Dan has always treated me fair. He is knowledgeable, very experienced, and often talks me out of doing what I requested, because he knows it would be a waste of money. He can diagnose the problem and give me all the options. This may sound strange, but I actually enjoy paying him. And I'm a tight wad! It will be a sad day when he fully retires. read more

I went in for my regularly scheduled oil change. I was not having any issues with my vehicle prior to leaving it here with Dan. After I picked my car up, I drove for 32 miles before I went over the hill to Santa Cruz. Once I was over the hill, my check engine light came on as well as my oil light. My oil indicator light has never come on since I bought this car new in 2016. There was not a drop of oil in my engine. I had to add almost 4 quarts to fill it up. Needless to say when I went in for an oil change, they forgot to put the oil back in. I called in immediately from Santa Cruz to let him know that my light came on and he automatically suggested that maybe I had a leak somewhere. I double triple checked everywhere under my car and there were no leaks not a single drop of oil leaking from my engine... when I got back into town, I immediately took my car back down to Payless to talk to Dan, and he still denied any wrongdoing insisting that I have an oil leak and that is where all the oil went had to keep an eye on it. Since then I have drove over 1500 miles and still not single drop of oil from my engine. I have offered him multiple opportunities to make this right by doing another oil change and a compression check on my engine to make sure that there was no damage done. I have received no response from him in any effort to make this right. I hate to leave a negative review because I actually really like Dan, but as a business owner myself, you have to be accountable for your mistakes. Had he just admitted that somehow it was overlooked and apologized, I would've gladly accepted and moved on. Unfortunately, now I need to worry about any damage that was done to my engine while it had no oil in it. read more

Dan is very honest he does not beat around the bush my dad been going there for years

only had to wait 10-15 minutes and it was the BEST price i could find! they also send the smog check direct to the DMV. The smog check at 76 gas station wanted $92!!! Very pleased with this place! read more

Payless Smog & Tune - Auto Repair Near Me - Gilroy, California

Dan is awesome and seems super honest. Communicated clearly with us and did a great job on the breaks and axle.

Danny went above and beyond when I need to get my Diesel truck inspected! I don't know if it was because it was a slow day or not... Danny explained the issues and changes that are going on with DMV, C.A.R.B. California Air Resources Board and other state regulations when it come to diesel truck owners... I'm so glad he did! One thing I want to point out, to those that have Diesel trucks if you have after market bolt on products, ie air filter, intake air or exhaust.. You may need a CARB approved sticker for it....This exemption is called an Executive Order (EO) and allows the modification to be installed on specific emission controlled vehicles. Every Executive Order part or modification has an assigned number that can be verified by Smog Check stations, BAR Referee stations, or by the ARB. Do you research prior in going to a smog specialist!!! Danny took the time and ran my products in the system making sure what I needed. I called in advance inquiring if I needed an appointment, its always good thing to do! Parking can be tight if you have a large truck, in case he can get to you right away. He takes ATM or Credit Card. Good Luck! read more

Payless Smog & Tune - Business Front. Parking is limited. - Auto Repair Near Me - Gilroy, California

My elderly mother took her late husband's dually into another shop for a check on the engine light warning. They quoted her $6,000 for the work, didn't even tell her what it needed, and then offered her $12,000 if she was willing to sell (Bluebook has it listed for $35,000). She came home confused, so I called Payless Smog for a second opinion. He was familiar with the vehicle, knew exactly what it required, and suggested we cancel the order right away. We called the previous shop, less than an hour after dropping it off, and told them cease work. They charged us more for pick up ($380.00) than Daniel did to perform a check, the work, and replace parts, saving us more than $5,000. We picked up the truck the same day. Payless Smog is trustworthy, quick, and efficient. read more

Service was great. Technician was prompt to get on my car and do the star smog test. It passed with ease. Thank you Payless smog in tune for being very efficient. read more

Had a smog test done on my wife's car and it needed an oil change, so I had it done at the same time. 3 weeks later I checked the oil and it was down almost 3 Qts. I thought maybe it had started using oil so I filled it up and checked again in about a month and it was not down at all. Is it that they are to busy to do the job write? This was the 2nd time I had bad work done there. I need a smog on other car and will be going else where to get it done. read more

I would give zero stars if I can. I went for only a smog and I left with my dash board lit up like a Christmas tree and instrument panel not working. The guy was talking to his friend the whole time he was doing the smog. Not professional at all. When I asked him about why I'm having issues with my car only after he did the smog he through his hands up in the air and said not my problem. He couldn't even bother to say let me see if I can help you. Completely dick head. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. I completely regret my decision to go there. Horrible business and owner. read more

Judging from the other reviews of Payless Smog & Tune, they must have changed their staff since last year : ) We took our pickup here yesterday as a walk-in visit, and we were in and out in about 15 minutes tops for $55! The serviceman was friendly and helpful, although I would suggest that if you have to wait in the summer any period of time, the office wasn't air-conditioned so you might want to run an errand or two. All in all - fast, friendly service!! read more

We have come here over the years for our smog checks. The staff has helped us in the past also with government programs that saved us lots of money! They are really quick; the last smog test we had only took 15 minutes! The only downside is the cost, but we're willing to pay a reliable business! read more

Horrible customer service! Stay away! When "greeted" by the man at the front desk, the first thing out of his mouth was about how long the wait would be. I understand informing the customer of a possible long wait time to avoid frustration latter on, but this was done in such a manner that it came across as him trying to convince me to go elsewhere. When I asked what their fees were, he replied, "I don't know what kind of vehicle you have so how should I know?!" (Note: he was holding my DMV renewal notice in his hand). I had torn off the stub at the bottom of the renewal notice from the DMV in preparation to mail it back, the man had the audacity to say, " why did you tear that off? What? You can't read and or follow directions?!" I went down the street to Precision Tune Auto Care. Very friendly and they matched the price quoted to me by Payless Smog. In case the personnel from Payless read this: Ending every sentence with "Sir" does not make you respectful. The manner in which your representative used it, actually amplified his disrespect and Insulting demeanor. read more

Made an appointment and when I got there the lady informed me that their smog guy had left for the day and that he had left a message for me but I had received no such message. Then she said if I was in a hurry I should use another smog check service. No offer to re-schedule. I was just out of luck. Didn't seem to matter that I was a long time customer. I'm done with them and don't recommend them. read more

Get service and people. Dan is a great guy who knows what he is doing. Thanks you, Carl, for hooking me up with him.

All my check engine lights were on & my Highlander was not going into overdrive. I took it to a transmission shop who checked it & said it was not the transmission. Thank goodness. He called Dan from Payless Smog and told him what was going on and was told that a sensor probably needed to be reset, but to bring the car to his shop. He checked my right away & told me that 4 sensors had to be replaced & he could do it this week after ordering the parts. I came back early & dropped off the car and was told that it would probably be ready by the end of the day. To my surprise, I got a call about 2:30pm saying it was done!! My car runs like new & it's so nice not to see all the check engine lites on. AND it cost less than he quoted me. A lot of other places would have charged the quoted price anyway, but this shows how honest Dan is. I would recommend Payless Smog & Tune to everyone who wants to deal with someone who knows all about cars & is honest. read more

I love this place! Being a woman and been taken advantage of in the past, I was referred by a friend. I have been coming here for about 3 years and haven't had any complants! Recently I brought my car in because I thought I needed new brakes, and the owner checked them called me quickly and said my brakes were fine. He could have easily told me I needed new ones! I appreciate the honesty they give me each and every time. read more

So, I take my auto here to get smogged, and the owner says without an ounce of friendliness that it will take over an hour to do. Not even explaining why. Needless to say, I took my auto elsewhere! read more

I got a recommendation to go there for a needed smog check. They told me they could not do my car for 45 minutes. I said I would be back in 45. I drove home, did a few things, and drove back exactly 45 minutes later. A man had driven up in his small truck and they told me I had to wait another 45 minutes before they could do my car because the other guy was there. I asked if he had come back or just arrived. Needless to say, they would not do my car before the other man's truck. I left and will not go back. If someone tells me to come back in 45, and I do, I expect them to honor that. They didn't. I won't go back again. read more

Have been coming here for about 8 years. I trust Dan wholeheartedly to be thorough and fair. Years ago the dealership claimed I needed $800 in repairs after a "courtesy" inspection during a recall visit. I took the work order to Payless to verify. He checked everything the dealer claimed and found nothing wrong and sent me on my way. Since then, when I have needed actual repairs the work is solid and reliable. Highly recommend this shop to anyone. read more

They are a very busy shop at times due to being in business over 20 years. I always call ahead of time to gauge what is a reasonable expectation to get the work done. Because they have never let me down on a smog, especially with high performance American cars that may not have passed, I give myself a week and bring the cars in accordingly. I always tell them to do whatever it takes to be safe on the road. They always surprise me with a fair bill, often $100's less than dealer quotes. They treat me like their little sister and I appreciate their honesty and effort. read more

Would take all my vehicle there for a smog , they are fast , friendly , and get the service you need done . I've been there for all my smogs since arriving and living in gilroy about 10 years ago , would not take my vehicles anywhere else , they are super inexpensive , they treat you with respect , and never had any issues with these guys , I suggest you take your vehicles there as well , like I said "they are fast and get it done and your on your way , and it's so inexpensive ... I will be taking my car there again today or maybe tomorrow because , I'm due for a smog on my Toyota , and have had my Infiniti i30 done there , my RAV4 , my matrix , and now I'll be bringing my mustang gt in , that I just purchased , and you will too , keep bringing your cars back because I feel they do honest work for a more than fair price , it's almost a steal , 50 bucks for a smog , it maybe 55 or maybe a lil more , but it is way cheaper than the arco gas station garage that use to charge me a about 170 bucks , so glad I found this place , you will to , I don't know how a couple of people gave them a low rating , they are likely those type of people that are never satisfied with anything and or a competitor that is out to slander them ..., I don't know for sure , but it was not even close to the great service I have gotten from them for the last ten years read more

I love this place!! I wished I'd found them long ago Dan knows cars and will take time to explain what might be wrong if you take time to listen. I always drop by check availability and almost always they take me right away Very efficient and very reasonable I bring all my cars to them. read more

I had my numerous vehicles serviced here for years without issue. The work performed and the customer service are both great. I keep going back because it's hard to build trust with your mechanic these days and I have that here. I don't mind paying for a job well done. read more

We went in with our car shaking like it had St. Vidas' dance, The place was really busy and we expected to get it back the next day. It was finished that day, the problem is fixed, and the cost was less than half of what we thought it might be. We called our friend who referred us to thank him profusely. We are now loyal customers! We would recommend this shop to anyone. read more

Have had many contacts with this shop over the past years. Not long ago, we had an $800 brake job done. So, when our car died in a Gilroy parking lot, I wanted to have it towed to this place. First, it appeared it would be an imposition to go there, and they could not work on the car for a couple of days. When I asked about transportation to our house in San Martin to pick up our other car, we were rudly told they did not lend out a car for even a short trip, and no one would drive us the five miles to our house. The owner is brusque at best - maybe rude describes him better. We spent our money elsewhere (fuel pump), and we will forgo this schlock house in the future. read more

these last 2 post are just to funny. We have had are cars worked on by Dan the owner for over 15 years. He has always done us right they even went to the house and pick our cars up. One time the car would start on my wife at the store he drove over only to find out she left the lights on jump it and told to follow him back to the shop just to make sure every thing was ok. Mike M read more