I love this place gets me in and out quick great care and kind highly recommended this business

They don't respond to their online system and the waiting area and building is filthy. They have no pride in taking care of the business. read more

Smog Check - Waiting area. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Soquel, California

Old mechanic is very rude. I asked him he they were busy and he gives me a dirty look and points to the parking lot. I'm not a mind reader so I asked him again if they were busy. He again pointed to the full parking lot without any words. He was very short with me for some reason. After that I decided I'll never give them my business again. read more

All the employees here are useless and lame. I failed the first smog because of a missing part. I went home and put the part back on, came back 10mins before close and these yahoos refused to help me out because the "Owner" doesn't pay overtime. It would've taken 10mins past 1pm (their closing time) to smog my car. Lame! If the owner is unwilling to pay a few mins of overtime they're just as lame as their employees. You all suck! read more

As you can see by the majority of the other reviews you should not visit this place. Unfortunately, I did. After explaining that I was putting mileage an my car and watching my code reader to see when and if the sensors would reset I asked if there was any chance that they would be able to give my car attention quickly if I was lucky enough to get the last sensor to reset. The employee just said, "no" and chuckled. I asked if they were booked all day and he again said, "no". So rather than try to reason with him I just said that I would take my business elsewhere to which he replied, "Get outta here". I understand that many businesses in the area are busy and making an appointment is always the best approach if possible (although other reviews even bring that into question with this place). But in my case, trying to get the car smogged as soon as the final sensor resets is crucial. I've been in this position several times over the years and have worked with several SMOG check places that understood the situation and worked with me. It's fine to say that you cannot help me or that you cannot promise a quick look at my vehicle. I mean, my problems are my problems not theirs. But there is a way to communicate that to people that is not childish and dismissive. In closing I will say with confidence after my own experience and reading the previous reviews that this business does not care about your business. There are PLENTY of other places to get your car smogged. If you have decided that you will not bring your car to this business at least in part because of this review please click "Helpful" below. Hopefully, if that number rises this business will understand that their treatment of current and potential customers has consequences. read more

The. Best. Got in quickly, they said they forwarded that, it passed. And that it had been sent. And a week later tags arrived. Is'nt that great. read more

I had the misfortune of having to go to this place three times to pass smog. I like to think of myself as a reasonable person and as such I understand that customer service is less a priority in an establish the government mandates people go to but with the exception of one individual, each person seemed less inclined to help than the last and the one I was most tired of interacting with was the face of the business, the person behind the glass at the counter. I felt the disdain every time she had to put her phone down to deal with me. I will go elsewhere going forward and recommend others do the same. If you do go, don't come after 4:25pm, don't ask for a bathroom, and if you want more information on why you failed with no code, good luck! read more

Horrible customer service. Went online and made an appointment to get a smog the next day @ 9am. At around 4pm I called asking if they received my appt. I placed online. He said he doesn't know how to work the online appt. system! I arrived next day around 8:57am. Front desk ladies have 0 personality and rude. I let the ladies know about the online appt. system. They seemed to not care at all. My car was done by 9:25am. I'm waiting outside and the girl pulls my car out of the garage and into a parking spot then walks back into the office. Doesn't look over to me to let me know it's ready to go! I walked into the office and she says it's ready. I payed then on my way out I let her know they have horrible customer service! Hope the owner is aware of this issue. It starts with having really good customer service. If you don't have that, forget it. read more

Quick service, fair pricing, and continently located. Also no problem servicing manual transmission vehicles.

I am taking my car in and they have always been prompt, courteous and reasonably priced. I am surprised at all the negative reviews because that has not been my experience. read more

The actual smog service didn't take too long- HOWEVER the girl at the front had a rude demeanor and seemed to be upset with my whole existence frankly. Normally I don't write reviews for anywhere but her attitude was just not it. read more

The rudest customer "service" I've had anywhere. So five stars for that if that was the goal, but guessing it wasn't. As other reviewers mentioned (and they did explain over the phone) they don't take cars between 12:00 at 2:00 p.m. during lunch, so I arrived after 2:00 p.m. The front desk woman, Myra, wore sunglasses with an ear bud in her right ear while checking me in, but otherwise didn't greet me at all. I thought maybe she was in the middle of something so I waited. I mean, does she even see me? I stood there for a few awkward seconds until she finally said, "Can I help you?" Yes, please. I asked some questions about my paperwork, and she was super off-putting. "They can look up your VIN but I can't" and some other non-helpful eye rolling comments. Yikes. Deep breaths. I go get my documents from the vehicle. I feel like I went out of my way to be patient and friendly despite her terrible attitude and so as not to cause a scene in front of the clientele. After all, I'm here to handle my business and get on with life. So I just waited outside while they did the smog. When I finished paying, she tossed my documents through the window followed by my key fob landing on top of them! WTH? At the end of the day, the technician was thorough and my vehicle passed (mission accomplished) but I noticed a whistling sound on the drive home so hopefully it's nothing serious since I don't plan on recommending this place or returning either way. Bummer since this is a local shop I would have loved to support long-term. Prioritize your customers and treat them with at least some basic common courtesy. YOU are the first impression of this business. It takes more energy to be so rude. And even more energy for me to stand in the face of it. No thank you. read more

Poor customer service and I should of shopped around for pricing changes I was a return customer and felt very uninformed and treated by the receptionist very cold read more

Great place to smog. Have used several years for multiple cars. Always efficient and good staff

DO NOT EXPECT HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. STAY AWAY FROM this CROOKED establishment. I suggest you continue your search somewhere else or you'll regret it from this scam of a business. You'd expect people with integrity being that it's stated as family owned. It's the complete opposite. More like mafia owned by the scam they pulled on me. They are cunning in their practice when paying for a smog inspection. They tell you later once they scam you and you end up almost paying twice for what you'd expect as fair. They tell you that vehicle doesn't pass so you need to ride it around for a while. After you return they pass the vehicle but then you pay without warning for the failed attempt. This is a business of thieves. The worst of this is how the young girl smiles as she steals from you. Maybe they trained her to be as cunning. She offered $5.00 off as a nice gesture. It was more like a stab on the back. All this scheming will come back to this business. Hope they investigate this place. I should've read the reviews read more

My car had been running perfectly fine I needed to get a smog to transfer the title. I have a video showing my vehicle had no check engine light or damage to any part of my engine. I get my vehicle back and it can barley stay running and failed the smog because a check engine light came on I found a vacuum line was cut and then she accidentally left the part on the hood and when asked she stumbled and said on it's to a tester. I wouldn't come here again complete scams read more

In and out before I could finish my coffee. And my Eurovan passed. I need more letters. Blah blah blah .

This is the ONLY smog place I have ever been that still charges you if you don't pass. My car didn't pass initially because it had a new battery and I was told by them I needed to drive it around and come back for "recheck" - $21. In the end I'd not only paid the initial full fee, the recheck fee, but now it's an additional $8 for the smog certificate?! Total ripoff, never again. read more

It's hit and miss with customer service. Today was a miss. The desk person (Salesman #8) was very rushing and dismissive of customers. Many of them were elderly. In past visits, the clerk goes out to get the mileage on the vehicles. This clerk was asking everyone to go out and get the mileage, a minor I convenience for almost anyone, except for people with trouble getting around. Know your audience and help those who need assistance. read more

I've had good service in the past, but today found out the hard way that "Closed at 1:00" really means "We don't take cars after 12:30". The receptionist just happened to be outside, a few feet away from me when I parked, and then needed to re-park my RV. She watched me do it and didn't say a thing. I went inside and she said, "We are not taking any more cars". I asked why she didn't say anything to me outside. She said "I was busy". Too busy to say one sentence to me? Then I asked, "Why doesn't the website warn no service after 12:30? She said "I don't know, it's not my website" Really? read more

Horrible service. Greedy mechanics. Seems like most people in there failed, they charge 110$ to tell you the codes to fix. Then charge again to retake smog. Why would anyone come back. I guess they dont like returning customers. One and done auto. You should be courteous to your customers and maybe you would have better Yelp reviews. Go somewhere else. read more

Closed when we returned to pick up car at 1:45. Apparently they are closed from 1 to 2. No mention or sign anywhere with hours when we brought it in at 11:30. There as someone inside that ignored us for 15 minutes. read more

Horrible service. Rude slow and unprofessional. Avoid like the plague. Incredibly inconsiderate and made me wait a very very long time , even though they said it would only be 30 minutes. There was no line and they still took forever. DO NOT GET YOUR SMOG HERE. You will regret it. Go anywhere else and you will have a better experience. read more

I decided to go back to this place after the usual one I went to moved away. The mechanic was rude and condescending just based off my parking job. I have a long pickup and didn't want to block the mechanic bay but, I guess he didn't like that. Instead of asking me to move he had instant attitude. I bit my lip and went inside anyway. They were quick, unfortunately unlike my other smog shop that would check the trucks computer to ensure readiness they just started the test and failed it along with charging for the test. I can go back for another test for free but, I'm not sure I want to give them the business. I wish I had listened to my instincts and left after the initial rude interaction. read more

This is the only place my family and I ever go to. Every time we bring a car in we are treated with respect and kindness. We have been to this shop for dozens of smogs as well as repairs and always feel that we are treated fairly and that the price is reasonable. The mechanics are always so good about explaining anything we need to know about our vehicles. We leave knowing exactly what was done or what needs to be done. Thank you for always being so friendly and reliable! Love the new chairs in the waiting room!! read more

They knew the car was going to fail a visual test but ran the full test anyway and charged me. I was disappointed in their customer communication and service. They failed my car for a legal aftermarket component without asking me if I had the documentation for it, which I did. They then proceeded to make the fail stick by finding another visual problem I don't think is an actual problem. Sure, I couldn't prove that so I take the fail but the real problem is this: They would have noticed this component right away upon opening the hood. Instead of asking me about it, they proceeded to do the rest of the test and charge me for failing something they could have told me about upfront. Wasting my time and money in these hard times. I don't have a heavily modified car and have owned it for 10 years as is with no problems in smog. read more

This place is a total ripoff. Had my vehicle smog checked and was told that it did NOT pass smog because it did not have enough miles driven since the OBD had been reset. I had driven the vehicle 141 mile after OBD reset. They then informed me that they would charge me $50.00 to retest. This is ridiculous. I contacted 5 other smog shops in town and they all stated there was NO charge for doing a retest. Family owned. What a joke. This place should be closed and put out of business read more

Go HERE FOR EXCELLENT FAST SERVICE! The wonderful woman at the front was fast efficient and we had a really great conversation about how a FAMILY OWNED LOCAL BUSINESS can thrive in Santa Cruz because loyal and local established support. Thanks for the great service read more

This place is a complete joke. I would recommend every other smog place in the county before I would recommend Smog Check on Soquel. These guys don't even understand some of the most basic functions of smog testing and will rip you off. read more

Its the small things that matter. My wife took her BMW X5, which is in good shape, for a basic smog check. How bad can you do on that? Not much.. and that all was fine and dandy. No issues. Done. This is when it gets interesting. When she paid and walked out to the car, she noticed that the passenger window was open. She got into the car and tried to close it. It would not budge. She went in and talked to the guy, Owen - asked him what happened. He rudely tells her that this is not his fault, the window would not close and there is nothing he or she can do about it. Turns out he was the manager, and he told her that the owner seldom comes to the shop so basically there is nothing she can do. He also tells her that many people bring junkers to their shop and they cannot be liable for broken parts - although he does admit to her that her car is not a junker. I buy that the window not working was probably not his fault. I do not buy him being sneaky about it - I would have expected him to tell her that he could not close it and advise her to have it looked at. And, then being rude - that's what I mean by "its the small things that matter". Owen - we have 4 cars. I need 2 more to smogged but you lost that business. In this day and age, small businesses have to fight to get and keep customers. I would like to give you my business, but I do demand good customer service. I can get that at other places. read more

Yelp asked me to update my review. OK. I have heard and seen invoices reflecting a downward shift in Smog Check's diagnostic fees that better reflect realistic quotes in Santa Cruz county. Likely a result of Free Market supply and demand since the CA Consumer Affairs restored their revoked Test and Repair status many years back, a natural development for small business survival. As I scroll through other reviews, the "Currently Not Recommended" section is chock full of unhappy, 1-star reports that, if included, would surely tilt their overall rating to even lower levels. Alas, nothing else I've seen shows improvement to validate my previous perceptions enough to compel a change in my rating. But I added a star anyway. Maybe that shift to fairer pricing will leach out to customer service? There you go Yelp. read more

I had a really negative experience here and I think these guys were trying to rip me off. My '83 Sedan DeVille wasn't passing smog and they told me that I needed to put about $400 into it to get it to pass. They basically told me that if I didnt get the work done right then and there, they were going to tag it as a 'gross polluter.' And once you get that you can only go to certain smog centers to pass your car. And these guys are the only ones in town who can certify gross polluters. Nice racket, huh? Well I called these guys on their bullshit and grabbed my keys and walked. I found out later that all that I needed to do was replace a hose and it passed just fine. I ended up getting great service at Opal Cliffs Auto. read more

The place is the puppy mill of smog checks. If you are 100% SURE your car will pass, they are fine if not a little overpriced ($50) but if there is anything that needs tweaking, they will not lift a finger. They took my car (a BMW with an M5 engine) to smog it after I told them that this was a very seldom used vehicle and specifically asked the front clerk if I should run the car on the highway a little. He said it would not make a difference. You have to know that there, they make you sit and make you have to tell the front clerk if you just so much as step outside. Talking to anybody technical is strictly verboten. Sure safety is important but maybe the technician would benefit from a quick chat with the customer asking if there is anything he should know. Well, the car failed at idle in only one area (max hydrocarbons was 128 instead of 100). Everything else was fine. The technician came out to my car and told me to my face the engine was "misfiring", as if to further lend weight to what they wrote on the service slip "recommend BMW specialist for repairs". As I took the car out, I knew there was no misfire. Suspicious since this was precisely what a cold and seldom used engine would fail on, I ran the car for 15 more minutes around town and went to another SMOG check center almost next door (Soquel Auto Repair). They used the same machine and ran the test (for $40) - it passed easily! It was now 49 instead of 128...within an hour! I immediately went back to Smog Check with the passing certificate and told them they really should be (I thought it but said it more diplomatically) more than mindless automatons pushing GO on their machines. They do this and say "oh well, it does not pass - too bad for you" and keep your money. The guy at Soquel Auto Repair checked the levels at idle and running first to see how well the car ran before starting the DMV automatic testing. It was NOT misfiring. It certainly did NOT need a "BMW specialist". They just did not have a clue. The manager, although polite at all times, was unhelpful in exploring ways to make it right: I wanted my money back - he just said he offered a button push, whatever comes service. The only impoliteness was the actual technican that told me to "get the hell out of here" when I saw him, waved the new certificate, told him it passed somewhere else and if he really did still think my car was "misfiring". I am never going back since I would rather find a smog check place that will work with non-ideal cars that may need something more such as a warm up instead of mindless blind button pushing. I also did not like their attitude in keeping you away from the technician who in this case could not have cared less about my car or it's need for a little TLC to pass. This makes sense for how they do things but in this case it did not work for me. Java N. had the same issue: they actually charged her despite the engine warning light was on.....it would have failed for sure and thus in this case they were more interested in keeping the money instead of doing the right thing for the customer. read more

Bad, rushed service. I wouldn't go here if I could help it. The people aren't friendly and they over charge for their services. read more

Smog Check - Avoid this place. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Soquel, California

One of the techs working on my car made on off hand comment about my baby. When asked what he said, he boldly claimed that my newborn looks like a "chewed up piece of bubble gum". read more

These guys finished my Smog check in 20 mins flat. The service was perfect. It was about $43 total for the smog and electric cert to the DMV. I also must say they have this down to a science. the whole system was smooth from check in to check out. read more

I went in to get my check and they were not forthcoming about any information about what could possibly fail my car. If it was a simple thing I wanted to fix it before hand. They have absolutely appalling customer service. I will not go here and would drive over the hill to find another place if need be. read more

It's easy to get an appointment, but I'd only recommend taking your car here if you're *positive* it's going to pass. If your DMV notice requires a test only or gold shield station, I recommend Santa Cruz Tire & Auto Care. read more

I have a 2007 Honda Element and I've used these guys many times. Never had any issues.

COCKY ATTITUDE, OUTRIGHT DISHONEST CHEATS. I took my 2005 Mercedes here for a smog yesterday, and checked in at 8:30, no problem, and told it would be ready in 30 minutes or so, easy enough. I got a call a half hour later that my car is ready. Great. When I show up to pick up the car the guy behind the desk (who also called to notify me it was ready) charged me $47, THEN tells me 'It failed'. I honestly thought he was joking at first and laughed. Then I looked down at the paper with the keys and IT DOES say Fail. WHAT? As he goes to walk off after tossing the keys at me, I have to almost yell to get his attention and try to ask WHY? 'It's all on the paper' is all he can tell me. And 'You need to take it to Mercedes to get it fixed.' I take really good care of my car, have never had an issue with it anywhere passing one of these smog checks and was STUNNED. I went to another Smog check down the street and asked them if they could help me interpret the papers. They looked at it, shook their heads, and said they HAD HEARD MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS about this smog check shop doing this to other people. They said they would take a look at it for me, no charge, and hook it up to their machine. They did so and said they could not find any evidence of 'visible blue smoke coming from the tailpipe' as Soquel Smog Check had lied and stated. The second shop passed my car on the spot and even gave me a reduced rate and apologized for the unprofessional, rude behavior of Soquel Smog Check. PLEASE AVOID SOQUEL SMOG CHECK AND LET OTHERS KNOW THEY ARE RUDE, VERY DISHONEST CHEATS. I did not do anything to deserve to be treated this way at their establishment. I rarely write Yelp reviews but am still stunned by the outright cheats here. I am also reporting their conduct to the Better Business Bureau as I have copies of both reports within an hour of each other. Spread the word to avoid Soquel Smog Check! read more