Don't bring your car here for service. They don't do shit right. Brought my car for oil change to find oil all over the ground, if I didn't look I woulda been fucked my engine would have been toast. These people are terrible at their job. How do you not do the basic and tighten an oil pan nut the right way! At that point wtf are you doing? My dumbass went again and brought a different car for a tire rotation they didn't torque my tires down I lost 3 lugnuts on the freeway I could have died. I did both my cars back to back prior to me loosing the lugnuts on the freeway I lost another lugnut this morning on my second car now I have to pay $200 for a new set of lugs these people are so terrible at there job stay the hell away. Seriously stay the hell away! They will kill you. I could have lost a tire and had a crash on the freeway. read more

Shady place for an oil change. I came here in 2021 with my 2004 Audi and forgot to write a review at the time. The mechanics insisted I go out and purchase oil for them to use in the car. This struck me as odd, but then again, the price was forty or so dollars, very low. I bought the oil which brought the total up to about seventy. When I returned to pickup my car and the remainder of the oil, there was no container and the oil was practically dry. In the months following my car began malfunctioning in a lot of ways that it had not before. It became so bad that my engine was failing to climb hills. I would not trust this service station again. read more

Fui hacer el smog check a mi carro estuvo checando todo mi carro, cuando el carro pasó smog check el hombre que lo hace desconectó una manguera compresión y mi carro empezó a obtener una fuga de aire, lo hizo con la intención de querer arreglarlo y sacarme dinero ! read more

Posted price for smog check is $58, they charged me $68, when I asked why the guy pointed at the copy he gave me and said because I need a certificate. What do you even mean by that, stick to your posted prices, keep that 10 bucks but I'll tell people about it on reviews. read more

Honest people, great work!!! Very reasonable prices. The time they say it will be ready it always is. Best of all free estimates

Got oil changed here almost lost my engine. The drain plug was left loose on the highway after parking I noticed about a quart of oil on the floor I looked under the car and the drain plug almost came off was super close to loosing a brand new engine highly recommend not going here I had been brining my car here a couple tikes for oil changes and it had been fine but that scared me away of coming back something so simple can turn drastic fast read more

Hello people I just discovered this place is not honest for your car repairs needs one of my customers Came here for an oil change then later he came back to me for an oil change and found the same oil filter I installed last service I did, he is frequent customer how do I know? I mark the date & mileage on filter so now you know the true about some places including this. read more

Potrero Service Station - Oil filter removed - Smog Check Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Friendly, honest, great work, reasonable prices. Highly recommended. My wife and I have been taking our cars there for several years. On two occasions, I thought I needed a particular service done; Instead of going ahead and doing it, they told me I didn't need either yet and could hold off for a while. On another occasion, my wife's car needed some parts that would have cost about $2000 new. Instead, the guy at the service station spent three days looking around and found used parts that cost $800. read more

best people, best price, totally reliable. with them for many years already, build up lots of trust.

This place is very dishonest and deserves negative stars. I'd been to this place before, and they had done a good job in the past. This time, I'd agreed to have the brakes repaired only and was quoted $150. I rejected the other suggested services, and in time to pick up the car - the total was $200 over what was originally agreed upon. The owner said he changed out some other parts which I had repeatedly said NO to! I didn't argue with him at the time, but I really should have. I was caught by surprise, so I paid but I am never coming back here again. I will also tell my family and friends about this place. With the way he does business by deception, I am not confident if I even trust the repairs itself... read more

Should've read the reviews before I came in... Like so many others, came for a smog test and FAILED, had to pay but was told that for the retest they'd do me a "favor" and it'd be half off. Didn't trust them so went elsewhere and PASSED without issues at then next place. Outrageous. Look at the photo...they actually call out RETEST! Like they expect all cars to fail and have to come back... read more

Potrero Service Station - Smog Check Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Do not bring your car here. I have never experienced such unprofessional attitudes and poor service, I've brought my car here several times and employees are very rude and inconsiderate. Yesterday, I paid for a brand new tire which went flat immediately after I left their shop. They do not take pride in their work or value customer safety. read more

Good quality work. Honest. Fair prices. We've brought our cars here for several years and have always been very satisfied. On one occasion, they spent three days calling around to find a used part that saved us $1000 compared to a new item from the dealership. read more

Awesome experience bringing my Audi Q5 for its smog check. Friendly and helpful folks and the best prices around SF. Good Mexican food spots nearby while you wait. Will happily be back next time! read more

I went in for an oil change. They quoted me $60. I came back for my car and they said it was $75. I reminded them that they quoted me $60. I paid the $60. They were rude, and unprofessional. Plus, the place is very untidy. read more

My girlfriend has used them for years, as she was the teacher for one of their kids. I made an appointment for 10:00 am on Saturday and planned to leave the car all day. My 120k service required replacing the timing chain (means most of the engine needs to be taken apart. When I checked with them they said VW was not recommending that any more. So the job went from &1600 to $350. I picked up the car at 5:00, and it has run fine. They also showed me all the used parts and the parts they replaced. Great place for basic car care, if you need it done right, at a good price! read more

Amazing place to go with great prices! I always come to do my smogs, engine oil, transmission oil, and necessary car repairs and so far had no issues! read more

Nice little shop always do my oil changes here no problems at all quick, easy, and thorough. I usually drop it off for about an hour come back and it's always been ready. I even saw that if they aren't too busy they check to see your tire pressures are all good. Good little spot in my experience and close by for me. read more

The scam reviews here are true. I am a mechanic of 20 years and there is a 1 in 1000 chance that they were being honest. I know my car in and out having rebuilt the engine. For the error code to suddenly appear during the smog test like they claim it did would be at minimum a 1 in 1000 chance. It's never thrown that code in 15 years... plus the part the code said was bad was recently replaced. What I did was reset the battery (car is vintage obd1) drove around the block and went back in for a retest while I watched them do it. As I figured it passed. I tried to chat with them about it but they avoided conversation and acted guilty as hell. What I think they did was simply pull the solenoid connector while testing to set the error code. Quick and easy extra $50... Even more if I asked them to fix it as they blamed my mechanic which little did they know was me. Not surprising as most of these shops are crooks. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing I can do since it would be impossible to prove and not worth pursuing legal action... It would actually be ridiculous to do so. They know this. All this said I do not think an honest mechanic is a common thing. Most are probably 90% honest at best... this place us no exception. read more

My husband has been coming to fix his cars for a long time and since retirement haven't been here bc it is far. The owner is Gerald Lin and he is an honest and great guy. We decided to come all the way out here bc so many mechanics were giving us the run around or charging us so much money. He gave the truth about our car and told us what to do. Other mechanics would have taken our money and still not fix the problem of not passing smog. So I am glad we went here and he confirmed another retired mechanic we asked- both of them had told the truth. Right before him, some other mechanic wanted 2000.! This mechanic is telling us not to waste more money that this car is known to have these problems. If you go in and fix it because you go into the engine, they may fix the timing chain, but it may be an associated problem instead. It can lead to more repairs. As the other mechanic said, it still may not pass smog this time and may not pass two years from now! Ugh....I appreciated his honesty. We also have fixed our cars here many times over the years and did oil changes and time ups. He has always been reasonable and fixed it without any problems after! Let's support the honest and good local businesses!!! read more

I came to Potrero Service Station because it is close to my office and has so many great reviews. I was able to show up at 11:30 on a Friday and they got me right in. It only took 30 minutes for them to change my oil and flush all my liquids. It came to a total of $39, which was fine with me. If you are looking for a quick no hassle oil change I recommend these guys! read more

Had my vehicle smogged within 10 minutes or less... no appointments needed when I called. This is my 3rd time going to their station and they have been consistent. Highly recommend if you live near Potrero Avenue near Mark Zuckerberg General hospital. read more

These guys are your typical scammer mechanic: they want to plug in their tool to justify part replacements, and then take your money. I admit, I'm a bit of a car novice. Because of that I paid over $400 for a water pump and service that I didn't need! I feel very stupid, but at least I can warn the next person. I arrived at the station with my car badly, visibly over-heating. (The real cause for the over-heating was that I just had my battery replaced, and they didn't re-wire the engine fan.) I told them about the battery replacement, but they weren't interested. They plugged in their tool, and it said the engine was too hot. (well duh!). And their book said that meant I needed a new water pump and thermostat. Over the phone, I had agreed to that (I was busy and didn't think it through). That evening when I was supposed to pick it up, they hadn't started the repairs because the parts had not arrived. I then asked them NOT to do anything because I had talked to my husband and he had easily diagnosed the problem remotely; he knew it had nothing to do with the pump (which he said was basically new). Since they were closing shortly, I told the station I'd pick the car up in the morning. Unfortunately, surprise for me, the part arrived after closing and they did the work anyway. So of course I was going to get charged for it. And you know what? Of course it didn't fix the problem! Because it never was the problem. In the morning, when I had arrived to tell them it was the fan wire, they rewired that so I could drive it home. Oh, they didn't charge me anything additional for that. Totally stupid. They don't want to fix your car, they just want to take your money. read more

I came here for the well-priced Smog check, but I ended up wasting a lot of time and money. Potrero Service Station said my car failed its Smog inspection due to a tampered catalytic convertor. I knew I hadn't had any work done to my catalytic convertor, so I took my car to my regular mechanic to take a look. He confirmed there was no tampering and that it was original. Just to be sure my normal mechanic wasn't wrong, I took my car to another mechanic and they too said there was no reason my car should have failed a Smog check. I was told "it was likely checked by an inexperienced mechanic." I then proceeded to get a new Smog check at a different place, and sure enough, my car passed without a problem. It was a big mistake coming here. Don't make the same mistake I did. read more

Low-overhead, unpretentious, expert service, fast. I went to two other mechanics for a timing problem: One couldn't fix it, obviously was out of his league, guessing, didn't know what he was doing, didn't charge me, said it was fixed, and when I got it checked with timing light at a smog checker, it was same as before, waste of time. Second one was full up, no time for me. A third estimated 1 hour & $80; kept looking. These guys were easiest-access lot to pull into of any of 'em (the first one I had to try for 10 min. to back out of past parked cars with little visibility into rush-hour traffic). At this place they were friendly, greeted me quickly, gave me quote and started in on problem right away, had it fixed in 5 minutes for $35, and even gave me a printed-out diagram of the exact thing they adjusted on my model. When I showed him A/C coolant+sealer can I had bought at O'Reilly's, asked if he could recharge my A/C, he showed me where to fill it, said I can do it myself and save $35. So, wow. Any types of work I need in future that they offer, I'll go back to them. Old school combination of knowledgeable, expert, fast, and affordable for a working person with a 21-year old car struggling to get by in this way-too-expensive, increasingly fancy/boutique-ish gentrified city that's gotten less & less friendly to those of us who are not CEO zillionaires. Sure, I'll support a great honest business like this. I really hope I don't come back and find another valuable business that helps everyday people & quality of life, suddenly replaced by another boring, ugly, sterile $5,000/month condo. Thank you Potrero Garage and small businesses like you. That's the San Francisco I know and want to keep seeing here. --- P.S. - In ref to another review, they said couldn't quote over the phone, would have to see the car, which to me seemed reasonable, honest & responsible, because I had been told by other mechanics it could run as low as $45-50 or up to $800+ if the timing is too far out of range, indicating a stretched timing chain would have to be replaced to fix it. So, yes, I would want them to be honest with me over phone and look at it to get an *actual, hands-on, do a coupla tests* diagnosis before quoting, with that range of variables. That's being honest & professional, not pulling conjectures outa one's hat, and then having to change what's said after seeing the car. I prefer that they did it this way: only took me a 5-minute drive to let them diagnose it hands-on. That's totally reasonable and cool with me. read more

Potrero Service Station - Saving their card, to keep my dear old car running & passing smog tests. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

A few months ago I went to get a smog test. The owner informed me that due to the fact that my battery was relatively new, it wouldnt read. I paid for the smog test, and he told me to come back at whatever time, and he would redo the test. I went back today and was told by an employee, that I would have to repay the fee. When i tried to explain to him what the owner had said, he started yelling at me. When i mentioned that they were not honoring their word, he started to yell at me, he called me a mother fucker, he called me a bitch (several times), he gave me the finger and made disgusting sexual gestures with his hands. I responded by saying he had no right to talk to me that way, i attempted to videotape, and he was just standing their calling me a bitch. I was so disgusted by his behavior and when I told him so, he pulled out his phone and said he was calling the police. I told him I was going to post a review on Yelp, and he said "go ahead you mother fucking bitch" Not only will I never go there again, I think they should be shut down. Inexperienced mechanics, rude, abusive and they threaten their customers. The fact that he called a woman out of her name, is beyond unacceptable. read more

This place was recommended by a coworker. Over the years, I also recommend this auto repair to other friends. They are very satisfied. One thing I really appreciate is they give me advices even I haven't been here for a long time. I bought a new car three years ago and didn't need to do any maintenance. However, every time when I had questions about my new car, they always answered and gave me suggestions. This is something I really appreciate. My car needed a major tune up and brake flush. The dealer charged me for over $1000. NO WAY JOSE!!! I asked Potrero Service to give me a price quote. It only cost me less than $200 including of tax. The job was nicely done. read more

This review is for the smog test Bad - Over the phone they say $39 depending on the car, but I had to drive in for them to confirm that that was that price. Why couldn't I just tell them my car and they give an estimate? Then they tack on an extra $10 for the certificate. Good - Ridiculously fast and cheap, even with the added charge. I went midday during the work week and was in and out within 15 minutes. read more

I came here today to get a SMOG test. They were the quickest and cheapest I have experienced in the city. I was in and out in under 10 minutes. read more

Even though this place doesn't look very attractive, but it did a very great and quick job, and the price was very reasonable. I've brought my car for an oil changed, they've had it done without 15 mins, no hassles. I'd recommended this place to anyone read more

Charged me $30 to replace a battery I told them I didn't need. When they realized I was right and the battery wasn't the problem, they refunded the cost of the new battery, re-installed my old one, but kept the $30 installation fee and sent me on my way. They had little interest in figuring out what was wrong with our 1998 CRV. Turned out to just be a short in the AC that was draining the battery. It would have been an easy fix (we disconnected the AC) but not worth their time. read more

I needed a smog check to sell my car. Called around different shops for prices. Every placed I called was $70-80. Saw this place was STAR certified and licensed by the state so gave them a shot. Gerald picked up, told him the year, make, model of the car. Quoted $32 for the smog check and $8 for the certificate, $40 total. Brought the car over and was literally done in 5 minutes, not even being sarcastic on how fast it was. I wasn't even done filling out the form they gave me and they were done. Price depends on the year of the car. The prices are listed so don't have to be worried about getting overcharged. Also brought my new car that I'll be driving over to see if they can install the fog lights. Gerald took a look and told me while he could try, he doesn't feel comfortable installing them. Although I'd love to have them installed, I appreciate the honesty. read more

Worst place ever! Beware. I came here for a pre test smog and they ended up putting vehicle in machine saying my vehicle had so much issues when it didn't! They are such idiots! read more

Amazing service and prices! Every time I have come here for auto service, I have been impressed by their hard work and honesty. Nowadays, it's hard to trust mechanics -- but these guys are truly honest and humble workers. Chen has been successful and thorough with the work on my car. I am absolutely thrilled to have a reliable mechanic in my neighborhood!! Thank you!!! read more

BEWARE: This place is a SCAM! My girlfriend was supposed to sell her car last Saturday but she needed a Smog test to sell it and the buyer wanted the car looked at my mechanic before buying. This place was the only place that would take her on Saturday at 3pm. Smog test was only $28, and for $120, they would do a complete check of the car. We thought we just got lucky. We brought the car and the Smog test failed. The guy made us pay an extra $60 to get a diagnostic of the failure. As a diagnostic, they only run the test again and decided that it was the O2 sensor that was broken. Cost for repair: $450. In the meantime, the mechanic gave the buyer his take on the car: The timing belt needs to be changed. What the F****? We changed it a couple months ago! He finally said that he has no way to tell if it needed to be changed so he just decided we had to. Then he said the coolant and the transmission fluid were dirty and needed a change. With all this BS the sell was canceled and we took the car to another Smog test on Monday: Everything passed easy! We went to our regular mechanic and he told us that the timing belt was brand new and that he would guarantee it by writing for another 25K miles. He showed us the coolant and it was as clear as the brand new bottle. He showed us the transmission fluid, it was perfectly clear. Every single thing from the report was wrong! We went today to confront the owner of the shop and he was playing the old Chinese man that doesn't speak very good English and trying to make us buy his bullshit. After wasting another half hour trying to talk with him, we left and decided to report him to the Good Business Bureau and also to cancel our credit card charge for the $28+$60 of the Smog test. Unfortunately the potential buyer paid cash $120 for the fake check-up and will not get this back. Please do not go there even if you are in a hurry, you will end-up wasting your time and money for something you have no confidence in. I think that as a general advice, you should never go to a place that does both Smog test and repair. I am curious if anybody got a Smog test at this place that didn't fail? read more

Teetering between four and five stars. Cloudy Saturday morning I come in for a smog check.. They tell me $48.00 for smog+certificate. I was shopping around for a better price but I guess in sf that's just about as good as you can really find. He gave me a coupon for the other smog place I was looking for and turns out even with the coupon this place is a better deal. The owner told me to shop around, I appreciated that. Looks a lil dodgy but it's not bad. read more

I decided to try this place for a basic oil change for my saturn after a co-worker recommended it. I work at SFGH, so it was very convenient to drop off my car in the morning right across the street and pick it up after work. The oil change only costs $26, and the service was excellent. read more

Fast honest service. The quoted me at 38 out the door for smog and certificate and that is what I got in under 15 minutes. Great price for SF! read more

This review is based on courtesy neighborhood service response. I'd rank this a total zero. I had a car parked 6 blocks away straight down the street inside the parkinig lot of the Potrero Center on 16th and Potrero. When i called I told the giy I am afraid top move the vehicle, that Im sure i need an oil change but Im not sure how my engine is soundingand asked if a mechanic can come and listen to my engine adn advise if it sounds bad or possibly driveable to the shop for an oil change. Obviously a distressed situation. The guy told me to call AAA but t6hat they charge $140.00 to do this. So i reverted back to my question and he said they will charge $140.00 too. We all know no one wants to be held responsible to saying I told him it was okay to drive the car to the shop etc., but that aside someone calls in a distress situation and you're right down the street a part of the neighboring community. It doesnt hurt at all to hop in your getariound car and come listen to the engine and no matter what you can still suggest a tow or a drive at your own risk but here's what ot sounds like. Zero for asking for $140.00 to drive a few blocks and listen to an engine. read more

This place looks kind of shady when you drive by, but I have gotten nothing but quick, honest service at a good price when I've come here. They do smog checks and other service. The chain smoking asian guys that run the place aren't real talkative, but they get the job done and get you on your way. It's pretty bare bones- just the garage and some space outside, no waiting room or anything like that, but I guess that's how they keep it cheap. read more