I came here about a year ago and got a star certified smog for my BMW everything passed no problem for 34.95 out the door, a year later my wife's car needed a star smog also she went there did the test and the owner was trying to charge her 99.95 trying to lie to her saying he never charge so cheap for a smog. Bottom line this place not so honest after all trying to over charge people for the same service read more

Great! Friendly, congenial shop owner. He honored a discount that was better than advertised. Thorough inspection. I'll be back with my other car when it's due! read more

Bill is awesome. Just bought my jeep and it passed with no problems. He walked me through the process very well. Stoked right now.. hope the dmv is as smooth read more

Bill was so friendly, and offered such great service! It was also the cheapest price I found after calling about ten different places. He gave me an appointment right away, and he even let me know about a problem my car was having that was unrelated to the smog check! The waiting room was nice and quiet, he offered coffee or water, and he let my puppy wait with me too. read more

I love this place for smog checks! I just came by today and it was swift and easy! I called in about half an hour before my appointment and he got me and almost right away! Bill is super super nice and the prices are great! I will keep referring my friends and families come to this place because I had such a great experience here! Keep it up Bill! read more

Great service from Bill!! I was in and out in ~15mins. Really gotta use those yelp coupons for the good deals.

Amazing guy, have been there couple times every time gave me discount. Thank you Bill

Fast, efficient, and very friendly customer service! Made an appointment and came in same day. Greeted with a friendly smile from Bill. Before I knew it, I was in and out in 30 mins. I would definitely recommend this place. It's very affordable and friendly. read more

This is a horrible business. I don't know the name of the person I spoke with. I called to make an appointment for a smog check. He yelled at me the whole time. I was treated with no respect. When I asked him to make an appointment he yelled, "Call me back some other time" and hung up before I could say another word. With this kind of attitude, I would never give this company my business. read more

My very first time with this shop was about a few weeks ago and now i am back. The owners here are very professional and excellent customer service. They understand the value of customer relations. I came in with my laptop computer and immediately was offered the wifi connection. I give them 5 Stars all day! Price you can't beat! Best price in the bay area. read more

I called, the phone was promptly answered, the man on the phone was nice, answered my questions and said I didn't need to wait until tomorrow to make the appointment, that I could come in an hour! Yay! I booked the last minute appt and arrived about 10 minutes early, which was not a problem. They took my car in their shop right away, the man at the desk introduced himself as Bill and the smog check was started virtually right away. He gave me a great deal, asked how I heard about them and how my day had been going. Small talk means the world to me so I appreciated this, and promised him I would leave a yelp review! Well here I am and I have to give this ship 5 out of 5 stars for honest/inexpensive pricing, being professional, promptness and for being kind. I'll see ya in 2 years guys! read more

Make an appointment ahead or call ahead. They service really fast and on point. Even their shop looks whatever but can't beat their price. Gotta give em a five star for this. read more

I'm rating this place 5 stars due to the exceptional professionalism from Bill. He is friendly, kind, and efficient. I was able to pay my car registration because of his service. No delays, no scams! read more

These guys were great! I was early, they were on time. Bill was eager to make this super quick, whole thing took 10 minutes. Its a family operated place which was great. Bill and his son were very polite and eager to get me back on to my saturday as soon as they could. He even blocked traffic so I could pull my car out of the garage. Definitely going here again. read more

With the coupon, i found this service very affordable. Other than that, i can say I was in and out in a reasonable time. If you find yourself wanting, there are great eateries and beverages nearby: Casa Latina, Albatross, Halal Market read more

Such a friendly business owner! I was running VERY late to my appointment and Bill took me anyway. He didn't make me feel like the jerk I was for being an hour late on a Friday evening. He just got my services done as soon as physically possible. He had a very sweet demeanor and I would totally recommend him to anyone else. What a hustler! read more

Numan and Bill are the true stars at this Star Smog Check. Professional and friendly. Get things done expediently. There are a few smog check places with very similar names in the area. Make sure you go to " '1' Berkeley Star Smog" on Hearst Ave, just off San Palo Ave., yeah, location is convenient as well. Go for the true stars! read more

These guys are awesome, great customer service . Best price in town . Get you in and out quickly, friendly, I highly recommend them to anybody . Pleasure doing business with you . read more

Went in today for a smog check. I came in with a yelp coupon. The Gentlemen was very courteous, $35 for a smog check + fees, certification. In and out in less than 20 minutes. read more

Called in the day of and the dude told me to come on by when I could. I got there (moments before another car who probably had to wait double the time I did) and he took my car in, tested it, I signed the paperwork stuff, and off I was... 20 minutes later. Way better than I could have expected, granted this was my first Smog Check experience. Thanks Bill! read more

This was the most pleasant car experience I have had in a very long time. Bill was just such a nice guy - he gave the kind of customer service I feel like can be too rare these days. He was professional, worked quickly, and was very affordable. I will definitely be going back in the future. read more

This place was great. Super friendly and fast. Definitely recommend going here for any smog related issues. I'll be coming back.

My experience with '1 Berkeley Star Smog' was as quick, efficient, and painless as it possibly gets. I called & spoke with Bill around 10:15, was promised the Yelp rate of $35 (all inclusive) and given an appointment of 11:30, and when I showed up Numan (Bill's brother) was already expecting me and I was in and out in under 30 minutes. They were very professional and helpful the whole time, and I will certainly be back. read more

Mr. Bill is the best. He's the smog man, great guy who takes real good care of you. I'm glad I can move forward. Thanks bill

I had a very good experience here. Their price for a smog check was competitive and they got me in the same day. The technician, Bill, was kind and professional. Thanks guys. read more

Made an appt online came in for my smog check and was done in 15 mins. Bill was fantastic and so nice. He gave me a coupon for next time with no expiration date and I will be sure to use it! read more

They mail out coupons for $15.95, but it's only for vehicles 2010 or newer. Older cars get to pay $60 for exactly the same service. Why? Because he just wants you to use the coupon to get in the door. He also illegally charges $2 extra to pay by credit card. read more

These guys were great! My car kept failing smog check because of a "NOT READY" issue requiring the drive cycle to be reset, and I had to keep coming back multiple times. They were very friendly, honorable in their dealings, and even waived the fee more than once. Top notch service and highly recommended for anyone who needs a smog check in Berkeley. read more

$118 for a smog check!?!?!? I got my car smogged yesterday. I know...I should have asked before I let them take my car in. But that's just a ridiculous price. It never occurred to me that someone would charge that much...Go elsewhere. These guys are wayyyy over-charging! read more

Great smog check experience. Had to wait a little longer than usual but was explained exactly what the wait was for. Had to check if the aftermarket cat converter in the car was compatible with the most updated CA law. I am sure if you have a stock cat converter, you will be in and out in a flash. The guy working there was super friendly. Overall great experience and the price was great compared to most places in the bay area. read more

Bill was extraordinarily friendly. Had me in and out in about 40 minutes. Total cost $35 with Yelp coupon! Even managed traffic for me while I backed out of the garage. And gave me a replacement coupon with no expiration date to repeat the deal in the future. read more

Came in today without a prior appointment and got checked immediately - no wait time at all! Bill was friendly, polite, and efficient. Will definitely come here when it's time to get smogged again! Oh, and be sure to use the Yelp coupon. read more

tl;dr: Bill failed my car on a test that was actually not applicable, so that I would come back the next day so he could "take care of me" with a free retest, in exchange for the implication that I might be inclined to write him a favorable review on Yelp. This smog check took nearly two hours. Overall, I had a very negative experience here. I will not be coming here again, and I encourage others to steer clear of this place. After realizing I needed a smog check, I looked up the best-rated place in Berkeley on Yelp (here) and called at 9am to make an appointment for 11am. I arrived a couple minutes early for my appointment; Bill (the manager) was exactly on time. However, he spent about 10 minutes opening up shop as he had to awkwardly shuffle 3 cars around and find street parking for them, so my appointment started a little late. While I was there, two men arrived and started waiting for a smog check; a woman then called and asked when she could come in for a smog check. He told her right now, and began serving her when she drove in at 11:30. The two men who had arrived before her had to wait until after we both left for their smog tests. When the clock struck 12:15, the woman asked me how long I had been waiting and became indignant when she learned that at that point, Bill had been working on my car for more than an hour for what was supposed to be a 30-40 minute smog test. However, she didn't have much time to be angry as right after that conversation, Bill finished her car and pulled it out, bringing her to the back to pay. Finally at 12:30, Bill came and told me my car was finished, and had me pay. After I paid (which took about 10 minutes because Bill kept leaving to check on other things), he informed me that the test wasn't actually over, that he was doing the final segment of the test on my gas cap, and that I should move my car and park on the street while it finished (without my gas cap). After I moved my car I noticed that Bill had me park in an area that was, at that moment, a no-parking zone because of street sweeping. Luckily, nothing bad (fines, towing, etc.) came of that. After I waited in my car for 10 minutes, Bill came over to give me my gas cap and told me he had some bad news, but he would take care of me, then explained: "the ignition start timing is a little wonky, but I don't want you to go to a repairman -- come back tomorrow for a free retest and we'll see if it works better tomorrow. Do you have a Yelp account?" [I say I do] "Ok, so come back tomorrow and I'll take care of you." This news seemed very off to me, since my car has always passed smog checks with flying colors, yet this time it failed exactly one segment of the test (the ignition timing test), and Bill seemed really keen on maintaining his Yelp reputation (maybe he was at least a little concerned that I was waiting for nearly two hours -- who knows). At this point, I had experienced too much shadiness to return to this place, so I took my car to a smog check center I trusted in Pleasanton (my hometown), where my car passed, as expected, with flying colors. Here's the kicker -- the test that Bill failed me on registered as Not Applicable to my car on the second test. Overall, I would recommend you steer clear of this place, but your mileage may vary -- the woman who was served concurrently with me was at least out within an hour and did not seem to be scammed at all. However, the location isn't great as parking and pulling in and out are awkward, and the manager doesn't seem to have any qualms about manipulating people for good Yelp reviews. If you do use this place, call ahead in order to be served promptly (and to make sure the place will actually be open - as the hours listed on Yelp do not match its actual hours of operation). Also, make sure the test is over before you pay. read more

Bill unlike a lot of owners has a soul! Not only did he give me a break by reducing my total by over $100, he also completed the inspection and whipped out the smog certificate in less than the advertised time. He treated me as if I was his own blood. He was straight with me and told me my situation and how he could help. Theres no reading it between the lines with Bill, he tells you how it is and is straight to the point. Very friendly and dedicated to his job, he will get the job done! I recommend him to anyone looking for incredible service at a very affordable price! Thankyou Bill! Sincereley, Justin ( Red Infiniti ) read more

Bill is super efficient and fast !! Brought my car here today and we were out of there in no time !! I highly recommend this place ... Will bring my family's cars here from now on ... Very very good service !!!! read more

they are funtastic.1 berkeley star smog my favorite smog station.they are same like my family.tray this smog station.good job..

Bill was great, courteous and efficient! Great price and quick service(I suggest making an appointment although not required). My appointment was at 3:30 and I was back on the Hwy 80 at 4:07. No frills shop but the service was spot on. IMHO, in general it really pays to shop a little and/or ask for their best price(wherever you may wind up going). There are beacoup coupons and discounts out there and sometimes you can get a MUCH better price just for asking. My Rockridge area SMOG station charges more than 80$ plus the certificate. Bill got me out the door for 35$ including the certificate. BTW, I have a 2006 Honda CRV and some shops charge an additional 10$ for an SUV which makes my price even better. That surcharge might make sense with a larger vehicle but my small SUV is based on the Honda Civic(same mechanicals) so the extra charge for my car does not make sense to me. Just sayin' Yhatzee! Definitely 5 stars.... Cheers! read more

What can I say? Fast. Professional. Bill had me out and certified in minutes. I passed and the info went right to the state. 5 stars...

Saw the great reviews here so I gave it a shot. Called Bill and he told me to come right in, but discussing the price was tough because he was wearing a bluetooth and very hard to hear. They were full and I waited a half hour. I asked him about the discount before he started the test and he asked if I was a Yelp user. I said yes, but that I'd forgotten my password. He gave me a bill for $59.85. A "special deal". They post their price at $80, but zero people that have posted have paid that amount. I finally logged in and told him so. Inquired about the $24.95 coupon and Bill said that it was for two cars. Asked him about the voucher that says $35 for an $80 coupon and he said the owner no longer honors it. In short, he said that my car might not have passed elsewhere, so I was getting a "good deal". Tired of haggling, I paid and was on my way. He "accidentally" didn't give me my paper work. I had to ask for it after he put it under the counter. He gave me his card with a smog check for $49.95 next time. Another "special deal" just for me! Wooot!! Only 15 more than what most people are paying?? That guy has deals for days! The actual service and place were fine. He seems like he'd be nice if he wasn't trying to pull a few extra bills from my wallet. I'll likely go elsewhere next time. He probably thought I was bluffing about Yelp. Your move, Bill the Smogger. Your move. read more

Update 01/25/2014: tl;dr: He called me on a Sunday morning, offered a full refund and simultaneously asked me to increase my rating, explained his poor driving was due to back pain + meds, and clarified a few points in my review (original has been updated). I encouraged him to reply publicly to my review in order to tell his side of the story. As of 01/30/2014, I haven't received the refund that he said he'd mail to me. Numan called me around 11am on Sunday, Jan. 5 to discuss the review that I had written a few days prior. First, some things I got wrong: - He pointed out that I had confused him with the other technician. I have now updated the review to reflect this. - He disputed my story about the lost keys, and I have now updated the review to include his viewpoint. Now, some things that really bothered me about the phone call: - He was very disappointed with my low review and offered me a full refund. At first he wanted me to come into the shop to get it, but then said he'd mail a check to me. Unfortunately, I have not yet received this check (nor have I heard from him in any way since this phone call). - He repeatedly asked me to update my review ("maybe just another few stars?") to reflect "good customer service" due to the refund he offered. He was careful to not explicitly say that he wanted to pay me to increase my review, but it seemed quite clear to me that that was the intent. In any case, another $20 doesn't change all of the frustration I experienced when I was there... especially when I haven't received it 3 weeks later. - He wished to clarify that part of the reason he was having a bad day (and almost backed a customer's car into another car) was that his back was hurting and he was taking medication for that. - When he asked at the beginning of the call if I had time, I said I was busy but could talk for a short while. The call lasted over 7 minutes (which is not short in my opinion) and was especially annoying because I was in the middle of a nice brunch with my boyfriend at the time. - I have updated my review to correct the factual errors he mentioned to me. However, I stand by the rest of it. I encourage him to reply to this review to tell his side of the story. read more