San Diego Auto Star

Came here today for a STAR certified smog check for my ’93 volvo. Dan and Jacob are very helpful, professional, and nice. I highly recommend them! The process is very quick, and I didn’t need an appointment. They were pretty busy, but were getting people in and out quickly.

Was in need of a smog check and this place is super close to home. They got me in and out in 20 minutes and all of the employees were very kind, kidding around with me. You can tell they like their jobs and to me, that makes a big difference from my perspective as a customer. They are open super convenient hours.

Check engine light was on for a year with other garages quoting me much more than what these guys fixed it for. Great, knowledgeable guys, excellent service. Highly recommended.

These guys are great. The wait is as long as they say it is, they serve Keurig coffee while you wait and they gave me discounts without me asking. A quick pass and the computer stuff to the DMV went in just the way they said. They’re polite and warm, but focused on getting the work done.
My third time there and I highly recommend them.

Great place. Smells a little smokey inside, but the neighborhood is great for walking while waiting for your car to be smog checked. Twiggs is just down the street so perfect excuse for a good coffee and almond croissant while you wait 30 minutes or so. Friendly guys, efficient and at a reasonable price. :-)

This is the second time I have been here and I will always bring my cars here for inspection. Best prices around. They always gives me great service each time! Couldn’t be happier.

I always get right in and I always feel their prices are fair. I’ve had cars smogged here and also some electric work done on my old jeep.

$ 40 smog check. Done in less than 30 minutes. The guys were busy with several customers but one saw me and said he’d be right with me. Good enough for me. Go visit some of the great neighboring businesses if you get bored.

It’s always fun to sit and wait for 20 minutes before you’re even acknowledged. Been here twice and both times there was only one guy working. I waited in the little office shack for so long before he even glanced in my direction that I could have looted the place and never been caught.

These guys are friendly and work fast! They made a quick and inexpensive adjustment on my old ‘80s Volvo to help it pass smog. In fact, the EVAP part of my test passed here where it failed at a different test station. They will get you in and out fast, and they have Keurig coffee too!

I don’t know anything about cars. I haven’t even had a car in 8 years, so when my car refused would only go in reverse, I panicked. A quick search led me to the only auto shop open after I got home from work. They were very quick to respond and kept me updated with progress. The cost was less than the quote and took less time. The guys that worked on my car were very friendly and even came to check out my car the next day when I had a question. I appreciate the customer service and availability of this shop!

What more could you want? No wait, great price. They knocked out my smog check in 15 minutes flat. I went early on a weekend. Thanks guys.

Fast and friendly and open on Sunday! My first time here and I would absolutely come back.

Came here because my plates were expired and I thought I needed a smog check to renew them before going to the DMV. The guy told me since my car was still pretty new, smog checks typically lasts 4 – 6 years (no idea if that’s true). He told me I didn’t have to smog my car and referred me to a third party auto registration center off El Cajon and 30^th where I could get my stickers. He saved me some money and was super helpful!

Excellent service every time I go here. I’ve been getting both my cars smog checked here for 4 years. The first time I went there, I had a ‘check engine’ light on, and I did not know that that would be an automatic fail. They informed me of that, and did not do the smog test, and did not charge me anything. I really appreciated that.
Every time, I’ve gotten great service and help dealing with my ‘check engine’ light issues. Even when I bring my giant RV there, they are very accomodating.

AMAZING BUSINESS — Honest, friendly, guys who genuinely care about each customer. After recently moving to San Diego, I needed to get my car checked and fixed after it failed the smog test. Called into San Diego Auto Star after finding them on Unilocal and Dan quoted me reasonably, said to bring the car right in for them to check out.
As I got there, the customer service was phenomenal. Right away, Dan offered me a Pepsi and started asking questions about my car. He informed me of how to apply to different payment options provided by the state if I qualified for low income assuming if my car needed expensive repairs. I was told that my car would take about an hour or two for them to check it out with no guarantees that they could fix it today since they were really busy. They got right to work as I waited in the waiting room (Dan even lent me his iPhone charger for my dying phone!).
Long story short, they diagnosed and fixed my car in less than an hour at a lower than quoted price that was nearly half of what the other auto repair shops quoted me. Sent over the passed smog test to the DMV and was able to register my car!
Highly, highly recommend these guys and would definitely drive the extra way to take my car here again in the future!

Went there today for a smog test, not knowing how busy it would be. They were pretty busy. Everyone was friendly and professional. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. I highly recommend this place!

I had a great experience! I got my car smoged and the oil changed. It took about 15 minutes total. They gentleman that helped me was very friendly. They made me fresh coffee that was good. The pricing was very fair. All in all I feel it was quick, easy, and they went above and beyond. I’d definitely recommend this place!

Quick smog on the weekend. Very little waiting for this star facility.
Good deal from Unilocal

Fast, friendly and reasonably priced!
I had to take a car to get smogged that I had just jump started after sitting with a dead battery for about a month. The half hour spent driving around before the smog apparently wasn’t enough to fully charge the battery so when the guys were ready to move my car from the lot to the testing bay, the battery had died again. Without flinching, they jumped it for me, tested to see if the battery dying again had reset the computer (which would potentially cause a smog to fail), and, once confirming all was good, tested it and it passed. Really quick and painless overall… tea, coffee and water were offered and everyone was super nice and professional. Highly recommended!

The only smog shop you need to go to. Skip the rest.
Dan and Bernie run things. Love those dudes.
Honest, professional, and friendly. They know their stuff.
Don’t waste your time going somewhere else. You’ll thank me later.

Hey this is my first time getting a smog check done in California. I’m pretty bummed my car is now old enough to require a smog check…
But regardless, I came here on a Friday at 8am and they helped me out right away and offered to call me when the car was done. They called about an hour later and so I came to get my car and it was only $ 40, so I was happy about that.
I picked them because I live like right across the street, so I am glad it was cheap and was done quickly. I also helped myself to some of their coffee, saved me a trip to Sbux.
Yay for when things go right without any hassle… seems rare these days.

Really, really great customer service! You can always feel the difference in quality with a mom & pop place. And this is it to a T! The customer service is thoughtful and personalized without being cloying or overboard.
There is a well-​stocked Keurig single shot coffee maker, which the owner, Dan, invited me to help myself to. Real creamer in the fridge, and a surprisingly sophisticated assortment of magazines in the coffee table to peruse while you wait :)
And the smog was done in ten minutes!
A++ across the board!
Oh, and if that weren’t enough, the Unilocal discount is $ 20! Not $ 10

Been looking online for a reputable smog check facility in the area and Unilocal reviews led me straight to San Diego Auto Star.
Dropped in this morning without an appointment and was out in about 20 minutes! They gave me the Unilocal discount which was awesome, and a yummy strong hot cup of coffee too!
I also needed an alignment, which they don’t do, but they were able to refer me to a nearby location who gave me a discount as well!
Honest, friendly and funny guys, super affordable, PLUS great coffee!
Just an awesome way to start my Monday morning… thank you guys!

Don’t waste your time going anywhere else! In and out in 30 minutes. Smog check and oil change for under $ 70! Can’t beat it. Plus the guys in the quaint little shop are professional, funny and hard working.
It’s also nice being walking distance from some shops and food in case they are a little busier!
Cheers!