AAA sent me there for a discounted smog. My car is a 12 year old beaut with only 62,000 miles. It failed. I looked at the report and it had failed one category by 60 pts. I asked what might be wrong. I was told to bring it in for a diagnostic, leave it for at least 1 day and it could be one of 4 possible things. As a poor single gal, I asked for a possible estimate. From 100''s to thousands, with no blink of the eye. I was appalled. I made a date to drop off my car and explained I had trust issues as a single women that feels like I am taken advantage of with auto repair shops. I told them I wanted a relationship and a go-to mechanic and to trust them. I left feeling uneasy. I drove down the street to a women that had always done the smog on my kids cars. She always said-do not get a smog at a mechanics garage. Go to smog only. There is no incentive to find something wrong with the car. She kindly looked at the paperwork. She asked if I had cold driven from home to the shop. I said yes. She said go for a 20 minute drive on the freeway and come back. I did. It passed with flying colors less than one hour after it had failed. Always drive the car before a smog to warm it up. Go at freeway speeds. Then smog. This info should be well known and taught at the DMV! Good luck girls and boys... read more

When I picked up the car, I was very clear on why I was dissatisfied. I did the math, dividing the $561 labor fee over the 2 hours and 10 minutes they had the car. There were 3 or 4 people in the billing office at the time. They all got very quiet. I wasn't yelling about it, but I calmly explained why I was unhappy. If more than one person had worked on the car they would have had the records right in front of them. Given that I was irate, and that I was very specific about why I was unhappy, they had every reason to explain to me that more than one person had worked on the car. They did not do so. read more

Tom, Paul and Suzanne have been taking care of my cars for years. The Honda before the Hyundai and I have ALWAYS gotten excellent customer service and repair. I am one of those 'old people' that are mentioned in some of the other reviews and am on a limit senior budget and have always felt the price for service is fair...mainly because the job is done and done correctly! I never worry when I take my car to Furgerson's as opposed to the dealership which lately did not honor my warrantee. Also, Furgerson's keeps great records of all the service done on your vehicle so if you need copies of your receipts for whatever reason they are easily available for you. Thank you for many years of great service!! read more

I took my car to Furgerson's Garage to have a low beam bulb replaced ( a warning light stated 'replace low beam bulb'). I spoke with Tom and he said a $100 diagnostic check was needed to ensure there were no other problems. My bill was $218.00. I understand the bulb for my car was expense( high performance halogen bulbs run bertween $70- $100) but did I REALLY need a diagnostic check for $100????? read more

I went here the other day to get a smog check and my car didn't pass. However, right away they got me fixed up. Also, the prices were really good, and the people that worked there were really polite. I really liked the service and my car was running as good as new. read more

While the front desk staff were friendly enough, I felt completely ripped off. I don't know much about cars, so when I went to register my car and was told I needed a smog check, I trusted AAA's suggestion and went to Fergerson's. I had no idea that having a check engine light on would be an automatic fail. I had recently been in an accident and the mechanic who fixed my car had missed something. Had Fergerson's indicated that I would receive an automatic fail due to my check engine light, I could easily have taken my car back to the original mechanic and had the issue fixed. Instead, Fergerson's went ahead and did the whole test and then charged me. After I got the issue fixed and was looking to get my car re-checked, Fergerson's informed me that they would have to charge me for re-testing! This is not a common practice. Most garages would not charge for re-testing. My car failed because a mechanic missed something and now I have to pay for two smog tests? Not acceptable. read more

I typically like to give good reviews because I think they are too rare. These guys really? I went in to get a smog test. They were recommended by AAA. The engine check light has been on in my truck for years. I've checked everything to make sure all the fluids are fine as best I can so the vehicle is not a hazard. I have been told half a dozen different reasons why this light is on including you need an oil change. These guys refused to look at the vehicle and made me feel like a criminal. They told me I was lying when I said it had been on for years. When I challenged that they basically hung my mechanic out to dry and said he was a criminal. I like him and you may have a lot of certifications but you're still not very nice. I wish they would've just tested the vehicle. He didn't even hook up the Electronic sensor that takes two seconds. Instead I was told to disconnect the battery and reset the light. Drive the truck around for 50 miles until everything resets and bring it back in. I think they thought they were doing me a favor in all honesty but I'm not an expert you are. Don't assume everybody else is. I am now at mile 360 and apparently all my sensors haven't reset so we can't smog it unless i go through an expensive evaluation. The evaluation would've been okay if they just did it at first rather than waste my time and gas driving all around for no reason. I've heard a few good things about you guys but honestly I don't see it and you sure as hell don't know anything about customer service. It goes beyond smiling and saying hello. read more

My first visit here from making my appt. on the phone to coming in was Great!! Although I only needed to have a Smog Test done, I was really Impressed with Everyone there!! Paul and Wayne were Great, Friendly and Helpful!! They are conveniently located to my office!! I will def be returning for other services!! Thanks Guys for being an Honest and Top Notch business!! read more

I called all over No. County since I forgot about this amazing place I went years ago. I I have a Jeep and was irritated shops automatically charged more for no real reason. Furgerson's DOES NOT. Paul has the best price I found for any kind of car ---out the door, THIRTY-SEVEN DOLLARS! (incs. certificate.) Don't waste your time looking...you won't find a better deal anywhere remotely close. GO HERE! He's a really nice guy too! read more

I would just like to give this place a zero for their rudeness my elderly father and mother experienced. He took his car in for a smog check and forgot his wallet, so one of the workers there called my mother for the credit card number since the security code was rubbed off she kept reading the wrong number, and instead of the worker explaining that he needed a 3 digit number he just kept saying it wasn't going through VERY RUDELY. Finally she called me to help her out and everything went through. Never ever will we ever use this place again nor recommend this garage to anybody when we have in the past, maybe you guys should get yourselves some customer-service training. read more

Whenever I need a second opinion on my car, I take it into Furgerson's Garage. The mechanics there, I have always found to be very honest and trustworthy. They know what they are doing. I have been a customer of theirs for years because they always do quality work and have actually saved me money by contradicting other mechanics who were just trying to sell me something. I first tried them because a friend recommended them and let me tell ya, he was right, they are the best in town. Always have had great customer service. read more

I have brought my cars to Furgerson's Garage for 14 years and would not go to any other auto shop. The staff works hard to ensure your vehicle's work is completed in a timely manner and accommodate you by driving you to and from your home if you are in need of a ride. You will always receive a phone call reviewing their mechanics findings, recommendations and cost estimate. I trust my vehicles to no one but the staff at Furgerson's. read more

I don't trust mechanics too well because I only know a little about cars and my only defense to telling whether or not I need their service is to take it elsewhere and see if my car gets the same diagnosis/estimate. Like many of you, my time is precious and can only do so much of that. When I went in there yesterday there was one customer in front of me whom I heard being told the services he DIDN'T need and would be fine without. So my first impression was that this was a really good sign and that they were actually trying to save this guy some cash! I needed a 30,000 mile check up for my Nissan Frontier and the price estimate they gave me was about 1/4 of what the dealership told me. I know, i know... it's not that big of a deal to underprice a dealership but they were able to do all the same work and certify it so that my 100,000 mile warranty would be satisfied. They finished the work with some extras needing replacement but were able to keep the total cost of the job within 75 bucks of their original estimate. They did tell me my brakes were a little off and when I told them I didn't have the money to take care of them at the moment they said that it wasn't an emergency or anything and I'd be fine for a while. These guys really just gave me a sense of trust and did the job well. I only gave 4 stars because I've only had one experience with them taking care of my truck so I can't comment on what those people who rated this place poorly stated. If they stay consistent, I would definitely give a 5 in the future. Also, I work at Scripps hospital and they were able to shuttle me to work and pick me up from work when my job was done! read more

I wish I could give zero stars. I feel cheated, lied to and taken advantage of. I always try and be fair, especially to small independent shops, but these guys are unethical. I would never recommend this shop!! read more

I had an estimate recently which I was uncomfortable about.One item was a headlight bulb that Tom wanted to charge $37 for the part and $52 labor to fit.I purchased the bulb for $10.79 Cents and fitted it in less than 5 minutes.I have paper work to back me up.You must judge for yourself if you would trust this man. read more

My truck could not pass smog test. The guys figured it out and took the time to research CA laws. My parts and labor were covered and I would have never known. They even called the service center to confirm this and gave me a contact number. THEY SAVED ME A LOT OF MONEY. I will be a loyal customer and highly recommend Furgerson's Garage!!! read more

Took a car in to get it smogged . You could see the check engine light was on as soon as you turned the engine on. Instead of saying first you have to fix the light problem they ran the test anyway and charged me and then charged me again to rerun the test . I can't give less than 1 star here but I would if it was available. Sadly they charged me twice again when I brought my other car in for a smog. Never would I go back or refer anyone to Furgersons. read more

I brought my 2014 Mazda in for a quick oil change and was really impressed with the fast service and attention to detail. Not only did they change my oil in less than an hour, but noticed a small coolant leak at the radiator. Since the my car was so new, they called the dealer for me to make sure it was still under warranty. It was!! I appreciate their honesty and will be bringing my car back for future services!! read more

Very POOR service from start to finish. Contradictory information on paperwork and via staff so you don't know what to believe. I was hoping to find a GOOD local mechanic/garage but, alas, this is NOT it. I see a number of women feel distrustful and I must join those ranks. I spent 5 hours waiting for an oil change and tire repair/rotation. Although I provided my cell and CLEARLY explained I would be waiting in the area, they called my office (duh, I am not at work) and then claimed they had NO phone number- well they had 3! When I checked in personally after THREE+ hours, they explained I needed all new tires and that they could not repair my slow leak. You better believe I will get a second opinion on that as they recently started selling tires! My invoice (under "brake inspection") says front brakes (45%) rear (45%) BUT then at the bottom of the page (under "recommendations") it says rear (25%)- so what does one believe? Five hours later, they try to charge me for repairing a tire they did not and drop my key fob/transmitter between the front seats....scary when they have to look under the hood for it! I'm afraid the $5 AAA discount for my trouble did not cut it. Unfortunately, I have to let the car set for a few hours before I can see if the oil level is correct. All I can say is it had better be a damn good oil change OR I will be disputing the bill with my credit card. UPDATE: Well the oil level is okay BUT I was charged for washer fluid (Upon inspection, the reservoir is nearly empty) AND my tires were NOT rotated (they clearly NEEDED it based on the wear pattern) nor were they inflated to 35 all around as per the phony invoice. So I guess it will be a partial dispute. I WILL pay for the FIVE hour oil change! read more

One Star becuase they did the smog on my truck ONCE for a good price. The next time I took it in to get smogged, they estimated it would cost more than $5K to repair before it could be tested. I took care of the repair myself and took the truck back to get it smogged, I also needed a small fix I did not want to do myself. $600 later, still no smog certificate. read more

Made the mistake of bringing my car to Furgerson's for a smog. I was not aware that they do not offer a free retest like many of the other stations do. I ended up paying twice for a simple visual test issue. Will not be going back again! read more

I've been a car guy for about 55 years and while I no longer work on my own cars, I'm pretty picky about who I pay to. This place won't win any Good Housekeeping awards for the appearances of their equipment, bays, or place in general, but their technicians carry an impressive array of certifications, seem competent, and the guys on the front desk are friendly / knowledgeable. I have used them for smog certifications, routine maintenance jobs, and what turned out to be a more substantial brake job. As part of that, they replaced the front pads with a type they felt would be superior to the OEM pads Lexus supplied that produced so much brake dust. Their recommendation and the overall performance of the brakes has been terrific. I went in for a smog cert. a couple of days ago. They told me the wait would be about 40 minutes and I was out in about 20. Your results may vary, but I have had nothing but satisfaction to date. read more

I saw some negative reviews, and decided to give my input. So far 5 stars. I used to service my CR-V by Honda dealers until the car logged about 160K miles. At that point, the car developed a tricky problem - abnormal, but intermittent engine vibration that was hard to demonstrate to the mechanic. The Hoehn's Carlsbad dealer failed to diagnose the issue or give us any advice! I then showed my car to Furgerson's Garage that I had visited once before. The mechanic there was unable to identify the cause at first, but he was either more patient or qualified, and finally realized I had a problem with the ignition, causing the engine to misfire. After reasonable repairs the problem was solved for good. I have stayed with Furguson's for the past 2 1/2 years, and just passed the respectable mark of 200K miles on my Honda. Looking at the service records, Furgerson's Garage serviced my car 7 times. I had oil and filter only service on 2 occasions (no push for repairs), and they did some extra work with my consent on 5 other occasions: mostly normal periodic maintenance and one bigger job (replaced all struts this week). The front office guys, Paul and Tom, recommended some preventive jobs as far back as 2 years ago, but never insisted on doing the work and just kept a running record of what was recommended. They explained the problems with the specific aging parts (like the cracked strut or stiff coolant hoses), helped me to understand the risks and prioritize needed vs. recommended services (so the latter can be budgeted for). I have not noticed anything misleading or inconsistent, and the charges have appeared to be reasonable. By the way, having 4 struts and the steering rack boot replaced (with alignment) cost me about $1,300 - for those who can comment if it is on the high end or reasonable. The front office has been always polite and professional. I could complain about the business hours M-F only (no Saturday service), but I can understand that in terms of the family owned and operated business. I usually leave my car there at 7:15-7:30am, take the Coaster or even ride a bike to work and return by 5pm. Doing this just twice a year works for me. I previously tried several auto repair shops in the San Diego County, and some were good, others not so. These guys seem to be honest and very professional. I would recommend them. read more

This is the first review I have written on yelp, but do not want anyone else to have this problem. I took my suv in this afternoon to get smogged, and it failed. This is not the part I am upset about. When I was taken over to look at my engine, I was told that bc there was a piece of tape around the hose near the air meter boot, they could not legally pass my car. Fine,,,, but..... why did you do the test then??? He said that he knew my car wouldn't pass bc of this, but that at least now I knew my numbers were good to pass when I replaced the hose. This, right after he told me that this particular repair would affect the numbers and change them! The numbers from today mean absolutely nothing! So, what I want to know is, why didn't you have the honesty and decency to recommend that I replace this part and then return to do the test afterward? Instead, he had the audacity to make a comment while I was there to say that it was "only 40 bucks". Excuse me??? Only 40 bucks for absolutely nothing that could have been avoided and besides that, you don't know how much 40 dollars might be to one of your customers coming in! Not everyone is made of money. My recommendation would be to go to another test center that will at least give you a free retest if you don't pass. I should have listened to my gut after he told me no free retest. There is a place just up the street that will do the same smog service for the same price and allows you this service. I wouldn't have had any problem with today's experience other than that Furgerson's should have told me that I needed that part replaced and to come back to test afterward. Be careful about who you do business with. read more

I have been going to these guys every 2 years for smog checks and basic maintenance for about 8 years, been happy with the service. Not sure where the hard sell came in but on my last visit they told me I needed a $450 repair for a part that was in "critical" condition and needed to be fixed right away. I declined and did not believe it because it's a part that won't need maintenance for another 60k miles. I did not ask them to check for anything else anyway! After I left Furgerson's , I drove to my friends shop in Santee to tell them what happened, he opened the hood and seen the screw heads still had dust in them and said no way somebody opened the cover to access the part they said was needing replacement. Next time you tell someone that didn't ask you to check, at least have the courtesy to take them in the bay and show them what you are talking about. I also asked to have air put in the tires and watched the mechanic walk around the car with the air hose and did not put a single ounce of air in the tires. I just went the next day to get an oil change somewhere else and they put air in all 4 tires and I didn't even have to ask! This was the worst experience I have had with these guys by far. I will have to find another shop for smog checks and basic maintenance now...... read more