Six months ago, I had my car towed to the closest auto shop after it broke down while I was on my way home. The employees there were friendly and helpful. After they diagnosed the problem as a faulty alternator, I gave them permission to replace it along with the serpentine belt. The car ran fine until yesterday. Through no fault of theirs, the alternator failed. I called Certified Automotive and explained that it had only been six months since the part was replaced. They told me not to worry and bring it back in. They confirmed that the alternator was bad. They explained that both the alternator and labor had a one-year guarantee. They will replace it free of charge. I can't tell you how relieved I was that Certified Automotive stood by their guarantee. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an honest and reputable auto repair shop. read more

Friendly, helpful , and good service. Today they fixed a problem for me and I didn't have an appointment.

This place ripped me off! Don't go here! I overheard them saying they had a car for a brake job, but the pads were fine. I literally heard them saying a customer wanted brakes so even if he doesn't need them they need to change pads!!! Rip off! If you had brake pads done today here, they ripped you off too! read more

Honestly staff was fine friend amazing but smog tech knowing I was gonna fail for something so simple to fix he failed me easy way to get a quick buck off someone so they fail and have to smog again thanks read more

Great service and friendly service. I recommend. Because I have to write more I am just typing

I've been going to certified automotive for 11 years and find them the best place to go for your car. Kimberly knows about her cars inside and out and she works at the desk. The guys working on the cars know their profession and are good mechanics I give these guys a 10 read more

Great customer service, was able to get in and out without an appointment. Smog done in less than 20 minutes with no appointment made me refer them to others! read more

I have taken multiple cars there multiple times for multiple repairs and they aways treat me well. Their pricing is good and they deliver on time. If something checks out they will not suggest a repair you do not need. read more

Great place, and the owner Keith is a good guy with over 20 years of knowledge. If you need a car fixed or smogged this is the best in Atwater! read more

I do not recommend this place to anyone! My boyfriend took his car here a couple of times. He's paid over $1000. They have not fixed the check engine light nor the clicking noise in his dashboard. They temporarily fix the problem and it comes right back. They also did an unnecessary oil change for $200. Whenever he takes it there, it comes back with a different problem and he's out the money. They also don't have a mechanic available half the time. Such a rip off and they don't know how to fix cars! read more

Had my car fixed their in 2021 called today spoke to manager asked her why they used a after market part she explained that the factory was not available which they had my car for about 3 weeks now the part is leaking i asked several times she said i didn't need to be rude I guess asking a question about a service they did and used a part she said over and over again it would a factory part after a few times of her saying i didn't need to be rude i said to her to blank off needless to say she has lost a long time customer getting oil changes on all my cars and i will make sure the rest of the stop business their also now my car is at the dealerships getting the part fixed I remember at one point the customer should be heard but i guess not anymore I have heard many others people say bad experience their also kinda sad I don't want to leave a star but to post this i had to read more

Horrible will take your money and car will never get fixed take it to pick n pull before you let them rob you and not fix your car.

Great friendly service. Came in for a smog and left with smile. Good people and fair pricing.

I came here this week for door repair and the service from the office to the actual repairs was great! I made an appointment but did not realize I would need to arrange a ride home while my car was being service BUT they were still able to see me same day at a later time which I really appreciated because I needed this repair done before the weekend!! Pricing was fair and the technician was very helpful and knowledgeable! Definitely recommend their service ! Thank you ! read more

Beware of price gouging, they charged me double the price for an oil change , didnt even tell me up front . They have a sign on the door that oil prices have gone up , but i called other shops including a new car dealer and oil prices have not gone up in the last six months let alone double . When i called to get an explanation the owner got on the phone and just yelled take your business elsewhere . read more

They were quick and also helped keep my daughter occupied with coloring books. I showed up and within 10 mins had my car pulled in. When my daughter was getting fussy, they brought coloring books out for her. Just all around good service read more

I went in for a smog check there was two customers in front of me paying. As I went up to the window the two lady at the front desk ignored me and chit chat with their kids for 10 minutes which is cool I'm a family guy too, but you can atleast acknowledge your customers. From the office you can see out to the window where they do the oil change area and I see two young worker, one was holding a lighter helping the other light his cigarette. I turned around and left, this place is a circus. read more

This is a great automotive shop! They are knowledgeable, reliable, fast and always looking out for the best deal for the customer. I highly recommend it and I will be bringing my car back for maintenance as well as repairs. Thanks Carl and Bill! read more

Certified Automotive - Great service! Knowledgeable and accommodating mechanics. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Atwater, California

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This shop is very knowledgeable, honest and does the best job for very reasonable prices. Kimberly and Hector at the front desk are both very helpful and friendly! We take our cars here for everything and they have never let us down. It's hard to find a shop that you can trust and we are fortunate to have such a great, reliable place in our hometown. read more

Went for a oil change had my car out in 15 mins an the lady in front office super nice

John C. The owner and his staff are great. I bring all my vehicles in from where I live in Catheys Valley. See Kimberly or Hector at the front desk. read more

They checked and smog passed my car with out any problem. 5 other shops in the area refused to test the car or did a pretest and failed it. There was nothing wrong with the car runs good no check engine light. Certified said the other shops did not know what they were doing. They did not warm it up . Certified Did I give them an A+ read more

Great service and nice polite people, Carl was very helpful and cares about the customers! I had my car smog test there. I will go back! read more

I would'nt bring my car here!!. They take advantage of kids/customers who don't know better. So if for some silly reason like you charged your battery and need a retest, They charge you double. no retest for free. Retests are more than the smog!!f My young son brought his car here and paid 160 +$$$$. All he needed was to put some miles on the car after it was charged. He didn't know that going in. They double charged him, he was gone 30 minutes. This is the only smog station that does this!!!! I called all over Merced and Atwater!! Be aware they take advantage of kids when they need their money most!! Struggling students in school and scrambling for every buck, This place should be avoided!!! Poor business ethic in todays world. Spoke to their employee, he was rude and unapologetic. Gave them a chance to do the right thing and they blew it. read more

Needed a quick smog and called the first place that came up on Yelp. I was told I needed to make an appointment so I asked for their availability and the man on the phone said "you know what, you can come in now". Super convenient. Came in with my boyfriend and we were able to wait inside while they did the inspection. The receptionist was AMAZING. I have never met such a kind hearted receptionist who genuinely cares for customers! The man on the phone walked in and spoke to us and made us laugh and feel comfortable. The receptionist heard me talking to my boyfriend about looking for another job and she pulled out her phone and listed off sooo many jobs I could apply for. She didn't have to but she did because she cared! After about 20 minutes, the man came back in and let us know everything was set and even gave me tips for my career! Super amazing people. They were quick with the service, fair prices, and just genuine people overall. Highly recommend to people who want to feel absolutely comfortable and attended to! read more

Take your car somewhere else! I didn't learn my lesson the first time and now I paid for it the second time. Before Yelp was around I took my car for transmission work. Nine months later my transmission goes out again. I take it to Aamco and they said whoever worked on your car last left a "bolt" at the bottom of the transmission pan. Certified said that we couldn't prove it. Just recently I took my car in for some suspension work and they ended up chipping up the powder coating on my wheel and they forget to bolt my sway bar back on. My car was making so many noises I take it back and they say its safe to drive. I have pictures of the damaged wheel, the hanging sway bar and they refuse it is there fault. On top of all that they charged me $45 over the original quote and when I brought it up they said they didn't recall quoting me when I made the appointment. I literally had to take my car somewhere else to fix everything that they did wrong. I'm paying more to get my car fixed than I did for the suspension work at Certified Automotive. What a Nightmare! Please learn from my mistakes, this place does not do good work, they charge more than other shops, they have poor customer service, they will deny any fault of their own, they won't return your phone calls, and will charge you more than what they quoted you. read more

Great place for an oil change, smog check, and other automotive repairs. Great staff, and their prices are comparative to other local shops, almost half the price of dealerships. No surprises on price and kept us informed on what our vehicle needed. Honest, and fair place. read more

Ok. So this visit to Certified was for a protective shield under my car THAT broke off on my recent trip down south and had to be removed by AAA. Called and Carl said to bring it in. I did. This time I met a new friendly helpful guy, Richard. He had it repaired and back on in minutes. I would give more stars than 5 if I could. Thanks guys read more

This place is a gem. The best mechanic honest & the girl answering phones. Kimberly? Oh I'm sorry if I got that wrong. This girl knows her stuff. I was very impressed. Mom's car was towed over from jacks r better because he was going 2 fleece her. Quoted her a timing chain replacement on a Chevy spark less than 60000 miles on it. It needed a battery. A thermostat or coolant something. The sensors also need done but it's running fine. A battery people they saved her butt big these guys. NO EXAGGERATING. 100%FACT. COME HERE 1ST. DONT GET FLEECED BY GUYS LIKE JACKS. read more

Very honest shop! I took my car in to have the brakes replaced. Certified called me after they opened up my vehicle to tell me that the brakes actually didn't need to be replaced. They could have just provided the service, and made a lot more money, but they were honest enough to call me instead. I have had my vehicle serviced here a few times, and the rates are very reasonable. read more

Husband took the car to have an oxygen sensor changed, dropped the car off and they said they couldn't take it off. They weren't able to fix it and still charged us. In my opinion if you can't do the work you shouldn't charge. They were kind and friendly just didn't like that we were charged for nothing. read more

Beware of the scammers! Tried to pull one over on me. Went in for a basic/fast smog check. Easy right? Wrong! Tried to hit me with a $100 diagnostic charge, plus labor, parts, and taxes. That might work with some people, but being a ASE certified technician for over 15 years, I seen right though their bs. Never would have took my car there in the first place but my regular smog check place was busy as heck. Not these guys though. I guess people value good service. Anyways, took my vehicle to another smog place. Passed with flying colors (my car looks rough on the outside, but the motor's precisely tuned. I think this may have been another reason why they tried to scam me. I have a good mind to report them to the bar). Saved myself a couple hundred dollars and wasted time. Next time, I'll just wait a little more to get good service, instead of taking it here. You've been fairly warned. read more

Went in for an oil change and man were they friendly, nice and servicing!!! Will definitely be back!! Excellent customer service!

Other than a few delays in getting things done I have no real complaints. I have been a customer since moving to Atwater in 2007. There was time, with the old crew, that I have to admit service was a bit shabby, but Carl and the rest of the crew have certainly changed that around. Overall, we've had nearly $4k worth of work done on our '96 Sable and have been satisfied with most of the work...again the only rough time was during the old regime which has changed for the better. We support local business every chance we get and while we keep our old horse kicking, it'll will be in Certified's hands. It's NOT the shops fault we insist on keeping our 20 year old car that is impossible to get some parts for, but I do have confidence in the team of mechanics to do what they can with what they've got... a persnickity customer that simply wants things his way! ;) Loyal customers, D&W - Atwater read more

They replaced my headlight for free because they said they couldn't justify charging me. Super honest! Will return.

Took my car in for a diagnosis, they quoted $800. The part alone was going to cost me $500. I had my car towed to another shop for repairs when I found out that I could buy the part myself for $156 (same exact part number). Turns out the original issue isn't what was wrong with my car to begin with. Second opinions necessary with this one. read more

I like to support local businesses and prefer Certified Automotive over Jiffy Lube or any other chain type establishment. I go here for oil changes and recently for a smog check. Service is fast, fairly priced and professional. The employees here are polite and seem to actually care about what they do. What more can you ask from an automotive place? read more

This place is horrible !!! Charges 100$ per hour for labor and will provide 10 different quotes by phone and still will rip you off when you go pick up your vehicle this place is a joke and I'm very sorry I listened to the recommendation to start with!!! read more

Worst place I have ever called. I called 2 times and first time they said the f word to me not a hello or anything just the f word (girls voice) then hung up. Then I called a couple of hours later and tried again. This time crystal answered I asked to speak to the manager of the shop she got bill and I explained to bill what happened earlier on that day when I called. He apologized. But that still doesn't make it right. Why would you hire kids who pick up the phone to curse at people for no reason. Just wanted to see if they can work on my sons car read more

I really wanted to not have a sour taste in my mouth with this business, simply because who can only assume is the owner, Carl, was very courteous and understanding. My story is I took my 98 accord in for the pads and rotors to be changed, and get an alignment. When I went to pick up my car, there was a grease stain on my seat (which I just cleaned, I take great care of my cars cosmetically), the manager immediately came out, apologized and cleaned it himself. I took off only to realize my alignment was still very far off, steering wheel cocked, pulling left and all. I took it back 2 days later and told Carl, he was more than happy to align it again free of charge. I didn't pick it up for about a day as I was busy, and didn't drive it on the highway for another couple. Yet again, my alignment was off. I have since taken it to Les Schwab for an alignment and it's been perfect. I feel it's a lack of having a newer machine at Certified. Brakes have been fine though, and again as a recap, nothing bad to say about the way I was treated. read more