I've been coming here for over a decade and since the new ownership the quality of service and workmanship has gone way down. One of the reasons I loved coming here is the level of trust the previous owner fostered. He never tried to up sell or manipulate me, and even went out of his way to work with my budget. Doing so was in his favor in the long run because he's probably made at least over 30-40k in repairs and insurance claims from me over the years. I knew I could come here, get what I needed, get quality work at a decent rate, not be hassled to pay more, and go on with my life content. Now if I go there, they will try to charge me thousands more for work I don't really need, and at first I went along with it based on the decade of trust I built with the previous owner. The work has also greatly declined. They replaced my tires and within 2 weeks one was already going flat. It's absurd to spend that much money and 2 weeks later need another tire. The customer service has also gone way down, and they get irritated if you drop in, which I always did before. They had me wait for a while, while they were laughing outside and talking. I would've been fine if they came in and said thanks for waiting we were on break, but they were rude and irritated. I'm actually really sad because now I have to go through the whole process of finding a new place to be loyal to. I would even take my car here when I moved to the East Bay. Trust often takes years to build and I'm sad for the loss of a trusted respectable auto shop, but I hope the previous owner is retired and happy somewhere drinking a pina colada. read more

Transmission valve failed on the way home from airport. He got us in on short notice, ordered the part that afternoon and got it first thing next day. He was accurate with his estimates in both time and money. I was on my way with the replacement valve installed close to 24 hours after walking in his door the first time. Fix has held. Subaru transmissions are expensive parts and labor. This seemed reasonable considering the fix. read more

SMOG CHECK ONLY Called in advance. Prices were listed in a photo on Yelp, but also wanted a quote. Love that they separated out the cost of the check vs the certificate. Other places had coupons for similar prices, but failed to mention the price of the certificate. I appreciate transparency. The smog check was pretty fast. I didn't have an appointment, so went on a whim hoping no one was in line. Got lucky! I was in and out in a half hour. The entire process was seamless and my car passed. YAY! read more

Had some Auto work and SMOG Check done here previously. Today, back for a Smog Check, in and out in less than 30 minutes on a Friday. Now THAT'S TGIF! Now, off to pay the registration fee for that sticker. read more

Acutech Autos - Rates November 12, 2021 - Auto Repair Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I've been taking my Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Silverado to Nikki at Acutech for about 5 years getting repairs and upgrades. The techs always do very good work on repairs, and Nikki is a great guy to consult on upgrades. Acutech thoroughly inspects vehicles and will find most potential problems. When it comes to difficult smog problems there is a true technician there that can solve the problem that no other place could. I decided to write this review because I've been noticing lately that I bring in dirty vehicles and they are returned to me washed clean! read more

Acutech Autos - Auto Repair Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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I rushed over after work this week to get a smog check after being referred by Bay Tires (their machine was broken). Upon entering around 5pm Acutech told me it would take AN HOUR to service my car and told me to come back some other time. They don't close til 6:30! They didn't want the business so I found a place in SOMA who did. In and out within 30 min. read more

Please save yourself some stress and money. Bad customer service they will just take your money. They're dishonest. Take your business somewhere else. I will not be back again read more

Acutech save the day . I need some brake and lighting inspection done . The hole process was super quick and easy process plus I need a part to pass inspection they got it ordered super quick and installed in 45 min . Great costumer service to start and end . Great job will return in future .. read more

Acutech Autos - Great job acutech - Auto Repair Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Been going here for a few years now. Typically just oil changes but also some other mi or repairs. Easy drop off and pick up. Rarely do I have to wait around. read more

Great customer services, reasonable price, and friendly staff. I live a little far but I am willing to come back here again.

This is an awesome place to get your car fixed.... IF YA WANNA WAIT 5 DAM HOURS!!!!!! Last time me and my boyfriend brought his Acura integra here to be fixed we waited five hours! We were stuck there, I was 3 hours late to work because we NEVER imagine the problem with his car could take so long to fix. And the TODAY he gets there probably around 11 am and it's now 6:36 pm and he is STILL there!!!! WTF???? Get it TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! read more

This place sucks...I will never go back. I had an alternator problem, I took my car to them cause their review was alright here and I knew some people who highly recommended them. I came in at 1pm and they got my alternator fixed by 6:30pm. Since then my alternator has broken twice, currently I am sitting in my house not able to go to work, because this alternator, which was supposed to be fixed, is broken again. DO NOT GO HERE!!! read more

I've been going to this place for 5 years occasionally. At first Niki is the one place in the peninsula area that sold many jdm parts. One time I took my car to have the intake manifold installed correctly because I was a novice at fixing engines years ago. He agreed and charged me over $200. I really had no choice because my car wasn't running, and he's a "certified Honda technician " After 2 days he couldn't figure it out. Thus, he gave up & I basically threw away my money because he was only going to charge more. I called an old friend that works on various types of cars from the Philippines. He fixed my car in 2 hours with his own tools behind my house! Moreover, Nikis reputation amongst other well known individuals in the racing world isn't so nice. Truthfully, I recommend taking your cat else where. I can't even say he's a good person to buy parts from that are Japanese because he doesn't import anymore. read more

I had my van tuned up the day before bringing it to them for a smog test. Emisssion test passed but they failed me visually on ignition timing. I asked them how much it would cost to correct it and $65.00 was the quote they gave me. I brought it back to my mechanic and they told me that the timing was right. I brought it to another mechanic just to verify so when I bring it back it will pass. The second mechanic told me it was right so I brought it back to Accutech and talked to the owner. I told him that the two mechanics checked my ignition timing and their was no reason why it should fail visually. They gave me alibies and FINALLY the owner tested the car and it passed the visual and emission tests. It's so hard to find an honest mechanic. This place certainly is not honest and you should take your car elsewhere. They will rip you off. read more

Had work done on two cars recently .. reasonable price and reasonable workmanship. Despite this I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend them and I'm seriously doubting whether I'd ever go back. The office staff appear very inexperienced - no knowledge of the work, and many mistakes with billing & organization (the the point that I felt like they were lying to me sometimes). read more

I had just taken my car (2007 Mazda 3S) to the dealership for a routine service check-up when I got slammed with a long list of parts that needed to be replaced. One of them was very important to get replaced because something was wrong with my water pump and I was planning to leave on a road trip to LA within the next two weeks. I decided to turn down the service from Mazda and ask my friends for recommendations. (I'm originally from Hawaii... the family-owned shops that I trust are 3000+ miles away...) Luckily, a friend suggested for me to take my car to Acutech to see what they could do and to see how much money I could save by NOT going to a dealership. Since my warranty for my parts was over, I thought, "Why not? Let's give it a shot!" I was very impressed by how friendly and professional the staff is here and how speedy they are! I got my car fixed at a very reasonable price and saved at least $100 by going to them instead of to my regular dealership service department. I also got recommendations from Niki that indicated approximately when I should get different things serviced in the future and what I should be aware of, but he never pushed me into buying things that I don't absolutely need. I trust Acutech with my car and will always come back! I'm glad I found a family-owned shop in NorCal that compares to the ones back home! Thanks, Acutech!! read more

I'd give this place 2.5 stars. I've been here several times. The service writers are eager to help, but the mechanics move at a tortoise speed. There have been several occasions where I had to push them to finish my car at the specified time. I don't like that they say my car will be ready at 2pm but then tell me to come back the next day. I should not have to supervise my car's repairs. The mechanics should be eager to finish them. On one occasion, when I was getting an alignment on my s2000, I had to supervise the mechanic and when he was ready to align the car, he took an hour lunch break after I was told the job would take only 2 hours. In the end, it took 4 hours. After visiting the shop several times, I'd say that the rates are great but the overall shop atmosphere is horrible--they take too long and they do a mediocre job. I'm sad to say I need to find a new shop because this place isn't doing it. read more

First time I slid thru everything went good. In and out paid and got registered for a 94 t bird. Second time I slid thru with. 91 5.0 third. there was a time issue. They told me sumn like 10 min and I was there for 30 and smog still hadn't been done on top of that I was on my way to work so they made me late and I blew up 2 years later I pull in with a 06 Honda oddessy for a smog. Pulld in at 4:25. Long hair dude told me(I'm assuming owner) tech won't be in til 430/5. So I decide to get fries from jack around the corner and return at 4:32 Now im sitting in the car waiting from 4:32-4:55 4:55 a truck pulls in and the long hair dude proceeds to smog his car. So I get out and try to get my paper because I already decided that if he was helping another person smog after having me wait over 30 min I was going to the smog spot on San Mateo ave. Got out to get my paper and he told me there is 2 machines and the tech would be helping me on the other one. "I don't care I want my paper" (It is my belief he wasn't certified star to operate the other machine.) I don't care. I'm a business man and a fan of good business so if u have me as a customer waiting 30 min to have work done at ur establishment. It's rude AF to have someone else pull in and start helping them with out explaining what was going on. If he owns this business he need to go back to business management school and learn how to do business. On top of that he was heated and exchanging words so I said ok u wanna get down lets do it right here right now. Then he agreed and when he saw I was serious he bitched up and stopped talking. Looked on Yelp and saw "auto logic" was open for 37 more min and went there. Got a smog done for 50 since I mentioned Yelp. This place was 80 read more

Please don't take your car to these people, they will say anything to get into your wallet. PS. there waiting room is a dump PPS. and they are slow read more

I've been going here since I could drive since my dad is a regular here. They always do a great job on my car. Whenever I have a problem I just take my car here and they take care of it for me. I'm never worried about them overcharging or lying to me. They really know what they are doing when it comes to Japanese cars. Some caveats though, since it is a small family run operation they can get very disorganized at times leading to longer than average wait times. The only thing to do is to communicate with your technician. Get from them exactly how long it will take and constantly be on top of what is going so that there's no miscommunication. I've been going here for years and I've always been happy with the service, but the place can stand to be a little more organized. read more

:3.5: :update/resolution: Just to recap, I made that phone call on the morning of October 9, and they finally called me on Monday night, October 13th. They called at night , apparently from reading my original review. What if I didn't write my review? Anyways, both Eina and Niki called apologizing for not returning my call and Niki offered a $50 discount off my major service. I also had to have axel work so I received a quote for that as well. I called my local mechanic in San Jose who quoted me lower and Niki was able to match. I brought my car in last Tuesday for a 90K Major service and driver side axel replacement and had my car repaired within about 6 hours. They even washed my car. I'm sure it's quality work. As for customer service, Niki is always great, but don't expect warm fuzzies from the admin staff. At least not for me. I'm so used to be welcomed by genuinely warm and friendly staff members at the other car places I've worked with for example, Hanlon Tire, Vision Performance, East County European Autoworks (Brentwood), Fairground Auto (SJ), to name a few who make me feel they really appreciate my business. p.s. I also saved Niki's cell phone number on my phone. :) read more

Niki,Sean, Mark - can't say enough how appreciative they taken care of me. Very friendly- knowledgeable- patient. Had appointment for Oil Change/ Tire Rotation. Sean worked on my car as usual and i was outta there in a hour. Workmanship is 10 out of 10. FANTASTIC JOB! Great service, unbelievable prices. Did I mention they also do pristine paint jobs? I will be taking in my BMW tomorrow for 7500 mile factory service. Once you service at Accutech, you won't be going back to the ' stealership'! Definitely recommended!! read more

They did a great job on my oil and Blake and Lamp and very cheap place.

My 2005 Subaru Outback Sports of 10 yrs finally started to show signs of old age so I had to have my radiator and starter looked at. Instant worry came into my thoughts because who trusts mechanics anyways? I was referred by my friend so the worry wasn't as heavy as he said this place is great and will take care of me. He was RIGHT!! I had the best experience at Acutech thanks to Mark! He took great care of me and walked me through the entire process. He was extremely friendly and honest with me. He called me to give me the diagnosis plus pricing for parts and labor. He called again to let me know my car should be done around a certain time. He called me again to tell me my car is done and ready to be picked up. He also, told me about a coupon special they had going so he knocked off 100$. Now, that's customer service! Thank you Mark for making this experience a positive one. I will always take my Subaru to Acutech until I get a new car. I would have given 5 stars if their lobby was a little more cleaner but the service was on point. read more

I recently had a check engine light on...I took it to my go-to mechanic and I was really disappointed that he would take the time to diagnose the check engine light only to tell me essentially take your car to Toyota because I don't know where to start. That was a slap in my face... I was already searching for a new spot to take my vehicle. A guy at work recommends this spot called Acutech. I had nothing to lose at this point, just more to gain! He told me to look for Niki..I actually made an appointment to bring in the vehicle on Monday which I did and by Thursday after ordering parts and installing the vehicle is done! I hate to bash other businesses but I took my vehicle to another shop in San Bruno for the same code and that shop charged me double the price for the same work. If you need work done on your vehicle hands down I would really recommend bringing your car here to Acutech. Thank you Niki! read more

As of today, 3/12/14, I received a call from Nikki, the owner of the shop explaining why the person told me that I will not pass smog. It so happens that they are a Smog Star certified station. The owner was apologetic and very sincere that they have to require all sensors to clear in order for them to pass smog or else they can be dock points and can lose their certification license. I was offered to come back again when the system clears for the smog check. However, I already had my smog check done and I've passed using other smog check stations. The owner however offered to give me 1/2 off the next smog check if I ever needed one done again. It was a nice gesture. Although, I'd say I don't think I'll take that offer because I don't want to be in the same fiasco again, I must say I'll give the company a star for reaching out and doing damage control.... Well, all of us can charge it to experience. I've learned not to bring it to a STAR certified station and to fix an issue long before the smog is due. The owner learned not to have a newbie mechanic/ runner deal with a customer who's been bringing the vehicle back multiple times in their shop and wants resolution. Also the young kid employee learned as I did why they cannot pass a car with 1 sensor monitor not being ready. He will learn from it and explain the reason correctly to customers the next time this issue comes up and explain correctly how the shop could lose it's certification rather than have customers come to a conclusion that they just want to milk as much money out of them. read more

I took in my 2007 Nissan Murano because the dealership said I had both exhaust manifolds cracked and leaking. Niki and his team discovered that I really only needed one replaced and the other would be fine for a few more years. This saved me a lot of money and I never would have known the difference! I appreciate the honesty. The other thing to mention was that they ran into some issues with the replacement because the old one was so beat up. Niki said it would take another day to complete, but I was going out of town with my family. He and one of his mechanics worked extra hard and got it done in time. Very good service! read more

Really great mechanic! They really tell you what's wrong with your car and have great customer service. My car needed a new alternator and Mark helped me in any way he could due to me being a full time student and a worker, he helped me with a reasonable price and I had my car out the same day back on the road!! Mark, I can't express my thank you's to you. You are truly the best, honest, funny, and greatest mechanic ever!!! I've been to some mechanics in the past but none compare to this one. I'M NOT JUST SAYING THIS, GO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR CAR NOW, YOU WON'T REGRET IT! Will always be an Acutech Auto customer for life! -Marquel read more

I dropped off my car to have work done and the owner Niki raised the price $150 above what he quoted me when I first dropped off the car. On top of that they told me the work would be completed in 2 weeks but it's been 6 weeks so far. The final straw is that they want me to install the parts back on the car when they're the ones that took it off and should be putting back on. I would never recommend this shop to anyone. If the owner himself, Niki, can change pricing and terms like that, just imagine how shady this shop is. read more

WAY overpriced half-break job. Paid more for half the job than I EVER paid for full breaks before. Will never return.

Greedy liars! I took my car there because my ac wasn't working. They charged me about $120 to diagnose the problem. They said that I need to pay about $300 to fix the issue plus the charge to recharge the ac. The total will be around $500 other than that $120 that they charged me to diagnose the issue. I took the car to another mechanic. The other mechanic said that the ac only needed recharge and the cost was only $135! My ac is working perfectly now. I'm never going there again! read more

Very friendly and efficient. I have been bringing my work and personal vehicles here for over two years now, and they have always been dependable. They always complete the job on time and call me if there are any changes to the job. Very nice people there. read more

I used to come to Acutech occasionally over the course of 6 years. I've had nothing but bad experiences here. First of all, they fully diagnose each vehicle so if you go in for a simple job like a spark plug change you'll most likely receive a phone call notifying you of several other things needing repair. Not necessarily a bad thing but can be quite irritating. I used to dread receiving phone calls from this place because it was rarely to inform me that my car was finished, but rather to recommend another costly repair. I can't tell you how many times an original estimate doubled in cost. My worst and last experience was when I brought them a car I had been working on for months. I literally slaved away at restoring the body and finally had it painted! Unfortunately, a few days later I had an electrical issue that I couldn't find the source of. The car wouldn't start so I had it towed here. They charge me about $100 to diagnose the issue and call me informing me that I needed a new battery and starter. I know enough about cars to know that the issue is either one or the other. It would be highly coincidental for them to both go out at the same time. The estimate was roughly $550 and I thought it was ridiculous so I took a day off work to pick up my car. Once I get to Acutech I go check out my car before walking in. I quickly noticed that my freshly painted car had damage on the hood & headlight. Now livid, I storm inside and tell them to follow me outside to show them the damage. Both the manager and the mechanic who diagnosed my car walk to check out my car. Turns out the mechanic who diagnosed my car dropped the battery on the hood of my freshly painted car when he removed it for a test. He then tells me that they'll fix it and has the mechanic run inside to get touch up paint (WOW). I told him that's unsatisfactory and that I should make them pay for a respray of the damaged area. I walk back inside to get my keys and the guy reprints my invoice and says it'll be $100. I laugh and tell him i'm NOT paying. It gets worse, fed up I take my car to random hole in the wall place in San Francisco. This shop looked like a junk yard but they literally fixed my car in 20 minutes and found that the source of my problem was a $15 dollar fuse. The guy said $20 bucks, I gave him the $100. The manager of this place is really kind and has tried to accommodate me several times, so I give him credit for attempting to establish good customer service/relationships. He himself is very knowledgeable and has established a good reputation as he's built well performing track vehicles. If you come here beware and try dealing solely with the manager of this location. The place has had multiple employees, so it's them who I can't trust with my vehicle. I really tried to like this place but I never truly had a satisfying experience here. The last experience described was my last strike with the place. read more

RATS! Yes RATS! Took my Acura here, for diagnostic check. Received a call that the car would stay overnight, since the car was not having any problems. 2nd call received the next day informed me that nothing was wrong with my car. Paid 108 for diagnostic and when I reversed my car in parking lot I noticed HUGE holes in my back seat. Shredded leather seats, shredded foam all over the floor and seats. The office called the owner and spoke in the shop and I overheard the word RATS! The owner told me to call my car insurance, no apologies.. Nothing. Luckily my insurance will cover it, with a 500 deductible. Asked the owner to pay the deductible, he offered to fix the car. My insurance said no way! More damages could happen. At the end I demanded a refund for 108, which I received. My cars damages exceeded the value of the car (10k in damages). The office stated this has happened before to a JAGUAR. Really? This business does NOT RESPECT your car, and is negligent to fix their pest problem. read more

Acutech Autos - RATS! Ate my car at Acutech - Auto Repair Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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I can't remember if they were good or bad- they did a smog check for me over 10 years ago. That didn't stop them from subscribing my email- without my consent- to their "online community" this week......if you choose to do business here, for goodness sake, don't give them your email. They will track you down (in my case, 2 cars later) and haunt you! Waiting now to see if their "marketing company" sold my email, and how much spam results from this. read more

This place ripped me off badly. Pure rip off. I brought in a 79 Mustang because I failed smog else where. So this repair shop is gold shield station and should help me fix smog problems. They kept my car for exactly 8 days ladies and gentleman. Yes sir 8 days. On the 2nd day I called and thought pretty much everything is done, they told me they checking it just now. Then they called back and said I need new Cat converter and parts plus installation for that is $360, which does not include the diagnostic test of $98. Throw in the certificate and smog test you talkin about $537 total. I thought $360 for just a cat converter is too expensive then they said it became expensive because California changed its regulation and now all Californias converters are expensive. Anyways they installed it, made a few adjustment to my carburetor and passed it for me. Costed me $537.99 and 8 days of long wait.. Then a month later I brought my 69 Rolls Royce silver shadow to another shop in San Francisco, they said to change the cat converter for my rolls royce is just $220 parts and labor included. I was so shocked! How come you guys are so much cheaper? I immediately asked them how much they would charge for my 79 Mustang. They said $200 even parts and labor included. All their cat converters are California legal too. In fact I dont even think my cat converter for my mustang needed replacement. They just told me to replace it so they can earn money. And they charged double of what other shop charges. Another thing strange is I got anxious because Nicki the owner of Acutech kept telling me it will be done this afternoon, but everyday he said this and just dragged on another day. Took him 8 days to finish the repair. Everyday starting from the first day he told me on telephone it will be done either today or tomorrow morning. Then I got anxious and paid him a visit. He just sat there and ate his lunch and said he will speak to me after he finish eating. But when he finished eating his fried rice, his friend came and he started chatting with his friend and they slowly walked upstairs and I was just sitting there wondering why is he ignoring me like this on purpose? Feels like he is trying to descipline me for being too pushy. But hello. 8 days is a hell of a long wait. Do not blame customer for being pushy if you make him wait for 8 days just to change his Cat converter and adjust his carburetor. 8 days and $537 spent. Then when he finally returned from upstairs he finally told a clerk to give me an estimate. He could have told that clerk before he finished lunch because that clerk was there all that time. read more

Been bringing our 3 cars here ever since being grossly overcharged by the Toyota dealer in San Bruno (service manager was completely unapologetic over charging $320 in LABOR for a one-man job that took one hour!). We've been very pleased with Acutech. Honest, reasonable prices, very informative, every bit as expert as the dealers service mechanics. read more

I've been going here for at least 4 years for smog, tire service, even had them install a Greddy EMU into my car and tune it. But NEVER AGAIN. I'll stick to the facts. 1) brought tires in to be replaced. 2) picked them up, Mark told me they forgot to replace the valve stems. 3) fast forward 1 year, got a flat and brought it back in. no nail, turned out to be the valve stem. 4) asked for good faith. got nothing but sorry, we didn't replace the stem so your fault. Lesson, if they didn't do it right the first time, don't be a nice guy and say, it's cool, no worries. I should have been an ass and said, do it again with some new valve stems. Now I'm out 1 tire. You guys just lost a customer, I'm going elsewhere for my service needs. Makes me wonder if they tuned anything on the EMU, since their dyno is always "broken". $200 they charge me to tune it. read more

This review doesn't even deserve a star but I have no choice....I have been a customer of Acutech for a long time - maybe 8 to 10 yrs up until my last visit here. I came here in late June because my ABS light came on. Niki the owner said, "oh, it's so late in the day that he may not have time to diagnose my car," My reply was you are actually going to let me drive my car knowing you just said that the problem could be anything. My panic self didn't give in so he had asked me to go in the office and let Eina know. They eventually diagnosed my car....he said that they test drove it and nothing is wrong - he said he checked everything and didn't see anything. But he did say, if the light comes on again that it may be the ABS unit because per his diagnostic result that it showed the problem was the ABS unit and it is going to cost a lot money for the unit. He said that he will try to find someone that may refurbish for less money. Well, 2 days after the fact, the light came on and my car stalled on me. Luckily, when it happened I was already in front of my home. I called Acutech again on Saturday afternoon and Mark answered. And, he said - "sorry mam we can't take your car right now because 1) we don't have the parts and 2) we don't have any room right now and we are too busy." Really, this is the way to treat a customer who's been coming here for years. So Monday came, I called Acutech again and Eina answered tpld her the scenario and she said she's going to call around to see who can refurbish. So I waited, waited and waited - no calls and it's been 2 wks. I finally called Infiniti dealership and spoke to their service advisor. I had asked what could be the problem and he said that the problem would be the sensor and not the ABS unit. I am not a mechanic - but I just wondered why Niki didn't think about that. It makes me think that they don't know what they're doing after all these years. Just now realizing this. It is now August 2nd - and I haven't heard from them. I had left a message last week because I also just noticed when I was cleaning my car that my owner's manual is missing in the back of my car. I called to ask Eina to check maybe their mechanic took it out and never placed it back in my car. And, I get nothing. No call - nothing. I am done with this place. There's a whole bunch of shops around this area where I can easily take my car. I just didn't understand that if they can't fix it why couldn't they call me and tell me instead of having me wait. I will not suggest any of my family and friends to come here ever...Go some where else and save your money. It is not worth it to come here - no communication and it's expensive. read more

Acutech has all the signs of a greedy and somewhat unskilled auto shop. Please notice below this review , that the one-star BAD experiences are lengthy and detailed. The 4 and 5 star ratings are ALL for acutech's smogging....comparatively simple work ...and a license from the DMV to charge ridiculous fees to diagnose and repair emission control systems. E.G., as an experiment, ask them how much they will charge to read the codes for a "check engine" light -- and nothing else - just read and note the codes..... (Note, This can be done by any amateur with an inexpensive code reader, in 10 minutes or less.) They say they'e been in business 25+ years, but their common sense and essential communications say otherwise. They have a blank check from the DMV to "inspect", and to charge ridiculous and exorbitant fees for the DMV "lamp" and "brake" inspection certificates, They wanted $530 ($108 "inspection" fee, and then, the work needed in their opinion: $415.48) to do some work on the headlights ...E.g., A "polishing" fee of $86.40... which was done in less than 10 minutes elsewhere....and, to replace a small licence brake light ($21.60) and some work on the rear brake rotor and pads ($330+) - the balance.... I HAD THE SAME WORK DONE ELSEWHERE INCLUDING THE TWO DMV CERTIFICATES FOR $140 TOTAL INCLUDING THE LESS THAN 10 MIN TO POLISH THE HEADLIGHTS. (Note, the parts for the brake work cost the same, ~ $70 - at both acutech and elsewhere. The difference was acutech's exorbitant and inflated labor, and deceptive "inspection" fee. At the outset, given their vast experience, they should've explained that their "inspection" was to bring the systems up to near-new functionality. I supose I'm lucky that they didn't propose work on both pairs of brakes, and that I wasn't trapped at their location. DMV apparently blesses and facilitates these business practices, not making it easy,to be inspected quickly and inexpensively for functioning systems... I am asking for a refund of most or all of their "inspection" fee of $108 - without certificates.... I am also making a complaint to the BBB (they belong!) and the The Calif Bureau of Automotive Repair if they make no refunds. read more