I was just reading through the reviews and was stunned when I saw the bad reviews. I had never been to this shop before, but my car needed the dreaded smog test so that I could renew my registration. Thought I would give Rancho a try. First, the manager, Jeremy was kind and informative. The waiting area is actually comfortable with large leather like sofas and a big screen TV to keep you entertained. No one likes to wait in an auto shop - but this wait was truly pleasant and comfortable. Big bonus is that there is a Starbucks in the same parking lot and you can run over and get for your favorite drink before plopping down on Rancho's big comfy couch to watch TV. The service on my car was quick, (not much time to relax on the couch) unbelievably reasonable and the guys in the shop were professional and courteous. I will be returning to Rancho when I have other service needs for my car and will gladly refer my friends to them as well. This was a surprisingly pleasant experience and I absolutely hate it when I get that smog notice from DMV. read more

Hi, i came in here for a smog check and i have and older car they charged $20 more from the internet price so it came out to be $60 and the car didn't pass. so i ask how long do i have for the free re-test they said no re-test and if you call any smog check place in san diego they all give free re-text if your car does not pass and then they said we can tell you what the problem is for $149.99 and i ask i thought the report tells you why it doesn't pass and he said yeah it does. i dont recommend. read more

Highly recommend for service, price, free wifi, promptness, appointment availabilty, clean lobby & restrooms, refreshments. STAR smog test certified facility. Plus received a coupon for future wheel alignment. Thanks Jeremy! read more

Rancho Auto Service - Like waiting in a den. - Auto Repair Near Me - El Cajon, California

Sitting here right now in their cozy waiting area while The Lost World plays on their 4K TV and they get to work on my wife's car. I brought my own car a month ago for a smog inspection, having found the place on Yelp and being able to take my car on the same day. Service was fast and great then, and it was a nice touch to get a courtesy follow-up call a few days later to ask how things were with my car. Since my wife's car needed work, it was easy to decide where to bring her car, and luckily they could also work on it the same day I called. Both times I've been in, I've been greeted warmly, been well informed of what's going on with our cars, and my waiting time never felt super long. And it was great to not feel like a nameless number passing through a major car shop. Oh, and there's also wifi, so no need for me to hang at the Starbucks next door! read more

These guys are great. Very knowledgeable and honest. They kept me in the loop on what was wrong with my car. No unnecessary up sell as well. I will go to them every time. And don't forget that AAA discount if your a member. read more

My son in law recommended me to Rancho Auto Service about 6 years ago, and they are the best mechanic I've ever had. I'm a 72 senior, my car is a 2004 Trailblazer with 146,000 miles on it, and they keep me up dated on future repair works and their prices are the best I've ever seen! They are a AAA Auto Club so I alway receive a nice discount on all work done. I went in on 4/3/23 for a oil change and I told them my service engine lite would come on then go off, so they check it out and I also asked them to rotate my tires, which I could of had done for free at Discount Tires, but they don't tell you that my control arms needed to be replaced, my front tire was so wobbly I'm surprised the tire didn't fall off, my thermostat was ready to go out, so I also had the front end alignment, and my brakes needed to be replace. Getting something for free isn't alway a good deal, I will never have my tires rotated at Discount Tires. My sales and service representatives Sergi, showed me everything that needed replacing including the thermostat! I'm moving to Apple Valley Ca. In a month but I will continue my service with them and Sergi is the best mechanic I've ever seen. Trust me you won't ever be disappointed with their services! There waiting room looks like a living room with a couch, love seat, rocking chair and a tv. Also they have a beautiful dining room table and chair to sit at if you want to use your computer! I don't mind waiting there to have my car serviced because I feel like I'm sitting in my home! I'm so blessed to have Rancho San Diego as my car service center! read more

I had a great experience at Rancho Auto Service. From Mr. Jeremy at the front desk to the gentleman servicing my truck. The smog check process was very smooth and although they had plenty of business, they had me in and out quickly. I didn't mind the short time I spent in their very comfortable waiting area. Those couches were a dream and they had good entertainment on the TV. I look forward to doing business with them in the future. Thanks for the great service. read more

I've been to RAS 2x for Smog Certification, and the service has always been excellent. I would highly recommend. Cost is reasonable.

Lovely ppl, the service is really awesome. I go there regularly to do my car maintenance and I'm happy about it! Keep it up guys, Thanks! read more

We use Rancho Auto for all of our service needs, personal vehicles as well as our fleet of business vehicles. Jeremy always has a smile & is ready to serve. They work honestly & with integrity. I highly recommend them! read more

This Auto Shop is spot on! Very honest and professional staff and great mechanics. Every time I come in for service they greet .y by name, give me an honest assessment (wheather I need service or not) I highly recommend these guys for your service needs!!! read more

The people here were extremely helpful, even helped me to arrange for a replacement for my poor dead ride. They were very friendly and went out of their way to help. They are AAA recommended, and it's easy to see why. read more

Rancho Auto Service is such a great place to service your vehicle. I just moved to Southern California from Ohio a few months ago and have been looking for a mechanic to work on my car. Rancho Auto Service is close to where I live, so the convenience was the first reason why I chose to give them a shot. It was very simple to schedule an appointment with them. I could have called but I decided to schedule an appointment on their website. The reason I needed a mechanic was because I heard grinding and squeaking from my wheels when I was driving. I thought that it was just the brake pad indicator letting me know my brakes were getting worn down. I brought my car in and spoke with Jeremy at the front desk. It took about 5 seconds for him to pull up my appointment and my request. I didn't have to re-explain why I was there or anything, he already had everything pulled up. He mentioned that they would first do a brake inspection and the cost would be applied to any service they did on my vehicle. It's nice to know that them just checking my brakes wouldn't be an extra cost! He then let me know that he would call me when the inspection was complete with their recommendation. Jeremy called me WITHIN ONE HOUR of me dropping off my car and described the exact noise I had been hearing from my wheels. He said that the brake pads were still at about 9mm (which is still a lot) but there was some serious rust and debris built up in my brakes...probably caused by the salt and snow when I was living in Ohio. He mentioned that the brakes are still in working order based on the depth of them and it wasn't 100% necessary to replace them at this time...but the very loud squeaking and grinding would continue because of the debris. He broke down the pricing from the highest to the lowest service to accommodate for my budget at the time. I loved the fact that the sale wasn't pushed on me like it was life or death (because it wasn't) and he gave me options if it didn't fit my budget. For me, I thought the price for both front and rear brakes was very reasonable, so I had them do everything. It took them about 2 hours to complete the job and they immediately called me when they finished. When I picked up my car, Jeremy showed me my old brake pads...they were beat up, rusted pretty bad, and filled with debris from back when I lived in Ohio. My brakes now work better than when I bought my car from the dealer. These guys will not push the sale so you go with them. I felt like they just wanted to keep me informed about my vehicle and the different options they had available to me. Taking your car here feels like you're bringing it to that handy family member that just wants to help you out. I would recommend Rancho Auto Service to everyone. My fiancee will be getting her brakes done on her car next week by these guys. Thank you guys for your hard work and honesty! read more

I am in the customer service business and really think it's the most important part of any business model... So I walked into this auto service this morning to get an oil change.. When I walked into the business one of the men behind the desk just looked at my husband and myself.. Never asked " How can I help you?", " Are you picking up a car", how about " Hello"... Then proceeds to tell us that he can't help us with an oil change without an appointment.... Really?????.... Who makes appointments for oil changes? That's a big money maker on the weekends... Anyhew... Won't be going back.. I suggest that you don't either... read more

The work speaks for its self. Amazingly done within good time and at a great price. They were flexable, patient and kind. Would definitely recommend and will be bringing more cars in the future. read more

Always honest and considerate service, I have been coming to Rancho Auto Service almost 10 years and don't think i'll ever leave!

Went in to get an alignment, wasn't available right away, but Jeremy made me an appointment for the same day. Great service, friendly staff and the place is very clean. Definitely would recommend. read more

Great service, didn't feel pressured to do the added work needed when just going in for an oil change. Everyone is polite and professional.

This is the only place I will take my vehicles. The service is excellent and fast. Jeremy is super friendly and honest. If you live in East County, this is the shop to take your vehicles. 5 stars!! read more

I just came back from Rancho Auto Service, and once again, I had a wonderful experience. I heard squeaking under the hood of my car, so I took it in to have it looked at. I was expecting to have to wait around for awhile, because all of the mechanics were hard at work looking at other cars, but Jeremy jumped up, went right over to my car, popped the hood, and assessed the complaint. After pushing and pulling on a few things under my hood, he determined that my car was in good shape and that I didn't need any work!!! What honesty!!! He didn't even charge me one penny and gave me piece of mind... If you want good, honest people taking care of you and your family, you'll come here for your automotive needs:) read more

I called to schedule an appointment, got my car there for an transmission fluid change cause I haven't done it on my car and it used to smell funny when it goes uphill. They recommended changing the filter too and I went with their advice cause I didn't know that there's a filter to be changed. Jeremy said that they will be done with it the next day. I went the next day and they were kind enough to wait for me to get my car as I got there a bit late, right at 5. I like this place cause they're professional, friendly, nice environment and honest. I'd recommend Rancho Auto Service to a friend. read more

Good service!!! The best car shop I have EVER been to. The service was amazing, the shop was very clean and tidy! I loved how all the workers were always positive and ready to help! Above all the FREE WIFI was excellent!!! read more

Great service always. Friendly staff, i have been going here for years. Definetly will recommend!

Jeremy is so helpful and honest. We were kept updated on the repairs of our car. And it was fixed and returned as promised! Great service and the rewards program gave us a little discount on our bill. read more

Went in at 2:40 p.m. for a simple Smog Check, and the man at the front desk asked if we had an appointment. For a Smog Check? In my many years of driving and owning a car, I've never needed an appointment for a simple Smog Check! So of course, I told him no. He proceeded to tell us that they're all booked for the day and asked if we want to schedule an appointment for next week. No thanks! I get that you close at 5 p.m., but who turns down business for something as quick & easy as a Smog Check? They only had 2 other cars from what I saw. So we just left and went down the street to Auto Care Service Center (next to the gas station right off the freeway). They knocked out the Smog Check in less than 10 minutes, no appointment needed. Didn't turn us down, even with a few other cars getting work done as well. read more

My husband and I always come here for our smog checks as Brian and his crew are great and so fast! I went in on Monday morning and I was out of there in 12 minutes! Very professional and friendly service! read more

Rancho Auto Service provides quality service for our vehicles. Their customer service is excellent. All of our questions are answered quickly and with all the detail we need to make the right decisions to keep our cars running in top condition. We trust their advice --and have for many years. read more

I went in today to cause i had to smog my wife's car. Jeremy was really friendly. He made time for me even tho i did not have an appointment. Will be going back to Rancho auto service again for my car repairs. He had my car smoged while i waited. Thanks again for your fast and friendly service. read more

I took my Prius to Rancho Auto Service, for a routine oil change service. AJ promptly took care of me as soon as I arrived. The write up of work was fast and the work was done quickly and efficiently. The waiting area at Rancho is clean and has entertainment as well as good wifi. read more

I have tried to support this business on several occasions but each time I get an estimate for the repairs, the prices are extremely inflated. They tried to charge me $75 to replace the bulb in my headlight. I took it to the dealer and was only charged $20. Last week, my daughter took her car in for smog check and was told she needed to have the mass airflow sensor needed to be replaced and it would cost $700 for the repair. Again, we took it to the dealer. The part was covered under the warranty. My daughter asked what it would cost if the warranty didn't cover it and was told $400. read more

it's funny that the owner of the shop finally decided to respond to my yelp review from over a year ago, not to mention other yelp reviews from 2008. the owner now states that ' the consumer may take their vehicle to any licensed smog repair facility of their choice and he will perform a retest for a reduced fee or if the repairs are made at their facility, they will do a retest for free'. one yr ago, this was not the case, as the owner tried to sway me to do repairs at his shop instead of my mechanic who does specialize in smog repairs. my father even contacted the owner after he realized how shady he was being with me...and my father was told the same thing i was told a yr ago. === SAN DIEGO...STRAIGHT UP, HONEST REVIEW (and i'm not going to even entertain going back and forth with this owner) === there are licensed smog technicians...A LOT of them who do re-tests for free whether you decide to do repairs with their business or not. ask before you complete any service. this was a horrible experience and i paid more for a smog test since i was ripped off by this business the 1st time around. my mechanic recommended an HONEST licensed smog technician who retested my car not once...not twice...but 3 times for FREE. if you do decide to use this business, you were warned!!! read more

I had a problem with my car - it died in a parking lot. I called Jeremy and my problem instantly became his problem. He suggested trying a 'jump' and I found someone to help me with that. He was right. I made it to Rancho and Jeremy diagnosed and fixed my problem in less than an hour. I love having someone dependable to call when I have a problem. And I love the fact that he really cares about satisfying his customers. Highly recommend him to anyone looking for an honest and reliable mechanic. I'm glad I found him! read more

Updating after the canned reply response to my review. I remember this event clearly to this day because of how absurd you and your employees were acting when you were caught lying. One of your service people tried to take advantage of my girlfriend by pulling the fuse of the OBD port that uploads the smog data to the machine and telling her that it was not communicating. This wasn't an upsell of any sort, it was outright fraud. Your service people are cheats, and judging by other reviews, you encourage or sanction this behavior. read more

Wow, this week was a nightmare for me. My left front wheel was clunking along, making such a horrible noise I thought the wheel was going to fall off. I thought it might have been a tire problem, so I went to Discount Tire and Emmett the manager told me it was probably another problem, so to go see Jeremy at Rancho Auto Service. Since I do a lot of driving back and forth to Mexico, I wasn't going to chance going back down to Mexico with the car. Jeremy the manager was personable and explained everything to me, and Wally the mechanic was great. They both were very communicative and gave me my old bearing back, which was destroyed. My car is now driving like a new car. I got an oil change, and everything was done efficiently and quickly. Thanks so much for all the great service!! I will be back for the infusion service in a few weeks! read more

Yes I'm posting again...I just went in to get my oil changed and I just want to say they really do go all out for their customers. Used a gift certificate they sent in the mail for 25 dollars off any service and they even sent out more to give to friends!!! Jeremy is super friendly and always puts a movie on for my daughter when we come in. I will continue to bring my car here as long as I'm in the area. Thanks again guys for great service! read more

Always super friendly from the time you walk in the door. Front desk people are very attentive and address your need in a no-nonsense but friendly manner. Work is done quickly, efficiently and cost competitive. I highly recommend them to anyone. read more

I went here for a star smog after finding a coupon online. The guy in the front was friendly and funny. The place was clean with comfortable seating; it was very spacious. By the time I walked and got a starbucks, my truck was done being smogged. I will most definately return to this place if I need a smog done. read more

Such a great mechanic shop. Jeremy was very helpful and kept me up to date with everything that was going on. I was there with my 18 month old child and the wait was going to be 3 or so hours. Thankfully there's a Starbucks right next door and a target across the street. They replaced our back brakes and rotors in 2.5 hours, not once did they try to up sell anything or tell me we needed anything more than what we went in to have worked on. Definitely recommend them!! If we were staying in the states longer I'd be taking my car back there for sure! read more

Took my car in for break job about 3 months ago. Waited to write review cause I wanted to make sure they were done right. I'm must say I'm happy with the repair! I was surprised to see such bad reviews. I thought they did a excellent job and the price was fair, overall im more that satisfied!! read more

Came here for a smog. Made an appointment. They said it would take 20 minutes and it did. Fast and professional. Nice lobby area to wait.