for and I would highly recommend Downtown Smog Center to anyone.

  Samuel Lenius
11 years ago
Service was immediately available. Andrew was quick, courteous and professional. Price was reasonable and car passed with no problems. Highly recommended.