I brought my jeep wrangler for a smog and it failed. Martin told me if I changed my battery recently. I told him I changed it about 6 months ago. He told me what will help it passed. I needed to drive 100 miles to set the computer. I did exactly that brought it back and it passed. Very knowledgeable and helpful. I would recommend. read more

Always goes above & beyond just a smog check. The mechanical suggestions are always appreciated! Look nowhere else for your smog check guys!

Very helpful! Answered any questions we had! Very knowledgeable about cars! Grateful for his services!

I've been visiting Martin for years--not just for smog tests, but because he's one of the rare people who still works with his hands, his heart, and his smile. His shop might not be sleek or shiny--it's part of a tight, sardine-can lot--but the welcome is real, and the help is honest. He once noticed the sock I used to carry my phone and offered to make me a leather holster like the one he'd made himself. That's Martin--always noticing, always offering. He's the kind of guy who gives away tools or things to friends, who takes things apart just to learn, and who still believes in fixing things--even when the business side gets tough. read more

Let me start by saying this guy was the only one open on a early Friday evening. He was the fifth spot that I called and the only one that answered. When I arrived Martin somehow knew it was me (that called) and waved me over to his part of the car maintenance yard. As I try to exit the car he tells me to sit down and relax. From then on we talked. Now I travel for work and meet many types of people. This gentleman is one of a kind. Thru genuine banter on car knowledge not only did Martin assist with my car he also taught me a lot. I want to add more but maybe you should go see for yourself. This guys hilarious. An honest comedy that gives you full unconditional attention. Can't believe a boring smog check turned into such a sincere and genuine experience. Overall I see myself always returning to Martin's Smog Check. read more

Had to get a smog check for my car and glad I found this one opened after 5! Martin the owner was quick to attend me and made me feel comfortable. Easy to find, just look for the yellow fence and smog check signs! read more

Do not go there! I never write reviews but this is to warn others about this place. The guy is a scammer. He will start by checking unnecessary things under the hood then gives some BS about your catalytic converter and will fail your smog so you can come back and pay more money. read more

I got a smog check done here and the owner was really nice and sweet. He's a kind man who offers a lot for your time including a good conversation and advice regarding the car. He was very kind to me considering this was my first smog check ever done. Also, good for the price. I paid $60 out of pocket, and he only offers cash or zelle. Both of which weren't an issue. Will be coming back for my next smog check :) read more

Came to get an emissions test. There was one person ahead of me in line. Martin said it would be about a 30 minute wait. I said ok, I'll wait. 30 minutes later it's my turn. My car is taking longer than the previous one. Why isn't it working? I was late for my next thing so I said stop I have to leave. I paid the fee (btw, bring cash or have Zelle) but Martin said I could come back tomorrow and retry for only a fraction of the price. Next day it was successful. He also topped up oil and air. Thank you so much for that. TL,DR: equipment didn't work immediately but the owner was kind and made up for it read more

I have taken 3 cars to Martin. One car did not pass smog but was an easy fix (I failed to fill it with oil causing a gasket leak). Each time the fees charged were as expected. I do not understand the negative "scam" review... maybe feelings were hurt due to a failed smog? Each time takes about an hour which I appreciate because he does a thorough check. I will keep coming back. I do my best to support local businesses and only do so when I am treated with courtesy and respect. Thanks Martin! read more

Got 45 min to spare? That's how long it takes to get a smog check here. And only takes cash.

I've gone to Martin twice for my smog check on my vehicle for two years now. I appreciate the time he takes to give me tips and advice, with not much knowledge of my vehicle or vehicles. I appreciate it. Usually he can take you in I do recommend visiting Martin to check your car and get your smog check read more

Took my 2003 diesel SUV here for a supposedly "quick smog check ". For those of you who are not familiar with this, diesel cars are not required to do a tailpipe hookup inspection. In my past smog check, all the smog technician needs to do was a visual inspection. There was a time that the test lasted about 5 to 10 minutes. Not with this Martin guy. He literally spent the whole hour trying to look for anything that he can use as the reason to fail my car. He even told me that the little rubber part near the top of the oil drip stick is missing plus there's some evidence of oil leak (he directed a big flash light on the engine and find some shiny areas). He said that he was not going to pass my car based on that. He spent another good 10+ minutes checking his manual and computer as if he was looking for something and finally he changed his mind and passed my car. read more

I was looking for a place smog check my car. And I passed by Martin's smog check. The price was reasonable. Martin was very friendly and he also explained about my car how to save my battery when using my AC. I would recommend Martin to my family and friends! read more

I just went to Martin's on a whim, and he was great! While I waited he gave me tips on how to take care of my car and get better millage. He's fun to talk to, and his cat is nice too! read more

DO NOT COME HERE!!!!!!!! I brought my car to get a smog check here first off he couldn't even open my hood secondly he took forever! He's a scammer He said he couldn't pass my car because my motor was dirty. I was like what lol few days later I took it somewhere else and it passed right away! I feel like this guy just wants your money, don't here.. read more

As some of the reviews say, he does quiz you. I didn't take offense to his questions and he tells you that he does it as a way to share info with his customers. I think he really wants his customers to get the most out of their cars and that is thru knowledge and maintenance. His delivery could be better, but I don't think he's trying to be malicious. The smog check was quick and easy. No hassle, he tells you the price etc prior to starting. There a small seating area for waiting. Reasonable price and fairly quick process. I'd return for the next smog check. read more

DO NOT COME HERE!!!!! Warning: Con Man at work. Pure DISHONESTY! Read the one stars reviews as a WARNING before coming here to not get RIP OFF! Yep - I was right on the money - my Suspicion was Confirmed when he purposely failed my smog test gave me a ridiculous rip off offer at the end. The man running this shop/tests will fail you with a purpose in hopes that you will come back just to pay him more money. I've heard of this kind of shaddy business practice before in other lines of businesses but this is the first time I've seen it in person. Even should your car never fail a smog test anywhere else before, if you bring your car here for a smog test - your risk of failing a will elevate substantially here. Due to convenience as I was heading home I passed this place - I decided to pull in to get smog test real quick as I needed one to hand down to my nephew my car within the next few days. My gut feeling told me I should've gone other elsewhere upon first impression of how ugly shady and extremely dirty the shop looked but my stubborn brain loves conveniences. During the inspection of my car - my car passed every test one after another. I saw the dude was getting annoyed as he couldn't find anything wrong with it. And then he finally came up with the bullshit that he can't see a part number on one of the items on my car. He tried to talk down to me and lecture me as though he is Mr. Know It All and day think that I didn't know shit. I already can sense that this dude is already scheming trying to build a case of why he will fail my smog test. I wanted to yell at this fucker and make commotions but that's not gonna do any good as this dude's mind was made up in trying to make another quick buck via suckering people. At the end of my inspection as you can guess it - my car passed every aspect of a normal inspection but he still failed me because of a "Visual test." He suggested I should take my car to get unnecessary work done which would cost a lot more money and come then COME BACK to get inspected again as though he's the only inspector in town. Pass or fail he will charge you $50. At the end he told me if I bring back the car in 10 days - he will inspect my car again for free and i won't have to pay for anything EXCEPT for the certificate and if I bring it back after 30 days but after the ten days - he willing give me 50% off. -- NOTE: Any other legitimate smog shop would give you a full second inspection for free with the certificate of passed smog inspection included if you bring your car back within 30 days. Throughout his yapping - I was already looking confident and looking down on him at his demeanor of a petty con artist in disguise of a try to be Mr. Know it All smiling my smirk that I just took it that it was my bad to have come here in the first place but I also took it as a sign from God that I was to come here to get bullshited in order to write this review to warn others of this shaddy business to prevent many others from coming to this shaddy smog shop. Also note: If by shitty luck that you did not come across this review as well as others who have given this one star as a warning - and should you find out too late after already coming in here - whatever you do - Do NOT sit on the furnitures when he ask you to have a seat - the Furnitures are FULL OF BUGS!! I got bitten 3 times in a short 2 minutes and immediately noticed it right away and got up. I had to gun my car back to my house right away after the whole bullshit - parked my car outside in the curb - showered right away - place my clothes in a garbage, concealed it tightly - and ran back out to sanitize my car seats and the interior of my car. I then took my car to another smog shop and passed it with no problem. I take it as shit happens in life, but you just gotta keep the shit small and move on with you life as though you're applying stop loss. Thank you for reading my review today. May God bless you and luck be with you that you will never have to come to this SHADY RIP OFF Smog Shop. Good luck. Sincerely, Ken read more

$40. Cash paid for smog check. I hear Smog Pros charges $38. If you want a cheap smog check by an annoying know it all, who feels he has to constantly give you unwanted advice and tell you how wrong you are doing everything (and if you want to get bitten by mosquitos) come here. It is so true what the other yelpers said. So when it happened to me I had to laugh, because the more I ignored his advice the more he kept on. I only went to this place because it was literally around the corner from where i live. He will at every opportunity attempt to belittle you and make you feel like you less than. In all honesty I was not upset, but really amazed at his weird behavior/demeanor. First when I got there, he said pull your car up, to the garage. Ok. He immediately says I did it wrong, but thats ok, that he'll deal with it. He asks me to roll down the window. Ok. "well you know you should turn on the car to roll down the window, because blah blah blah, the battery and amperage of the blah blah blah, He goes on for two minutes ! ok. Still laughing inside. "fill this out here. here and here. Ok. Did it wrong again, he says. But He will "verify" Then he says you probably have a vacuum leak but "lets see what the results of the smog check says." It so happened it all passed. All the Smog info is fine. He should just stick to that ! Then he says I should back out of the lot like this or that. I say, ok, then do it my own way. Then he says, I shouldn't turn my tires, like this or that because they wear out faster. Then as i'm driving away, he yells at me his final little gem, "You should feel bad, you have a scratch on the side of your car !" Oh man, it was comical. I only cared that I got the Pass Smog, but if it failed, I wouldn't bring in back for a re-test. I wouldn't trust this guy, or recommend him to any of my friends of family. read more

I would definitely recommend Martin to friends and Family , He is very trough with His inspection found my car quart low in Oil , coolant reservoir hose was detached from lid , and was not siphoning coolant when it needed it , also pointed at a motor mount that needs to be replaced , He is very knowledgeable , and looks out for His costumers !!I said $ 50. dlls , money well spent , !! read more

I've taken 3-4 Cars to Martin, he's great very knowledgeable, I will recommend this to a car enthusiast because Martin loves to share his knowledge on Mechanics and I have gotten tons of tips to find issues I have with my cars sometimes and I'm a DIY weekend warrior(mechanic) so it's awesome. I will say if you're on a time crunch, maybe look elsewhere but if you want a smog, good prices, get your car looked over for free, meaning oil check. Visual inspection (no other smog place does this really), then come here! read more

DO NOT COME HERE. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST. this guy is a certified scammer he will scam you out of all the money he can. I went in 2 get a routine smog check which i havemt had a problem passing b4 and this dude took an hour to do the smog check with no on else waiting just me. Then he gives me some bs explanation to why he failed me he said my Cat had the wrong markings. So i take it to my personal mechanic and he sais the Cat is fine and that what this dude is doing is ILLEGAL. He said no one reports him because its a hassle going through the reporting process with the state so he just gets away with it. IF YOU VALUE YOUR MONEY AND TIME DO NOT COME HERE. P.S he has fleas and bug all.over his seats its disgusting you will get bit up if you sit down there read more

I needed to get a smog check on an 07 Honda Fit and decided to go here since it was pretty close to where I lived. Martin was pretty upfront about everything and gave me some maintenance tips as well as a recommendation for an oil change and tint shop. He checked my oil level, noticed it was a bit low, and topped it off for me. I'm glad to have a fast and convenient smog place near my home and would recommend it to anyone looking to get their car smogged. read more

HE GIVES DISCOUNTS TO CSULA STUDENTS! Let him know before hand Really awesome dude, he charged me $60 for a smog check, he was quick and hospitable, and took the time to teach me a few things and converse with me. read more

Martin was friendly and chatty and very knowledgeable. He wants his customers to know how to take basic care of their cars and know when something is wrong and what to do about it. He explained everything he was doing and the basic issues to watch for. He's definitely a teacher at heart. It's not the fastest Smog check you can find (Martin admitted that sometimes he gets carried away talking to his customers), but when I told him I had an appointment coming up he finished up my Smog check very quickly and sent me on my way. I would definitely go back to Martin's shop for my next Smog check. read more

Martin was friendly and very helpful when my wife brought in our old Corolla. Did a quick check of the car and found it was in desperate need of oil. Fair price, great service. Martin also said he gives discounts to college students, fyi. read more

I didn't read the previous feedback.... he/she was right that he talked alot n giving me BS I paid 50 so bargain the price the previous guy paid only 40 read more

Martin is fabulous! I just got my '95 Corolla smog-checked at Martin's and passed! He was so helpful and nice! Apparently, the last person who worked on my car left some temperature sensor thing un-clipped and un-capped (fail), and that would've resulted in an automatic fail. Fortunately, Martin was nice about it, and just closed it back up for us. The whole testing process took about 30 minutes, and his price is very reasonable! It was my first smog check, and overall a painless experience. read more

Came in for a smog check and I was assisted right away. Martin was super helpful and gave me some insight on issues with my car and even let me in on advice with what to look for when I take my car to a mechanic. My smog check passed with no problem! I'm not sure what happened with the people who gave him a one star review but my experience was the complete opposite. I totally recommend coming to him! read more

As a woman I did not like his service at all. There was one car before me and at first he was nice so I decided to stay but when it was my turn he started lecturing me and made me feel real dumb. I don't know much about cars, that is not my interest but I do know the basics like knowing when my car needs steering wheel fluid, anti freeze, oil and a tune up. This guy without knowing me started to judge me and assumed I didn't know any of these things. He asked me 5 questions and I answered 4 ouit of 5 right but because I answered one wrong he started saying that I should know the answer because that was on the written test. I left the place feeling upset and uneasy with myself. I don't recommend this guy to new customers at all. specially women. read more

Martin was thorough and quick. He likes to share his knowledge and give tips on your car.

I highly recommend this establishment. Martin went above and beyond preforming a smog check. He gave me helpful tips about my new car, and even saved me several hours of waiting in line at the DMV by telling me that my AAA membership would allow me register and get new plates at AAA. Thanks Martin!! read more

Usually a smog test is a routine thing, and there's little interaction with the mechanic. Martin is courteous and very knowledgeable. He gives great advising on other aspects of the car that he isn't required to do. I'll definitely go next year. I may be a mechanical engineering students, but I learned more in an hour about cars than I've ever learned! He also put oil in my car since he noticed it was super low and felt it was unsafe to drive it that way. Very kind. read more

My father has been coming here for 8 years. today we brought in 4 cars and my family couldnt be happier. Big Thanks to Martin !!!!!

I have never had a smog check before so I had no idea what I was doing -and I know very little about cars - hence the reason for putting this off so long. - My experience was great and I have no fear of getting a smog test done again!!!! I found Martin's because I live close to the shop and I went based on other yelper reviews - they were right! When I arrived Martin suggested I add gas to my car - it was almost empty - (a later read the manual to learn you should have at least 3/4 tank of gas when doing a smog check.) - that was nice of him to s The process was very painless and he is a REALLY nice guy.....he took the time to teach me about some of simple things on my car and suggested I read the manual and learn more about my car - seems like a good idea but I have never done that...... Cost was $50 - had I had cash ion me it would have been $45 - he also helped me with a couple of other minor things - such as what to do about my battery since it dying - I would have never know what to do and where to go and what to ask for but he told me and I was able to get that taken care of as well! He also said I should add a little oil to my car which he helped me with as welll - i know i know, adding oil to a car is easy but I probably wouldn't have done it had he not helped me.... I would comletely recommend other to go here....... Thanks Martin! read more

I got a car and went to Martin's for smog check. Since the car was not been driven for a while, I asked Martin to drive first then test. He was eager to get the job in the first place and agreed. However, once he got the job, his attitude changed. He was rude, ignorant and greedy etc. Martin was a smooth talker when he's trying to get your job, but later he's not a nice nor reliable guy any more. He treated female bad. Stay away from this place. I don't know why he had so many glorified comments, possibly he paid for them. Given my actual experience, it's a rip off and TERRIBLE. You deserve a better service, drive away from him. read more

After yelping smog test places in El Sereno I came across Martin's shop honestly I had a great experience for my first time. I can honestly recommend it his price was very affordable being my first time getting a smog test I felt comfortable talking to him, he went out of his way to teach me a couple of things i should check my vehicle for. I would definitely come back..look no further he is honestly great. read more

Terrible experience here. This is the only review I have ever written. I don't usually write these reviews but because it was so bad, I was motivated to write this. I only went here because it was the closest one I could find near my house. Sorry for the long read; I have a lot of time just waiting here. First of all, there was no AC (it was 100F+ degrees outside the day I went) and no bathroom. I thought this was going to be a quick visit but I wasted a lot of time here. Martin, the inspector, did the test and everything passed except he said he has to fail me because it didn't pass the visual inspection. He told me that I'm missing a part (hose). I told him there's no hose that goes to the intake, but he insisted. I told him i will go to the dealership and get the part and install it then come back so he could pass my inspection. He was ok with it except he mentioned that he has to re-do the test, meaning I have to wait for him to complete the test again!! On top of that, he wanted to charge me again for the re-test. Pretty ridiculous. Anyway, I went to get the part from the dealership. But the mechanics and two guys told me that part doesn't exist. No hose is supposed to be connected to the intake, as he mentioned. I requested proof from the parts store and they gave me a diagram. When I came back with the diagram not even 30 min after my visit, Martin wouldn't accept the proof I provided. I even showed him a picture from an internet search, and he still wouldn't pass my car for missing a hose that's not even suppose to exist. He couldn't even explain to me what the hose does, so he doesn't even know about this part. Anyway, he told me he's going to look into it, but it would help if I had more concrete proof. After some research, I decided to come back one last time to tell him to look in the hole so he could see it's plugged. I'm here waiting for him to finish other customer's inspection. But If he doesn't pass me, I'm definitely disputing. This guy is rude and condescending. The other reviews are right--he tries to lecture you on your car but it's all BS. Also, side note, his system kept on crashing so ended up waiting longer. Go to a more reputable smog check inspector. read more

Had passed my cars before, went back to him came out with some bs that my stock exhaust with stock welds was tampered with and stole 40 bucks from me. Likes to try and school you on your car, I was surprised with the bs he was throwing at me I knew he was building up to fail me. Next day went to a smog test center on soto and wabash, passed immediately. Dont know what was wrong with him that day, but hope he doesn't do that to people often. read more

After searching for a local service to do a smog check and certification, I found Martin to be a very knowledgeable and honest technician who doesn't mind explaining customers' questions regarding their smog check results. He was able to explain what the test result numbers meant from a maintenance standpoint and even went the extra mile to check vital fluid levels such as oil and coolant. I'm planning on taking my wife's car here next time it needs certification, and I would recommend anyone looking for a smog check to give Martin a visit. This is an addendum, but Martin will also do smog checks on hybrids and diesels. Just did it with my wife's car today. read more