Arco Sepulveda Smog Pros

Consumer BEWARE! I stopped in here for a smog check on a Porsche Boxster. The mechanic must; 1.) think women are stupid 2.) Didn’t know how smog a Boxter (obvious) or 3.) Just plain trying to RIP people off!!!
He tried to tell me that they would need to put the convertible top down, pull something out to get to the engine and it would be $ 75. WHAT??? I have watched this car being smogged numerous times and never saw that done. I am opting for explanation #3 and never ever going there even if their gas prices are cheaper.
I ended up going to the Mobil Station at Del Amo and Anza (the nice Mobile station on PCH suggested). It took 20 minutes and they did not tear the car apart. Cost $ 48

Rude clerk this morning. Asked for 38 and handed clerk two 20s. Hands me back a 10. I say, I asked for 38. She sayes you said 30. Told her I wanted 38 and she says you can come back, I’m not going to play your games. I won’t be back. Costco has the same prices and no rude clerks.

Those people Fred & Lucci are very honest and reliable I had my cars fixed and repaired (BMW/​Mustang v8) and it was great I strong recommend Very affordable i am glad that i found a honest individuals
thanks
jp

This review is for the customer service here. Yes the gas prices are great and location is right next to my work which is why I grudgingly come here. But the Hispanic cashier lady inside is inefficient, unprofessional, and just rude. It gets busy there and she becomes flustered and starts speaking in Spanish thinking people don’t understand her. We’re in California. Today after waiting in line, when I simply said 40 on 7, she said out loud «I’m not a machine, lady,» in Spanish, taking her sweet time when there was a line behind me. The other day I asked her for a red bull because there was a barrier set up in front of the cooler where water had leaked and pooled. She again muttered in Spanish and took a long time getting it even tho the cooler was right next to her counter. She rung me up and I realized she brought the wrong size and I asked for a bigger one she said no. When I asked why she loudly said she didn’t know how to cancel on the cash register, while waving her arms wildly at the machine. Please, crazy lady, learn how, or don’t lie, or find another job where you won’t be so bitter. I’ll just pay debit at the pump.

Took my 2005 Scion in for smog check. This great little car has had professional maintenance since day one, and never a problem with smog inspection. These guys report multiple instances of TAMPERING with the emission control system!
I’m OK if the car doesn’t meet emissions standards, I’ll get it fixed, but find it very difficult to believe this visual inspection opinion.

I love this place. Cheapest gas, and workers are so friendly

I took my late model Nissan here for a smog check. They failed the vehicle stating the timing was off by 2 degrees. The mechanic was using a timing light and by eye was saying 2 degrees off. They offered to fix my timing for a ridiculous amount of money.
Note; If a circle is 360 degrees, 2 degrees is ¹⁄₁₈₀ of a circle. It is impossible using a timing light saying the timing is that little off. If you shift your eyes 1 inch to the right or left you will get error of at least ± 5 degrees.
They offered me a free retest so I took the vehicle to my mechanic. He informed me that the timing is controlled by the computer and can not be adjusted. If you turn the distributor the computer will automatically adjust the timing back to how it was. He told me to take the car to a real smog check place, not some shady gas station that tries to rip you off to «adjust» the timing.
Because my mechanic made no change to the vehicle I decided not to take it back to the ARCO, even thought the retest was free.
I took it to a real smog check place and it passed with flying colors.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE!

This Arco has one of the lowest prices in town, and is usually the same price as the local Costco on Skypark Drive. I pay cash when I come here and I’ve always been greeted with friendly employees inside. If you want a receipt, you usually have to ask for it specifically, though.
The only negative is that this place can get SUPER crowded. I am often fighting with people to get the next pump because they like to cut in front and come from different sides. So be prepared for a little bit of chaos when you come here around lunch time or in the late afternoons when everyone is dying for the cheap gas prices!

Just went there today! Super quick super nice and professional. Found place on Unilocal and worth going too

I get gas here often because it has one of the lower prices in town. I usually try to use cash since I don’t like the fee they charge to use my debit card. I feel that it is difficult to get in & out of the gas station when it is busy here!

Just a note: this place doesn’t accept any credit cards… they will do debit cards but charge you 35 cents for the transaction.
But if you don’t care or pay with cash. this place is the cheapest place to go for gas in the surrounding area by at least 12 cents.
So go for it.

I really don’t recommend this place. I took my car to check my power steering issue… they told me I need a new power steering pump. So, I told them to go ahead.
2 weeks later after bugging them about my car. I asked them when it is going to be done. I found out, that the mechanic according to the manager dropped a bold in my engine and told me that they have to take the car to get the engine replaced because they have turned on the engine and cause major problems to the car. This process took additional 2 weeks. They had my car for 4 weeks to replace a freaking power steering pump, told me I have to pay for the refurbished engine!!!
NOT ONLY THAT, my car STILL have the FREAKING STEERING PROBLEM that I had initially!!! THIS GUYS ARE CROOKS!!!

I’ve been coming here for the last 10 years for gas and service. I have had them do stuff like brakes and timing belt/​water pumps which was a good deal. I don’t recommend getting them to try and diagnose problems your car is having. One day my car was leaking power steering fluid and i took it to them. 2 hours later they said the rack in pinion was done. I found this weird as the car didn’t drive funny and it only had 60,000 miles on it. They quoted me $ 800 and took 3 days to do it… mainly because they are always busy. Later i found out (from my car model’s online message board) that a washer on the end of the bolt was to blame and could have been repaired for a couple bucks plus some new fluid.
Next i took my car to them when it was overheating and one of the hoses had a crack in it. The mechanic got to it in 2 minutes and ripped out the part making my car undrivable. I ended up getting the part for them that same morning at the dealership and brought it to them. They said it would take 2 hours of labor to put back in.
The last time i took my car there i just needed a oil change, tire rotation, and something else that i wanted an opinion on. They called me a hour later saying they drove my car and gave me an opinion on it (i’ll not say what it is so the next time i get my car worked on they wont sabotage it). Then a hour later my car was ready. I went to pay and they only did the oil change… no tire rotation and the other thing i wanted them to do (which would have taken less than 5 minutes)
Although i have had good luck with them doing easy stuff like brakes and timing belts, i feel some of their other business practices are some what unethical. Only take your car here for routine maintenance.

these bad reviews make me question who they delt with here??? ive been going here for years! i have never had a bad experience. the manager and owner are more than nice people. they ALWAYS give me a good deal on service. for example, i got my driver side mirrow replaced, they didnt even charge me the labor! i bought the mirror elsewhere and they just hooked it up for me… i will always go here for service!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place!

$ 75 smog check? That’s not a deal. Don’t go here.

Arco, the main staple for my mother’s Honda Odyssey has been the main consumption of gasoline for the vehicle. Stricken to hard economic times, the station is expensive compared to the times of ’95 when it was less than one dollar a gallon. But due to Obama’s fantastic 4 year term our entire country is going to the toilet! AHH, nice gas pumps though.

The cheapest gas out here. I swear. Gets crowded around the after-​work hours, but just wait a bit and a pump will open up. It’s worth the wait!

Cheapest gas around except for the other arco a little bit south on Crenshaw. Probably the same price. New gas pumps and nice workers.
Only thing I don’t like about arco is their payment methods. Many of you probs already know but they don’t take credit and they charge for debit $.45 I think it is.
I like that they don’t have much of a snack area so I’m not tempted to buy anything, but they also have a pack of gum if you need one or not. Plus thrifty ice cream is right across the street! #winning

All I need to say, is that this place consistently has the lowest gas prices I have seen in SoCal. I used to think that the gas station with the lowest gas price was the Arco in Westminster/​GG on the intersection of Brookhurst and Trask, so it made me so happy that our local Arco beats that station’s price. They recently reopened… think they did some remodeling, and since then the price has been rockin! Hope the prices don’t go up in the future. Love it love it love it!

VERDICT: gas here is cheeeaaap, since i usually have habit of cash only (better than card to control spending). at least cheapest in the area of sprawling suburbs not near the freeway.
SERVICE: i also dropped off for the $ 50 smog check. the mechanics are helpful, and try to work as efficient as possible. it also keeps the traffic behind the garage clear (also path for gas patrons). otherwise, there aren’t any other stores around the area.