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    Excel Smog

    4.7 (100 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Services - Excel Smog

    Smog check

    Excel Smog Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Excel Smog

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    Reviews With Photos

    Excel Smog
    Evan T.

    HONEST, RELIABLE and AFFORDABLE. If you're looking for a smog test center you can trust, look no further! This place is a true gem in the community. The pricing is very reasonable, making it easy on your wallet, but what really sets this spot apart is the owner's honesty and professionalism. You'll never feel like you're being upsold or pressured into unnecessary services here. The owner genuinely cares about doing the job right and making the process as smooth as possible for customers. The service is quick, efficient, and friendly - exactly what you want when you're handling something as mundane as a smog check. I left feeling confident that my car was in good hands, and it's refreshing to find a business you can genuinely trust. Highly recommend this place to anyone needing a smog check!

    Jon W.

    Thank you , Repeat customer, I showed up at 8am on Friday and he was opening up. One other waiting and I was in by 8:15. The one before was a third time customer, IYKYK. Will be bringing our other car over as well. Not sure how someone would say "rude" but super nice and communicated every step of the way. If you 3-4 cars back he typically will say come back. If he is a bit late one day know the service is worth the wait again Thank You

    Strictly business, plenty of parking
    Josh C.

    Excellent service, clean facility, timely service. Same day service with no reservations, first come first served. Smog test took about 25 minutes. $55 charge, I didn't mind posting because I needed test done day of. $45 if you fail and pay the difference when you return. Technicians have over 30 years of experience. Highly recommended.

    Excel smog. Never dissatisfied
    Oscar B.

    I've been coming to excel smog for over 8 years now. I buy/sell cars and I always smog before selling. I have only failed 1 time and it was because the car was carbureated (1981) and even do he tried couldn't get it to pass. I've gotten more than 50 vehicles in here easily. Completely recommend. Always available and for the best prices

    Absolutely great service. The most affordable and quick STAR certified Smogs
    Onpoint M.

    Absolutely great service. Been coming here for years now and he does all my smogs. Company and personal vehicles. He has a nice section for waiting customers if you decide to stay and wait. Absolutely recommended. The most affordable Star certified smog in town

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    24 days ago

    Excel Smog was fast convenient and friendly. The owner is really nice and the price was pretty good I go there with all my vehicles

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    3 months ago

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    1 month ago

    We've been going here for the past 10 years, always reliable, prepare yourself for great customer service and a joke!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

    Great service by Hiep Nguyen. Very friendly and professional. Recommend their business.

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Super friendly staff! 10/10 recommend! Right off the freeway and never to busy! They also have seats to wait for your car to be done!

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Super quick service, was in and out in less than 20-30 mins without an appointment. $60 to pass a smog test, would recommend.

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    3 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Super friendly staff and professional. Took care of my car speedy and efficient. I highly recommend!

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Fast friendly service. The waiting area is in the garage with fresh air from big bay doors. Took about 20 minutes in and out.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Excel Smog

    Review Highlights - Excel Smog

    No one WANTS to get their car smog checked, but Hiep and his friendly wife make the experience much better.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Griffin's Auto Repair

    Griffin's Auto Repair

    (357 reviews)

    Little Italy

    Admittedly, I don't know anything about cars so I can't really speak to price point, but what I can…read moreconfirm is the customer service is surpassed by none. Today was my second service on my car with Griffin's Auto Repair. The first time I brought my Jeep here, my engine shut down due to lack of oil as a result of another auto shop's failed oil change. They quickly and affordably fixed what could have otherwise been the end of my Jeep. Today, I brought my car in for a simple oil change. They always perform a full inspection when you bring your car in which gives me peace of mind and helps me plan. While I was there, Dwayne brought me back to show me something they found during the inspection. He and the mechanic, Nicholas, explained what they were seeing and what that meant. Nicholas patiently answered my questions and he spoke with me instead of speaking down to me. After my options were explained to me, I felt I had a fairly good grasp of what I was looking at in the future. Neither Nicholas or Dwayne pushed a service onto me that I wasn't prepared for. Instead, I was offered advice that was best for me. While waiting, I picked Mario and Dwayne's brain on certain car topics and they were both friendly and engaged offering sound advice. They had a great relationship with every vendor dropping off parts and were engaged with what appeared to be many long term customers. In the end if the concern is the cost, I will say you can't put a price on a trustworthy team. I did the quick oil changes with the less than $100 cost and it almost cost me my car. I know every time I bring my car in, I am going to have a skilled mechanic look over my car and make sure I am driving around a safe vehicle. You're paying for what you get.

    Car troubles are always stressful, but the staff at Griffin's made the whole repair process…read morecompletely seamless. Their customer service team is polite, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about helping you out. They gave me a fair estimate, finished the work right on time, and delivered amazing results. Thank you for the outstanding service!

    Hillcrest Smog & Repair - Hillcrest Smog & Auto is a great place to lounge while getting your car fixed

    Hillcrest Smog & Repair

    (543 reviews)

    Hillcrest

    World's most trustworthy and honest mechanic…read more I recommend all my friends go here, it's how I found it - recommended to me by a friend. Quan is fantastic and she helped me when I had bought a lemon which was a nightmare for me and now she helps me with my Prius! My partner has also come here to get his sequoia serviced as well! One time my junkyard car broke down on me two blocks away and I called her and she let me pull it into the shop! She is kind, compassionate, and a wonderful mechanic.

    WOW is all I can say!!! A co-worker referred me to Quan at Hillcrest Auto Repair because I…read morementioned I needed brakes she said the dealership was going to charge her 500 for her rear brakes so she took her Lexus to Quan and was out in 2 hours for 139.00, what a huge difference. She also told me she has been going to them for about 18 years, so I decided to give them a call. Quan answered the phone, and she was so nice, knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I had called around to a few other places who I also trusted and that were closer to home, but the price difference was huge. If I needed all new brakes and rotors it was going to cost me about $1300, if I needed all from Quan it was going to cost about $800 so I made my appointment for the next morning and they were right on time. They tested my brakes and what I really appreciated is they don't upsell you, they took my car for a test drive and said it was what I described shaking on the front end which means my rotors we warped she said they would replace the front rotors and brakes and then test drive it again to make sure the back was fine. Once they finished the front rotors and brakes they test drove it and all was good. Quan was so nice and explained that rotors these days aren't as thick so unfortunately they wear down faster than they used to. I will be going here for all my future auto repairs. A few things to be aware of, this is no frills shop. There is no seating inside there are only two chairs outside the office, however, there are plenty of places to walk to and wait to have breakfast, lunch and shop so it for me this wasn't an issue at all. I enjoyed taking a walk and having breakfast while I waited.

    Thao Auto Repair - Waiting room

    Thao Auto Repair

    (249 reviews)

    Normal Heights

    This is the second time I go to this shop for a car repair. Loan quoted a reasonable price for…read morerepainting

    It's unfortunate because I really wanted to give this place a try, it would've been convenient for…read moreus since we manage multiple vehicles, and I was hoping to build a solid business relationship. On 4/14 I brought in an Escalade after replacing the rear brakes because it started throwing multiple warning lights, even though the ABS sensor and brakes were already replaced. I understand newer vehicle technology can sometimes cause glitches even with simple repairs, so I trusted they'd be able to diagnose and fix it. They charged a $130 diagnostic fee, which I was completely fine with. The next day, they said they needed to reset the computer for $390. Since I had already paid for the diagnostic and was told it would go toward the repair, I agreed. The following day, I was told they couldn't reset it and that I'd need a new module for $3,468.54. I declined and decided to get a second opinion from our regular mechanic. I still paid the $390 plus a $13.65 service charge, which I later found out was a credit card fee. The next day, I took the vehicle to our regular mechanic. Within 2 hours, they cleared the stored codes and the vehicle was ready, total cost: $120. No waiting days, no module replacement, and no unnecessary upsell. I waited a couple of weeks before writing this review to make sure the issue didn't come back, and also spoke with Barry to see if anything could be done about the $403.65 I paid. I felt it was unfair to be charged for a service that ultimately wasn't completed. I would've been completely fine just paying the $130 diagnostic fee. Unfortunately, he declined, stating the charge was for their time. I understand time was spent, but from a business standpoint, I wouldn't feel right charging a client for a repair that wasn't successfully completed, especially when the vehicle left in the same condition it arrived. Because of this experience, I wouldn't return or recommend this shop to others. I think it's important for people to know that you may end up paying for work that doesn't actually resolve the issue.

    AA Smog Shop

    AA Smog Shop

    (62 reviews)

    Loma Portal

    About a week, I made a verbal fleet servicing agreement with AA Smog Shop San Diego Auto Clinic…read more They're a small shop in a dicey location, but I like to support small businesses and have grown to trust many small businesses around San Diego for my fleet. I sent my 1st vehicle to them 4/9/13 and everything went as promised. Today, 4 days later, I sent a 2nd vehicle and the price was all of a sudden 15% higher. Same vehicle model, same engine, & same service. Having spent some time talking to the owners CJ and Nan when initially setting up terms, I thought it must be an honest mistake. When I called, Nan mentioned some additional fees that were not outlined in the first invoice. She said she was unaware of the exact deal we had made, but she would talk to CJ about it. It just seemed like miscommunication. CJ called me back, I explained the situation by calmly and politely referring back to the 1st invoice they sent me. CJ proceeded to go back on our original agreement citing oil prices (wasn't that calculated on the initial agreement?), told me to go somewhere else, and hung up. This was unexpected as my original agreement was discussed with them over the span of multiple conversations. It feels like a bait and switch. It feels like the additional charge was added on purpose in hopes that I would not be paying attention to my invoicing.

    I was due for my bi-annual smog test and, as usual, was waiting until the last minute. I decided…read moreto try my best to get it in during my lunch hour and was looking on Yelp for a convenient location with good reviews, and I had to find a required star station. I was not led astray. I pulled into AA Smog around 12:15 on a Wednesday afternoon. I was the only car there. However, right after that, two other cars pulled in behind me. The attendant, maybe the owner, jumped out to greet me. He took my info and DMV paperwork. He quoted me $65 dollars, which I found quite reasonable, as other nearby places charge more, even when they claim to be offering a discount. I sat down in one of of the few lawn chairs to wait. Literally, five minutes later, my car had passed and was ready to go. On top of that, the person who helped me was quite friendly and chatted with me about his four cockatiels who were there with him. Getting Smogged is never something was want to do, but something we have to do. AA Smog Shop made it easy.

    Miramar Auto Repair - Japanese Auto Plus - New signage! :)

    Miramar Auto Repair - Japanese Auto Plus

    (241 reviews)

    Sorrento Valley, Miramar

    Bottom Line Upfront: Miramar Auto Repair is one of the best values of any auto shop in San Diego…read more Jason and Pedro were exceptional in taking care of me, and finding a solution to a very technical challenge. I brought in my Honda Ridgeline for an issue with my AC. Jason worked with me at the front-desk and went above and beyond to understand my issue and the troubleshooting I had already done. He explained to me CONCISELY what the feasible issue may be, and how they were going to approach a diagnosis. Jason was extremely knowledgeable, and followed up promptly to discuss the fix. Pedro was also exceptional. He found the issue (rodent-chewed wires) and repaired it perfectly. When I picked up my car, he was as excited as I was to have helped me. Before Miramar Auto, I took my truck to the Honda dealer, and they charged twice as much for a diagnosis, only to tell me that I would need a new compressor (incorrect diagnosis) and that it would cost twice as much as I ended up paying out the door at Miramar auto. I couldn't believe how easy Miramar Auto made it. To say that Jason, Pedro, and Miramar Auto are honest, fair, and made me feel taken care of... would be an understatement. They have rightfully earned another lifelong customer. Thank you Miramar Auto!

    Miramar Auto did a major repair job on our Subaru Forester earlier this month and we are completely…read moresatisfied with their work. They were professional, explained well, kept us informed of the status and more importantly, the car runs great. We will be using them again in the future and highly recommend them for your auto repair needs.

    Excel Smog - smog_check_stations - Updated May 2026

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