I picked Castro Smog from a list of places solely because of its proximity to my house and ended up being pleasantly surprised by the quality of service. I didn't have an appointment but there was no waiting when I showed up. The man working there was very friendly and courteous. He asked me if I would be using any coupons and when I said no he dug one out and applied it for me. The whole thing took no more than 15 minutes and cost $40, with no mysterious extra charges or hassles. The results of the test are immediately and automatically sent over to the DMV, and anything that helps avoid a trip to that hellhole is A-OK with me. I will definitely be returning to Castro Smog in two years! read more

Open on weekends, and I was able to call at 2:55pm and make an appointment for 3:15pm. Not bad. It took a while for the tech to finish the previous car and do mine, but it was still only about an hour total. I also got a discount for coming in on their schedule (which was fine with me) instead of picking my own time. Negative aspects: the waiting room adjoins the testing area so exhaust fumes basically spew right into the room you're sitting in; the tech goofed and had to re-run the test which wasted a bit of time; not the cheapest pricing (I paid $62 total, to smog test a car). Still, the ability to quickly get this done on a weekend was very convenient for me... I only wish the DMV and parking & traffic departments were open on Saturdays so I could get that paperwork done without having to take time off from work. read more

Realized at noon on Sunday that I never smogged my car, even though I had already paid the registration renewal. Looked on Yelp and found Castro Smog. Called them to confirm they were open and brought the car over within an hour. The guy was ready for me to fill out paperwork, and the whole thing was done and over in 30 minutes. Thank goodness for Yelp. And THANK YOU, Castro Smog! read more

Super easy and fast smog test for $59 including the certificate. Made my reservation online the morning of the smog check and saved $20. It took about 30 minutes which was fine since it is in the heart of the Castro so I just went window shopping. The guy there was so nice and efficient. He took the car, gave us the $20 discount for making an online reservation without us having to ask, and when we were done, walked us through how to submit payment for registration and pointed out we can do it online. Just very helpful and an extra step that made the experience nice. This is located in the Arco (not sure if ownership changed) gas station at Market & Castro. read more

The owner contacted me based on my bad review and credited me for the amount I was overcharged. I really appreciate this gesture and can now recommend them to others for honoring their word. The advice I would like to offer is to make sure you get the name of the person who quotes you a price over the phone so you're sure to get that price when you show up. read more

I called and was immediately set up with an appointment. My smog check went smoothly and there were no problems. The man that runs the place is very nice and courtious. read more

Very Quick and efficient service and fair price, make sure to mention the online offer. lots of nice magazines to read in the waiting room :) Good-looking staff. read more

Quick service + good price + great location = satisfied customer. Got a car in New Jersey - check. Drove cross country without being arrested or breaking down - check. Now time to get this thing registered ASAP before the DMV penalty fees start to pile up - so need to get smogged for the first time. Found Castro Smog - open on Sunday, near my place, good reviews. Called up was told no appointment needed, drove the few blocks over. Though I did have to wait about 15 minutes for the guy working there to get back from lunch, once he got there it only took about 20 minutes and he was courteous and professional. He honored the $35 deal on their Yelp page without any hassles. No hidden fees and the transmission to the DMV was included. Excellent experience - I'll see them again in 2 years. read more

Very fast, super friendly and did a great job! 58$ incl certificate when you make an appointment online or use the yelp voucher! Highly recommended! read more

Super efficient and friendly service. Also the location is perfect for morning errands or a cup of coffee. Booked online and got the discount. Made something that could be a hassle a delight! read more

Service was quick (20 minutes) and professional. Bonus for being able to book ahead of time! Even though my car failed the smog check, Yin was able to explain to me the cause, likely repairs, and cost of the repairs required to bring my car back into working order. read more

This is the best service for the best price in town. They work efficiently and honestly. I made the mistake of not taking my vehicle there when I most recently needed the test done, and next time I'm going back to Castro Smog Test Only. read more

That was easy, painless and cheap! I had forgotten about my impending registration renewal, and needed a smog check right away. Went online last night, saw an incredible deal, made an appt but didn't get a confirmation. So this morning, I called in (already passed my appt time), the guy on the phone was like the deal is for regular smog, Test Only is extra... however, no need for an appt, just show up. I looked at the online thing again, it said Test Only included. So armed with my laptop, I drove over. There was another car being tested, I waited for less time than I needed to start my computer to pull up the deal! The guy was all smiles, pulled out a newspaper clipping and asked if that was it; it was a great deal but I said no, it's less online. He waited for me to log onto their wifi, and said he never know what the owner puts out there. Owner apparently works for a tech company and is never there. Very nice guy, show him the page, agreed to the price, 10 minutes and it's done! Why would anyone pay more somewhere else? read more

Everything you can expect from a smog test shop. I didn't have an appointment, just stopped by when I was filling fuel next door. Their price is is reasonable and the same with most of other smog test place in the city. The location is just so convenient for me. I left my car there, went to get a coffee to Castro when I came back my car was ready to pick up with a pass test result. They already shared the results with DMV. Hassle free business, I recommend this place to everyone. Next time I'll come back here again. read more

They are a solid, courteous smog service. However, if you don't have an appointment, don't rearrange your morning to show up there at 8:30 in the morning. Although their posted opening time is 8:30, they might not show up until 9:05, which is what inconveniently happened to me. Make an appointment the day prior. You can do it online on their website. read more

Yelp tip: Make an appointment online and mention yelp for a $20 discount. STAR licensed. Fast, friendly service. A little tricky to get in and out of their parking lot, so I bought gas and went inside while my car was filling up. read more

Fast. Friendly. Competitive pricing. This was the first time I have ever had to get a smog check on a car, and Timothy at Casto Smog Test made it quick and painless. I made an appointment online in the morning (which also saves you $20 off the test fee), and brought my car in later that afternoon. Timothy had me in and out within LESS THAN A HALF HOUR!! I went on a holiday that didn't seem to be too busy, so I don't know if its always that fast, but it was pretty amazing. Timothy also told me since he knew I was waiting he tried to speed it up. There is a vape shop next door that you could kill the minimal amount of time at, but unfortunately it was closed Mondays. I would recommend this place to anyone needing a smog check. Even their pre-coupon price was cheaper than some of the places I looked up. Castro Smog is also Star Certified, if your registration renewal form says you need to go to one of those. I will definitely be back when I need another smog check. read more

LOVE THEM. I called in the morning and they told me they close at 6 so were willing to take a 5:45pm appointment. I arrived at 5:50pm and the proprietor and his son were extremely accommodating and polite - even when I showed them the virtually half-off Yelp discount I scored on my check-in (#yayyelp). They were quick, friendly and even put some extra air in my tires as a proactive gesture. These guys get my smog service. Oh, and of course, I PASSED :) read more

Efficient, friendly. Helps to arrive earlier in the day to avoid a long wait.

I waited until the last possible minute to get my smog check done. Thank goodness for this place! Pulled in at 8:40am on a Tuesday without an appointment, I was out of there having my car pass at 9am! Woo hoo! Super Fast. Check! Friendly and professional service, Check! Out the door for $50 bucks including the certificate. Check! No muss, no fuss, Love it. read more

I bring both of my cars to this smog test station whenever I need to. Easy to make a reservation on the Web site, and the test is finished in 30 mins or so. Plenty of places to walk or visit while you wait. You can knock $20 off the cost by making a reservation, too. read more

Extremely happy with Castro Smog!! Called them up in the morning and they said to bring my car right in, mentioned Yelp and got the $20 off. Second time here and will definitely be coming back next time I need to! read more

Sticker shock! $78 for a check and certificate! The initial quote says $8.50! When you pick up the car, the total price is $78! Not posted anywhere. BE CAREFUL. Ask for discounts that are offered only after you ASK. You can get the same service near by for around $50. read more

Tim was super helpful and nice. I made an appt online to get $20 off. It was 30 mins and I was so grateful they are open on a Sunday. Would definitely go back here again. read more

Sandy is very good and a straight shooter when it comes to running his business. Mom's 1994 Intrepid failed smog and after all the labor Sandy didn't charge for the fail. So went to see Phil at Golden Gate Jeep for repairs. Car hadn't had a tune up in 5-7 years so it was about time. New plugs, wires, O2 sensors and fixing some leaky injectors lowered the smog on Sandy's re-test from 633 down to 406 which passed the 498 limit... hooray! Castro Smog is great, good terms, reasonable price and fast! My highest recommendation! read more

Walked in this week and got a quote. Sandy gave me the discounted Yelp quote ($48) without me even having to ask. Called 2 days later and asked if I could drop the car off and leave it for a couple of hours, so I could get a gym workout in rather than sitting there and waiting. He said "Sure." Dropped the car off today, picked it up 2 hours later, got the paperwork, and also got an explanation as to how I did . . . not just that my car passed, but what the numbers meant. I'll be a steady customer. read more

This was the first time I had to have a smog check on my Hybrid Prius car. Castro Smog Test made it quick and painless. I made an appointment online the night before. By making an appointment online it saves you $20 off the test fee. Beside the guy showing up 1/2 hour late, place is supposed to open at 9:00am he did not show till 9:40 he had me in and out within LESS THAN A HALF HOUR!! read more

I called confused about what a smog test even is (recently moved to CA) on a Sunday at 4:20 pm (when they were already closed) and they let me come in right away and did the test in about 15 minutes. It helped me out because I was worried about having to do it during the week when I work. Great service! Total side note, but apparently the owner's Turkish. read more

Phenomenal service! We made appointments online and doing so even saves you $20 off the smog check. Easy and quick!

I was told over the phone that the cost would be $58 for my cars make/model/year, so I came here, expecting to use my yelp coupon and drop the price down to $38. Unfortunately, the invoice is pre-populated with $69.95 + $8 reporting fee, so _with_ the coupon my price ends up being 58. When I mentioned that I called and was quoted $58 (without mentioning any coupon) the guy gave me some nonsense about how some people have the coupon, some people don't, so he tells everyone on the phone $58. That doesn't really make sense though. He said there's nowhere in town that could possibly do $38 for a smog check. I considered taking my business elsewhere, but I don't have time to shop around and need to get it done today. I probably won't return here in 2 years when my next one is due. read more

Despite the mixed yelp reviews, I tried this place because it was spitting distance from my home. I used the $29.95 coupon from http://www.sfadvertiser.com/coupon/view/2948.html and you should, too. List price is a zany $89.95. The guy was nice and efficient. My car was done in less than 15 minutes. He automatically added on the customary $8.25 CA certificate fee AND another $5.75 for "Electronic Transfer Fee-State". I wasn't thrilled about that last fee since most places charge only about $2, so I took off a star. Even with the total at $44, this place is still a bargain. I imagine the other places with 29.95 coupons charge more for the electronic transfer, also. They gotta eat, too, but someone should make them all post their electronic transfer fees on their coupons. Unfortunately, that someone has probably been laid off due to CA's budget woes. No woes here, just a happy customer. Their web site says they have free wi-fi, but I didn't check to see if it was working. Someone said they only take cash, but he cheerfully accepted my VISA card. read more

I'm not even sure they did it! my car was exactly where i had left it in the extremely cramped driveway 15 mins after I'd gone shopping down the block. After picking my jaw up from the floor on being asked for 69.75 and then being given a "discount" i just got the #### out More fool me I guess but I think this is maybe a scam the state ought to look into read more

Found a coupon (thanks to Yelp) and paid $32 total for my smog test. I went in this morning, no line, went to get a bagel, came back in 10 minutes and it was done. Easy, cheap and painless. read more

I made an appointment on their website to stop in between 6-7pm which was confirmed via their website. I was dismayed when I took my car to the appointment only to find out they close at 6pm. I'm not sure why you can make an appointment for a time they're closed, but I assure you I'm not making another one at this place. Update your website people. read more

Went in today and he got me in for a smog check without a wait. I used the Yelp coupon and ended up $38 all in. 25 minutes of strolling around the Castro later, I was on my way to enjoy the sun. Even had what I presume was his son helping him out today, which is always nice to see. read more

Pros: ~Open on Sunday ~No wait and I got the sense that the nice clerk was hustling to take care of me quickly ~Great location so you can leave your car while you shop, stroll, eat, or people watch ~Very readily agreed to negotiate prices down (from $89 +15 for certificate to $70 total) Cons: ~Prices on high end until you negotiate down ~A little dingy (but who cares?) read more

Fast service . That's it. $78 ($58 after the $20 discount from Yelp) for smog test. No more. Will never come back.

First time visit to Castro Smog on Thursday morning around 10am Drove up, waited 5 minutes to speak to the one guy running the shop. Mentioned the "google / internet" special rate - which was $30 fee plus $13 filing fees. He said cash only which was no problem. So I had absolutely no pricing problems unlike some of the other reviewers. Another 5 minutes later car was in being smogged and all done within 10. The guy was friendly, talkative, quick and overall gave great service. read more

25 dollar smog check deal is hard to beat. A place down the street wanted to charge us 58 bucks (ridiculous).

I took my Subaru down. I had a coupon so th eprice was excellent. The service was exemplary, I forgot to tell the guy that my ignition was broken but he managed to figure it out and got the job done on time. Highly recommended :) read more