1 Berkeley Star Smog

4.0 (211 reviews)

Smog Check Stations

Open • 9:30 am - 6:00 pm

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Mike R.

I got ripped off here, be careful! I bought a Groupon thinking it was a good deal but when I got there, he would charge me additional BS FEES : electronic transfer fee($6.75),Star certification fee($10), on top of the dmv certificate fee( $8.25). These fees doubled the price of Groupon. Most smog places only charge the extra 8.25 for dmv cert fee. I had a fishy feeling but didn't have time to reschedule. His description won't give specific price of fees. Go to Express smog station down the street, they are more trustworthy and straightforward better price too. 1 Star smog gets one star from me. I would never go back to them.

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Bianca Z.

10 years ago

I've been taking my car to this place for years. Great service, fair prices, honest and friendly. Can't beat that. I've recommend it to family members and friends. read more

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Mar V.

15 years ago

The mechanic came back to the office after regular business hours to accommodate my work schedule and do my smog check. He makes customer service look like the way is used to be back in the olden days when people were genuine, helpful and treated you like a neighbor. read more

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Chris K.

10 years ago

I came here with my vehicle because Bill originally gave me a good quote over the phone, however when i got there my experience became bad very quickly. I did make an appointment and i still spend over an hour there waiting to get my car smogged, I even heard the lady inside complain to her husband on the phone how she had been there even longer than I. Bill had me pay upfront and tried to change the price on me, and when I mentioned his original quote he said oh okay I can do that. after everything my vehicle did not pass and he said he did not offer free retests. He then proceeded to tell me he could fix my vehicle when his boss wasn't there because as a start only test station they cannot legally fix my vehicle. He gave me his phone number and told me to call after a certain time the next day. He then said it was going to cost me anywhere from 50 to 200 dollars if he could fix it. So i brought it in the next day to see what he could do and he wanted me to pay $200 upfront before he even looked at it. I was hesitant and this all seemed shady at this point, so I showed my concern and he changed his mind and said he couldn't fix it, I ended up taking it outside his shop and reconnecting a hose I found myself. when I mentioned this hose to him he seemed very confused and couldn't even explain mechanical things to me when he tried, seemed as if smogging was all he knew, yet tried to charge me under the table to work on my car....? huge red flag. Anyways I put the hose back on and asked him to retest it and he ended up charging me full price again for the second test, and wouldn't even give me any discount for all the time and energy I spent with him. After all was said and done It ended up passing after I fixed it and the whole ordeal took about another 2 and 1/2 hours. meanwhile I had a conversation with another weary unsatisfied customer in the lobby. And to put the topping on the cake when I got home I found out that he never even put my gas cap back on my vehicle and it was still at his shop! EXTREMELY UNSATISFIED . I will NEVER go here again. Bill was unprofessional , out to get more money out of me to perform illegal work on my vehicle. And all of it took way too long. Bill would stop in the middle of testing a vehicle and go make phone calls and have conversations with others on the street. Not even to mention his uncomfortable yelling at his nephew in front of customers. read more

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M R.

11 years ago

cool guys...appreciate their customer service & flexibility for my situation!

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Steven Y.

13 years ago

Make sure these guys are your number one choice for smog checks in the Berkeley Area (Hell even if you're not!). They are all about the customer and make sure that you feel that way. Numan is the owner and he goes all out to make sure you pass and feel comfortable. I pulled in about 30 minutes before close on a Saturday and they were busy but very efficient. There were probably about 4 or 5 cars ahead of me and I got out in about an hour. They even smog checked a lady who walked in well after closing time. There was a slight hiccup between one of the techs and I, but they never let me feel bad about it. Numan constantly came in the waiting room to make sure that I was happy and satisfied. They went all out and made sure that I, the customer came first. I honestly could not have been happier. Also, I do have an aftermarket part in my car and they were able to research and double check that it was good to go before they started the test. They even asked the small things that many people forget before going in including if you've reset the ecu, unhooking battery, CEL (You would think that techs should tell you but many of them don't), warming the car up, etc.... Do yourself a favor, and give these guys your business. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Sharon C.

13 years ago

fast, freindly and good price! strongly recommend!!!

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Alice C.

12 years ago

stopped by on Saturday at 4:30, and out of there by 5 with my smog check done and transmitted to the DMV. could not have been easier, and cheaper than most other places I found, too. no complaints! read more

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A. P. D.

11 years ago

fast, friendly, and affordable. bill is your smog expert! the location is convenient for east bay residents.

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K B.

12 years ago

i love this place!! very nice and clean. speedy service. customer service was excellent. i recommend this place to anyone looking to get a smog. thanks bill read more

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Noah Z.

12 years ago

great shop location if you live in berkeley. bill always tries to accommodate you as the customer. i was supprised at how fast but thorough my smog experience was. i enjoyed the friendliness of the shops vibe. great place to smog a car.... quick and easy. thanks again bill. read more

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More info about 1 Berkeley Star Smog

1043 Hearst Ave
Berkeley, CA 94710
West Berkeley
Directions
(510) 841-6000
Call Now

Payment methods

Does 1 Berkeley Star Smog take credit cards?

Yes, 1 Berkeley Star Smog takes credit cards.

Other Amenities

Does 1 Berkeley Star Smog have free WiFi?

Yes, 1 Berkeley Star Smog has free WiFi.

From the Business

Specialties

We Smog All Vehicles Star Certified Smog Check Station Regular Smog (Biennial Smog) for License Plate Tags. Star Directed Smog for Renewal Registration (License Plate Tags) Change of Ownership ( Star and Non-Star) Out of the State Vehicles (Register to California) Gross Polluters or Any type of Smog Check.

History

Established in 2005.

Locally and family owned smog check business. We have been in automotive business since 1987 . We do Smog inspections since 2000.

Meet the Manager: Numan A.

I am in automotive business since 1987 and so far I've tested more than 50.000 vehicles.

More Info

Hours

1 Berkeley Star Smog Reviews in Other Languages

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1 Review

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Review Highlights - 1 Berkeley Star Smog

“This is my third time with Bill and I feel he is efficient in getting in and out and I like him personally.”

Mentioned in 64 reviews

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I've been a loyal customer, turning to Jose for two smog checks and an oil change for my wife's…read moreBMW. He and his team are proficient and professional each time. Feels good to support a local business where everyone acts with integrity.

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The process was smooth and fast. I arrived 8:30AM and associate said the test would be done in…read more10-15 min. I took a 13min walk and when I returned the car was in fact done and passed SMOG. Cash price promotion was $48 for newer than 2010 regular smog test. This station was reccomended by a friend and I'd come again

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I came here after the regular smog place I go to couldn't take me…read more This young man running this place said he could do mine, but he had a few other cars before me and it's be about 30 mins. I parked the car and gave him the keys and went next door for lunch. I came back a little early, and sat under the gazebo to wait. I saw how efficiently he handled folks and how quick he was. He was also very personable too. I didn't have a coupon, but he still have me a little discount. Will come back for my next smog. I can see why this was voted best smog in East Bay.

I was in and out in less than 15 minutes today and they were cool with the fact that I didn't have…read morethe DMV paperwork. My little Ford passed and I was happy with the service provided by two out of the three guys there ... But the guy running the register was just brusque as hell. I don't know what I expect -- that could just be standard. But it caused me to drop a star regardless.

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This worked out perfectly for me. The young man was very nice and polite. He was a pleasure to deal…read morewith. Efficient and fast. I will definitely come back here.

Been bringing our cars here for years. Professionalism, efficiency in getting the job done and…read morefriendliness have not wavered one bit. Highly recommended for your smog check needs.

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Best smog in town. Fast, cheap and friendly. I usually do some grocery shopping across the way…read morewhile I wait and every time my car is ready before I'm out.

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Allie P.

12 years ago

I fully recommend Numan for a smog test. He is honest, helpful, and very friendly. When I originally brought my car in, the check engine light was on. Before testing the car and charging me, he told me up front that it would be an automatic fail. He gave me the option of running the smog test later (after I had fixed the engine light problem) or he said that we could run the test anyway and see if there were any other problems that might need fixing. He offered to give me a free re-test for as long as I needed to get the car fixed. I wound up running the test with Numan and taking a free re-test. I made an appointment with Numan the second time I needed to come back and he was right on time. Numan read my car's computer before running the smog test. He let me know that it was possible my car might not pass again because it had not been driven long enough since the check engine light was turned off. Again, he gave me the option to test or to come back, and he offered me another free re-test. My car did eventually pass and Numan did not charge me anything extra other than the original smog fee. I would definitely recommend him to anyone who needs their car smogged in the area. He is friendly, helpful, and very honest about everything that is going on. read more

Paul B.

13 years ago

Paul from El Cerrito writes: This shop provides excellent customer service and was very efficient. I have two pre-1990 vehicles which both require the "EVAP Functional Test" and the "Enhanced Smog Test" (which cost extra), and I usually try to stay close to home (El Cerrito) to keep the cost down, but the pricing is very fair and so I wouldn't even consider going anywhere else. Numan told me in detail what the extra tests were for and how to best maintain my vehicles so that they will continue to pass smog certification. They have certainly gotten themselves another repeat customer. Thanks again Numan! Paul read more

Jen J.

13 years ago

This is a super friendly STAR station. There are no hidden fees, it is a convenient skip to AAA on University Ave, and has a professional atmosphere. I had a short wait time, less than 15 minutes. The station and waiting area are clean. They offer three coupons, and will help you to use the best coupon for your car. Ask for Numan- he has a great sense of humor, which makes all the smogging business a little easier to handle. I would definitely return here. I paid 33.20 total for my smog check. It is always easier to part with money when it is going to friendly folks doing a good job. read more

Brian C.

12 years ago

Coming to this place was the best part of my day. If you go anywhere even if it's a bit of a drive you should definitely come here and see Numan. It will be completely worth it. He came out right at 8:30 and greeted me. He was so polite and friendly I was a little shocked. He offered me coffee and wi-fi while I waited. Which wasn't long at all. He was so fast and efficient I barely had time to sit down. After spending 5 1/2hrs & $350 at El Cerrito dmv I wish they could take a lesson from Numan on how to treat your customers. I'm definitely coming back to him from now on. read more

Bryan G.

12 years ago

This is the second time I come to this place, first time the car failed because high emissions. The technician, Numan, was super helpful he explained to me why the car didn't pass and what I could do to it to fix it. The second time the car passed right away, tested by the same technician and again the same outstanding customer service. I'd recommend this place, the staff is super friendly and professional I'd give this place 10 stars if I could great Job!!! read more

Wade W.

12 years ago

I called first to make sure if it is OK to come around closing time and no sure I may be late a little bit and the guy told me any time even after close and he can wait me for sure. I feel every happy and surprise if the shop close ..... he still want to wait me. Very friendly service and good price. First time try and will come back for sure. Recommend to others???? Yesssssss! read more

Yasmin S.

7 years ago

Today I was there, it appears my car's monitors were not ready after a recent dead battery.my car failed & I was scared that I will need some repair job, the owner was kind enough to explain the reason and said to drive in cycle and then come back! After almost 1 hour driving in the highway I went back and,the car passed the test! They were very kind and helpful,thank you! read more

Suzanne S.

11 years ago

Great place to get a smog. I didn't schedule an appt ahead of time, and called around 9am on a Tuesday to get service. Bill immediately drove in to take care of me. He was fantastic, great customer service. He honored the yelp discount and gave me an additional discount on top of that, plus a coupon for next time. Very professional, courteous, quick, and great price! read more

Pogi A.

12 years ago

Came to this shop due to good reviews. I called and spoke to Bill who was very nice over the phone. Got to the shop, pulled over and came to me with a form to fill out. This is first come first serve service. He went above and beyond. Great customer service and hooked me up at pretty good price. Wait wasn't long. Will definitely be back again. Thanks! read more

Seth D.

12 years ago

Never felt so compelled to write a review. 1 Berkeley Star Smog is amazing. Technician Bill was super helpful, he gave me water (like uber), and was incredibly fast and cheap. Be sure to use yelp and mention before testing for the coupon offer. These guys are RAD. If only the DMV could run like this... read more

Yelp M.

12 years ago

Great place. Numan (the owner) is very kind. I failed the first time and he explained to me exactly what the problems were. After I got these fixed with my mechanic (who found the same issues that Numan had specified), he was able to get me in right away for the retest. Clean shop, easy process. read more

Marilyn M.

13 years ago

This was the best smog certification experience I've had! I found it online and scheduled an appointment for a Saturday. Numan was friendly, professional, got me in quickly and handled the whole thing in record time and gave me a deal on top of it! I will definitely return to him in the future. read more

Zura G.

12 years ago

I think 1 Berkeley Star Smog is the place to choose when it comes to smog check. Reasonably priced, very professional, scheduled appointments are adhered to, no delays and also the customer service was amazing. If you need to do smog check, this is the place to choose in my opinion. read more

John P.

10 years ago

I appreciated the speedy service and the no-nonsense attitude. I was there for 15 minutes from start to finish, with no hassle at all. Would recommend to anyone, and will go back myself next time I need a Smog check. Thanks! read more

YongJin C.

10 years ago

I purchased coupon for smog test from groupon, but I had no idea I need to make appointment. However Bill generously helped testing it even he was busy. It was great help to save my day. I appreciate his generous help. read more

Sven K.

10 years ago

Quick, fast and friendly. What more can you ask! Very professional, asked good questions and had all the answers. Very helpful. Highly recommended. read more