From February 2020 through October 2021, my catalytic converter was stolen three times. (The third time, I had an anti-theft shield, but the thieves cut the CC up within the shield and fished it out in parts.) When I got it repaired and a new shield installed in 2021, I hoped the new anti-theft additions to the shield would mean I'd never again experience the dreaded no-catalytic-converter roar when I started my car. I was lucky for a while, and even in my year-and-a-half in the Mission District, which has a far higher rate of auto theft and vandalism than my original/current neighborhood, my CC survived. Unfortunately, within a few weeks of moving back to my rebuilt flat, my old neighborhood welcomed me back by stealing my CC for the fourth time! This time, however, the insurance company totaled my car. Although I bought the car back from them, I would need to get my title changed to a salvage title and eventually to a revived title. That's where Advance Auto Care comes in. You see, even though my 2025 CC-less car was largely identical to my 2021 CC-less car, the California DMV considers total losses to be something requiring all kinds of fees, inspections, and paperwork. In order to keep my car on the road, I would need to get it VIN-confirmed (TBD), smog-checked (done), and safety-inspected (done, hence this review). I figured the safety inspection would be just a formality, but it's a little bit more complicated and a lot more expensive than that. You can only get your vehicle inspected at specific shops, and while the DMV website claims that inspections range from $80 to $100, I found some shops that were charging almost $350 and none that were charged less than $200. I called Advance Auto Care, and they said they could do an inspection for $280, to be paid whether or not I passed. They said it was first come, first served, so I picked a day and drove to the location in the Bayview on their Yelp listing. But their Yelp listing was more than a decade old, and they had since moved to 3rd Street on the Central Waterfront. So I had to drive all the way there. They took my car, and I took the train to Dogpatch and found someplace to eat. Less than an hour later, they called me and told me my car was ready to be picked up. I was elated because the person didn't say anything about my car failing the test, but I asked anyway, and he said, "No, you didn't pass. You need front brakes and you need to fix your tire-pressure sensor." Way to bury the lede, bro. I would have needed new brakes no matter what, so my car would not have passed the test, but I really wish I would have known that the stupid sensor light was an issue. See, old Priuses were designed stupidly. Each tire has a sensor that determines the tire pressure, and it if gets too low, a light on your dashboard lights up. Ridiculously, the light doesn't indicate *which* tire's pressure is low, and each of those sensors has a battery, and each of those batteries will die eventually, so even if your tire pressure is fine, you'll have a "safety" light on your dashboard on when those sensor batteries die, and you'll have no idea which one(s) is/are dead. So because of a stupid car design, I spent $280 that I didn't need to spend, because I should have known that my car wouldn't pass the inspection, and come to think of it, the moment the technician turned on the ignition, he should have told me that and saved me some money. Anyway, I had to get the front brakes done and a pressure-sensor battery replaced (with two of the three remaining having low batteries as well) at another shop, mainly because Advance Auto Care didn't have time to do my brakes within a week. I eventually had to do the whole rigamarole over again, right down to the AAC guy calling me and telling me my car was ready again without telling me whether it had passed. Thankfully, it did this time, but I paid a total of $560 to this place for what amounted to a single inspection, because the second time, the light clearly wasn't on, and I could prove that another garage had fixed my brakes. I'm not claiming that Advance Auto Care did anything illegal or wrong, and I knew that I would have to pay for the test even if the car didn't pass, but a little warning about any of the dashboard lights would have been helpful. The two men I dealt with were efficient, and both inspections were completed quickly. Strangely, I paid when I picked up my car the first time, but the second time, I had to pay before the inspection. I'm not sure why. And if you're wondering why I took it back to the place that annoyed me, I felt that I needed to, because a different shop might have found an additional problem, whereas if AAC had still failed the car, then I could make a colorable argument for why it should have passed--or if it had failed because of either of the original problems, I could get the mechanic that did the repairs to pay for the additional inspections. read more

Advance Auto Care - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I walked in and out for a smog check in about 20 min after calling the day before to confirm they'll be able to take me. Great, friendly service. read more

Needed a 10mm triple square to complete a project on my Porsche Cayenne, they didn't have one in stock but found one at their Daly City store, which I picked up later that day. Appreciate their service and their extra effort. read more

Quick, friendly service. Very knowledgeable. Have been to their other location many times send family and friends here. Highly recommend this shop! read more

Andy is the greatest! Very knowledgeable in all facets of auto repair. And best of all he is very honest!

Had to get a light and brake Expections for dmv. They got my suv in same day and told what need to be done. I do recommend to go your car service read more

First off Andy is awesome! I came in for a smog check -- it was quick and efficient. Andy is great because I'm hopeless at getting gas station air machines to fill my tires. He's now helped me twice to check and adjust the air pressure. Both times he's refused a tip. Thanks for the excellent customer service. I'll definitely be a regular. read more

Brought my car in to have it checked out due to a rumbling sound my car was suddenly making when accelerating. Andy was very knowledgeable and was able to diagnose the problem right away. He helped me order and replace the parts, and now it's fixed! No more rumbling sounds! Quick and efficient. Great customer service! read more

The owner of this shop was rude to me! I brought my car in for a smog check and he didn't cover the exhaust. I got headaches inhaling the toxins... I wouldn't come back. I rather go somewhere else with a friendlier staff to check or fix my car. read more

I've been here a couple of times because my dad takes his car here. I've had them change my brakes and do the full inspections on my car. The guy, Andrew is really nice. My sister needed to do an oil change and all that jazz for her car. He told my sister what she should change right away and what can wait. It's hard to find honest mechanics! Another thing I really like about this place is the convenience of picking the car back up. He's willing to keep the car for a few days because the area he's in has plenty of street parking. He will just move your car and park it in the street while he works on other cars in the garage. So, there is some flexibility of when you pick up your car. He is pretty quick with the oil changes too, half an hour. He also does smog checks! =) I've been to several mechanics and I like him the most so far. read more

All I can say is that Andy and his crew are awesome and have done so much great work on my old car!

I think I finally found a mechanic I can trust - and afford! I brought my car in because my brakes were screeching, rear taillight was out, wiper blades shot and rear shocks worn-out. Once they took the wheels off, they told me my rotors were shot, so I had them changed as well. All that cost $750. Pretty reasonable, and in a reasonable amount of time. Though I don't need or expect it in a mechanic, I found Andy and Andrew to be friendly. Perhaps the negative reviews here caught them on a particularly stressful day. Unfortunate that getting one's feather's ruffled warrants doling out 1 star reviews... read more

Fantastic I was referred by Grag auto ( also execellent shop )& had my vehicle smog taken care of quickly with a smile ( Andy ). I would recommand this shop to anybody. But address have change to 595 Newhall ave, Sf read more

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Great place to get your car for a minor tune up and fixed. I've been coming here for years and not once have i felt like they tried to take advantage. They explained the isses well and discussed if it was a safety issue, aesthetic, mechanical, or noise issue. They did not pressure me to have my cars fixed at their shop. read more

Brought my car in for an overheating problem and they just changed the oil and said I didn't tighten the nuts when I changed the oil myself, which caused the car to overheat. Was livid... I still had the same problem with the car. I solved it when I put a new sensor in the next week, which I asked them to do. read more

Times have changed here... For the worst. Warning, epic but surreal experience of rudeness and dishonesty below... I've brought both my cars here exclusively for smog checks for the past few years. Up until today I would have said they were 5 stars and efficient. Not any more. We checked it back in November, and since we're selling I had to get another smog today. Brought it in and a stout Chinese guy who identified as "Andrew" began to write me up and quoted $60. I mentioned and gave him the "Advertiser" coupon they always run, and he brought it down and wrote $37. I said I always pay about $21.75 plus the certificate, same price that is on the current coupon. "Andrew" says "bullshit, you're a bullshitter" and "you bullshit, you have 'star smog' with this car." I said I don't know what 'star smog' is, but I do remember that I have always paid at or about the $21.75 plus certificate that was on their current Advertiser coupon. He said "bullshit" and "you lie" a couple more times and challenged me to prove I did. He said he is "not owner, only employee" but he would pay for my smog check out of his pocket" if I brought the paperwork in to prove it. And, he shook on it. I figured WTH, it's 40-60 minutes round trip but will save us $30 bucks, so I drove home, found it and brought it back just to prove this asshole "Andrew" wrong. I returned and by this time there were now cars ahead of me. I walk up to Andrew with the paperwork, and he says "oh, that's $40" (because I bought a gas cap there last time). I said no, look at the price, $21.75 same as today's coupon, and apparently not a "star smog check." So now this Andrew fellow says "ha-ha" and wouldn't honor his word. Wasted 90 minutes of my tired morning, and I wanted to kick him in his smirking face. I asked the other guy, young tech I always deal with named "Andy" (who looks like he could be his kid but swears he isn't) who the owner is.... And he says that it's Andrew! Then I walk up to Andrew and he still denies he's anything more than a lowly employee and not the owner. This idiot "Andrew" also managed to lose the paperwork and coupon I gave him, Andy had to write up another order (and trust me on the coupon)! I have to check with the assessor's office to find out who really owns this place, am guessing it really is this Andrew fellow since he can't seem to display a shred of honesty or decency to people and this would be just one more of his lies. I would never let a crook like this work on my car- you can tell he's lying since his lips are moving. Not a trait I want in a mechanic. If he is the owner, I'll find out. He certainly displayed no fear of being fired, maybe he will find a fear of being audited, cash business with questionable ethics. Meanwhile, I'm done at this place and confused as hell about why this guy was such an asshole to me with no prompting, then failed to honor his word when I proved he lost his challenge. Maybe I don't understand, perhaps his particular style of lying and rudeness is considered humor where he comes from. But this place can burn down and die for all I care, plenty of other smog shops around. read more

I bring my car to the shop, needed a smog check, didn't pass, first thing that I think of $$$$$$$.....Andy at Advance Auto Care eased my mind, he reassures me that they will check what is going on with my engine, since I needed my car ASAP he promised me a full evaluation and cost estimate within an hour, not only did he do the evaluation less than an hour he got my car to pass with in a day knowing that I needed my car for work.His prices were very reasonable and the customer service is excellent. I live in the outer Richmond district but because of the excellent service and the sincerity that Andy had shown I am willing to drive from my house to their shop for future service and maintenance of my car! Excellent job Andy! read more

I was looking around for a good deal on my annual smog check test. After a quick review, Advance Auto Care offered the best deal by far! With this coupon (http://www.sfadvertiser.com/coupon/view/1463.html), they charged me only $30 for the entire process. Other smog checks in the City were running more than twice as much... The waiting room there was not nice (or more precisely, non-existent), but there's a coffee shop around the corner. The owner/ mechanic was very friendly, although his English was not great. Still, they did a very competent job for less than half the price of many other shops in town. read more

Found this gem through my parents who also get their cars fixed here. I've had the privilege of meeting both Andrew and Andy (father and son) and they are friendly, down-to-earth, and truly wonderful mechanics. There's plenty of parking around and their prices are definitely fair and competitive with other compainies. I'd recommend them to any friends or family. read more

This place is very friendly and quick. In and out in a jiffy and quicker than other places I have been to before. I brought my car in to have an oil change and they told me that I didn't have to wait at all and they could take care of me right away. Andy is very attentive and and helpful. They have good service and were very knowledgeable. I will definitely be back!! read more

OK. I have done some additional research and I have discovered that indeed the gas cap can cause the smog test to fail and that the technician can install a new gas cap so that the test doesn't fail. So these guys did their job and actually did help me out. There was a serious communication breakdown between me and the people at this shop where I just did not understand what was going on and thought I was being ripped off. It was a very unpleasant experience (and undoubtedly I contributed to the heated discussion). Because of this argument (which I think could have been avoided if a better explanation was provided to me) I am giving them less than 4 or 5 stars. read more

Andrew and Eddy are amazing, honest and helpful. I had them for over few years already, they did a good job with my car and really fixed the true problem of my car. What ever price and time I took its so worth it. They are just so amazing!!!!! read more

Always satisfied with the work Andy dose on my car. Always efficient and straightforward with what needs to be done and the prices are always reasonable. Recommend him to all my friends and family. read more

Step 1: Jump online and find SFAdvertiser coupon for $21.75 smog check + certificate. Step 2: Get cash. Step 3: Drive to Advance Auto Care @ 595 Newhall Ave. (behind Bayview Plaza) Step 4: Present car and coupon to Andy. Step 5: Wait 15 minutes. Step 6: Pay $30 in cash ($21.75 for smog check + $8.25 for certificate). Step 7: Drive away happy. Step 8: Get on with life. read more

so, on the advice of another yelper, checked out his coupon online. wow! $18.95 for a smog check, even with the other mandatory dmv charges, fantastic price! so, printed my coupon, called ahead, and came in. when i got there, he told me he no longer honors this coupon (even though the expiration date is 1/31/2010) but he'd give me discount on the price, but there's an extra charge for SUV. (this is on the coupon, so no surprise there) so, the total, with the dmv charges was $50. better than a couple other estimates I got over the phone, but not as good as the coupon price. the guys there were nice, they were done in the promised time (just 30 minutes!) and directed me to a nice coffee shop around the corner while I waited. as there is no wating room/area at this garage. i may go back. may not. read more

The owner gave a pretty good first impression that last time I came for a smog check here. And this time would be the last time I would be coming back for another smog check. He was so rude! I asked him what the prices are and he told me $60, I remember last time it was much cheaper. He insulted me saying this is not a grocery market and I cannot bargain. He finally decided to just charge me $50. Upon walking into the garage, the posted prices for a smog check is $50. So why did he ask for $60? Very dishonest in my opinion. Better luck some where else. read more

First time i come this shop for smog from San francisco advertiser with coupon. My vehicle fail smog with engine lite on. This guy is so nice, He tell me how to apply CAP & VRRRM Program. I feel this guy's honest, I will come back this shop read more

I am another small car repair business and I needed a smog and brake and light inspection on a 2000 beetle...seeing as these guys are around the corner and are licensed to do both ...I took it around to them....I found the young man who wrote the work order to be very unfriendly and asked for the bulk of the repair money up front....Thats ok. I payed and he carried out the inspection and the smog. He told the car failed the smog because someone had just replaced the catalytic converter and had not done so with the correct California legal part.... as I am in the same trade and am very busy, I just took him at his word and ordered a new one (nearly $500)...when the part arrived I took the car to the exhaust shop to have the cat welded in and they told me the car had, in fact, already the correct California legal catalytic converter.. this mistake would have cost someone from the general public a lot of money and things as we know are already very expensive when it comes to car repair....I would not bring this guy a $25 bicycle to repair as he does not seem to have the where of it all to do the basic tasks he is assigned with (smog) read more

Never ever come here for smog. Not even worth the discount price. The smog guy is ignorant and doesn't know how to smog car even if everything is computerized. Will never ever near this place. read more