I called a couple of hours ago for a smog check and they were able to get me in for a same day appointment. I was in and out in 30 minutes! It was easy and painless. Prices are good too! read more

The owner Ceasar is great! He's overly reasonable with pricing and will tell you like it is! Honest friendly and highly professional. I've been a customer for over seven years and foolishly attempted to go somewhere else and was high balled and gouged as well as felt like I was trying to be taken advantage of. I love how Cesar breaks everything down and just gives you the straight forward. Seriously wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. 100% trust! Thank you for all the years of service Smog Diagnostic Specialists! You have a customer and my referrals for life! read more

had a BAD experience today at Smog Diagnostic. I took my Camaro in to have th A/C looked at since it has not been blowing cold air for 2 years. I did have it serviced back in 2007 and spent $205.08 for misc.-ac service QTY-1.5, List -$85.00 EXT.$127.50 Part-R134 FREEON PER OUNCE QTY-32, List-$4.25, $136.00 Cesar said he had a special to check my system for $39.00, I asked him what that included and he danced around answering his phone, telling me that included everything...hook it up to machine, check for leaks, and you know get the thing running. anyways, 5 minutes later he came back and said my system had .14 freon and needed 2lbs and that would cost $80+ dollars, plus labor, plus $15.00 dollars to add die to check for leaks. I said no Thank You..... Right at the beggining i should have known because he could not answer my direct question of what did the $39.00 dollars include, and he could not answer it, there was no document on wall that listed what the A/C Inspection included. The problem here is that CESAR WANTS TO CHARGE YOU FOR THE FREON TO GIVE YOU YOUR $39.00 DOLLARS OF SERVICE. NOW THAT IS DIRTY!!!!! I CALLED POLAR BEAR AIR AND SPOKE TO ART, HE SAID THIER SYSTEM INSPECTION IS $65.00. WHICH INCLUDES: -ELECTRICAL TEST -CONTROLS TEST -HOT WATER VALVE TEST -FAN CLUTCH TEST -CLUTCH SPEEDS TEST -VISUAL INSPECTION OF HOSES AND ACCUMULATOR -*H-10G DIAGNOSTIC FOR ENTIRE SYSTEM -SNIFFING OUT FREON LEAKS ON CONDENSOR, VENTS, EVAPORATOR, COMPRESSOR, -THEN THAY CHECK THE FREON LEVEL -THEY ADD FREON TO ACCURATELY TEST SYSTEM AND REMOVE FREON -TECHNICIAN THEN WRITES UP EVALUATION WHICH CAN LEAD INTO EVACUATION/RECHARGE AND INSERTING OF DIE IF NEEDED. Wow, what a difference from a 'Mickey-Mouse' hustler shop to a PROFESSIONAL Air Conditioning Repair facility. I then called CESAR back today to ask if we could come to some mutual agreement, and he told me "Dude what the hell do you expect, you needed freon and you wouldnt let me put it in". I explained to him what the other shop had listed as thier inspection service ... and he said "Every shop does it different, and he kept saying i gotta go". He rudely hung up on me. I then went out to the BBC website and on one of the first lines it says to try to resolve problem with business before filing a complaint. So i called CESAR back and asked him are you sure we cant resolve the fact that you want me to pay for freon before you can complete my A/C inspection that i paid $39.00, and he said "hell no, go ahead and make your complaint"! I am now filling out complaint form...... Beware of the fast talk you get from SMOG DIAGNOSTIC SPECIALIST. There has got to be some guidelines that business's need to follow when asked what is included in a $39.00 a/c inspection because this shop did not show me one today. Your Desired Resolution: I would like my money back for the inspection fee since he was not able to complete the inspection without me first paying for the freon. The other A/c repair shop does not charge you for the freon that they use to inspect your suystem, they just suck the freon back out. Thank you, read more

Had my vehicle smog two years ago at smog diagnostic. I went back again this year and I enjoyed the same great service I had two years ago. I got there at about noon just in time to have lunch at Harry's, Which is just down the street. This was a great one two combination-getting my car smog test and having lunch at Harry's. read more

Nice guy. Good prices. Just too busy for my likes. Other people's 1 star reviews prevented me from getting more than just an oil change done. read more

I have been coming here for 6 years and have had 8 Smog certificates done by Cesar and the crew. Never an issue, always a quick turnaround and a fair price. I have used them to do a prepurchase inspection on a car for my daughter. Several oil changes and a few minor repairs. They have a low hourly rate and do good work. I don't need a flat screen TV in the lobby and a slimy counter guy trying to sell me scams like at the dealerships. Smog Diagnostics is everything you want in a car shop. read more

I've been taking both family vehicles to SDS for a few years and have always been happy with their service and prices. I even had to pay twice for smog one year because of my after market intake. But it was still cheaper than others in my area. You can imagine my frustration when I go in on a Saturday at 11:30 and they tell me their closed! I say, "I'm here to give you money." No. "But you're open until 4." No. Open until 1:00 and been slow all morning. "But I want to give you my money." Sorry. So .... I won't be taking any more vehicles here. If you don't want me as a customer in the middle of your posted hours, I'll find another independent shop to do my service. Which is what I'm waiting for as I write this. read more

I wish I read these reviews before taking my car here. I decided to give them a try out of convenience and not go to my usual place that would retest for free if failed. This particular time the car was pulled into the shop the technician came in the office to ask if I had an EO Sticker for the air intake on the car. I said that I did not know what he was taking about. Apparently the state passed a law in 2009 where I needed to get an exemption sticker. He asked the manager in charge if he should pull the car out, but he said to run the test anyways. I tried to stop him saying if it failed visual to don't run the test or charge me. He claimed that it was already in the system and had to finish. Funny thing is that he didn't he ask the technician if it was. The car wasn't even hooked up to the machine and was only just pulled in. he then went out and hooked it all up and went through the test. No Customer Care here. This place will run every test they can to just charge a smog fee. A customer can in just after this to pick up her car and it failed to a wrong gas cap. The guy claimed it was lose and she had to get one from Mercedes. She then said why Mercedes since it was a BMW. Duh!!!! Plus he said they couldn't test it since she didn't leave the key. Well that's why it's loose then. When locked the cap is loose so you can't take it off and when unlocked it tightens and you can then screw it off. Man, save yourself the hassle and go somewhere else. I am also calling BAR. read more

Don't get too excited about their $25.00 coupon (+$8.95 cerfication fee) - I still walked out the door paying $48. The sting of the price was made worse by their claim for "fast in/out" service, as my smog took 50 minutes on what seemed like a fairly quiet day. I was also really put off by their receptionist. Very rude, looked like she had just gotten out bed. When I left, I was happy to have passed, but made a mental note not to return. With so many other smog shops out there in the same price range, there's little incentive to return. read more

I'll never know how good their service is, because I'll never return. Waited 9 minutes for someone to come into the office. His only words of greeting were "If you want a smog test it will be an hour." I thought he meant an hour till I could drive away, but apparently he meant till anyone would even talk to me. After a few minutes more, the same guy walked through the office, chatted with his friend for a while, demanded my keys so he could move my car, left the office. More time passes, he comes back in with another customer and finishes his transaction, then starts talking to me while he's typing away at his computer. I was getting a car smogged for a friend who's in the hospital; didn't have access to the DMV notice, but had the number and the registration. A sign in the office says if you don't have the notice there's a $5 charge. Believe me, I had plenty of time to read ALL the signs in the office. As I started to tell him I had the number, not the notice, he starts talking to me like I'm deaf or demented - guess he was ready for a fight. I asked for the car key back, which was tossed on the counter near me. Then I had to go out and search for the car. Took it across the street to 16th Street Smog and am not exaggerating: I was in and out with the smog cert sent in less time than I'd spent waiting at SD, and no extra charge for not having the notice. Next time I'll know to for straight to 16th Street Smog and skip this unpleasant mess of a place. read more

This shop is owned by shady thugs. They do offer one of the lowest prices around and I had no problems my first few visits. They offer an ongoing online coupon to really make the price too good to pass up. Once they get you in the shop they'll create problems and hit you with ridiculous diagnostic charges hence the part in the name "Diagnostic Specialists". After the smog failed they asked for $180 to diagnose the problem and added that the retest smog price would be full price, no coupon allowed second time around. I left and went to another test facility, as I suspected, the 2 year old Honda Accord passed smog and had no problems whatsoever. A year or so later I had a second vehicle (diesel) needing a smog check which I knew would pass (diesel smog tests are 90% visual) so decided to give them a second chance considering the times before the last went fine. I called to verify the price before going and spoke to the usual co-owner, Cesar, who handles the calls and front counter. I wrote down the quoted price on the printed coupon from the website. When I arrived the next week to get the smog check I noticed a different individual at the counter. Turns out he was Cesar's brother. I told him I needed a diesel smog check, showed him the coupon and asked him to verify the price I was quoted the week before from his brother. He said he didn't know the price??? Co-owner??? He said he doesn't usually work the counter and explained his brother did but he was covering for him while he was out of town. I explained that I spoke with Cesar the week before and wrote down the prices which included the standard price plus the state certification fee and the deducted coupon price. He refused to look at my paperwork. I explained I had been going there for years with multiple vehicles and pointed out that Cesar knew me as a long time repeat customer. He still would not even take a glance at my paperwork. He went out to the shop and asked a mechanic what the smog price was. At this point there was some confusion between them because he stated the price but said the certification was not included; I believe he misunderstood the mechanic, otherwise, the mechanic said it wrong. I could see it was simply an addition error. All the figures he was stating were correct but he stated the total wrong. I tried to explain to him that the prices he was quoting as broke down was correct but the total was incorrect, it didn't add up the way he stated. I again asked if he could just look at the breakdown I wrote down per what his brother told me over the phone; that it would clear everything up. He refused. At that point he went back out to the mechanic and again asked the mechanic. The mechanic correct himself and admitted "yes, the price includes the certificate fee"; exactly what I was trying to explain. As the co-owner brother admitted the price was including the certification and I was correct, I stated that's why I asked him to look at my figures which could have made everything much easier on all of us. At that point he handed me back my DMV form and told me to leave. I asked "why, because I was right?" He said, "I don't care, I don't need to do it for you". I asked, "so that's how you treat long term repeat customers?" He said he didn't care and didn't need my business. He had a defensive thug attitude the entire time, he was unwilling to let me finish talking and unwilling to simply look at the quote I had written down. Once he had to admit being incorrect, and more importantly, admit I was correct...well, he simply acted in his childish nature and refused service to a multi-vehicle repeat customer. I've gone back and read other reviews, obviously there is a consensus of this negative track record and I was lucky to not have problems in the beginning. There are many other GOOD shops out there with just as good of prices. I actually went elsewhere this same day & saved $8.00 over the price I was suppose to have at SDS and the new place started my test immediately. Call around and read reviews, there's much better prices and service out there. Beware of "Sacramento Smog, Smog Diagnostic Specialists", you WILL have problems there. read more

The guys at Smog Diagnostic have earned a customer for life with their prompt and courteous service. They've gone the extra mile to make sure my old Ford Ranger is in working order and done their best to save me a buck. I'd recommend them to a friend any day. read more

I found out about this place because I lived near the shop and it was the most convenient place to take my car. Now I have been going there for oil changes, random maintenance and SMOG checks since 2006. They are always super nice and friendly when I come in. Always attentive and focused on being helpful. I would recommend this place to a friend. They do an excellent job and amazingly they are quick too! They make me feel taken care of and always take the time to explain anything that's going on with my car. I pretty much got a yelp account so I could send a little love their way and leave them a good review. Dealing with car issues is stressful but they make things about as easy as it gets. read more

I will definitely come back here again!! Probabaly with any of my car needs. Just from being here for 20 minutes I can already tell they are very knowledgable about everything they do. I called around 12 and they got me in the same day with no hassle! They're prices are very reasonable. And who doesn't love a local, non expensive, and nice repair shop? I need a lot of work done, and this will be my first choice. Plus, it don't take long at all. All around great place and good vibes!! A++ read more

Went for a smog. Took half hour. Nothing special to report. Guy at the counter was like every other guy at an automotive shop. No frills, straight to the point. Can't complain, can't praise either. read more

How do you break a car that has no prior problems? I have a repair shop that I regularly go to, but they don't do smog checks. Found a coupon for a smog check at Smog Diagnostic Specialist and they are close to my house so I figured why not. I foresaw no issues since my car is only 6 years old and this is the first year a test was required by DMV. No problems with the smog check, but I had them do an oil change while I was there. A couple days after having the car back I noticed a significant oil leak. I took a look under the car and noticed oil leak around the oil plug. Seemed simple enough. I took it back, and they checked it out. They said they replaced the plug gasket at no additional charge, but I still had an oil leak. I don't want to deal with them any more, so I will be taking it to my regular repair shop to solve what I am sure is a simple problem. If they can't handle a simple oil change (something I was capable of as a teenager in my driveway two decades ago) I wouldn't trust them with any other repairs. I'm just thankful it was only a minor issue that can easily be resolved. read more

I have been taking my car to this shop for the last few years and really trust them for quality work and straightforward pricing. Thanks guys, it's great having a neighborhood shop I can trust. read more

Beware, there are two separate businesses, side by side: Smog Diagnostics and Warren's brakes and suspension. Their entrances are easy to and commonly confused. The three stars are for Cesar being friendly, and trying to fit me in immediately. The lack of two stars is because it strongly appears from his own words that Cesar darn well knew it was extremely likely that I had actually walked into the wrong business's door, mistakenly thinking i was at Warren's brakes. Apparenty it happens a lot. Yay for sneaky snaky cash-enhancing creativity, Zip for integrity. and I-dont-know for quality of work. And they charge for checking the brakes; Warren doesn't. I found out in the nick of time so Larry Warren did the work. It all made for a colorful day but i'd likely have been spitting mad as a cross-eyed rabid cobra if they did steal my business and I didnt find out until too late. Smog Diagnostic- should you need help with yelp, beget your own whelps, or take your chances with foolish advances read more

I just HAVE to send a shout out for these dudes. They're a small shop on the corner of T Street & 16th Street and I've used them several time for oil changes, etc. Today, I dropped off my car, asking for some fluid changes and for a tune up and the guy just called to tell me that my plugs/sparks look new & my car doesn't need a tune up, when he could have easily replaced them without need and charged me for it. There were other requests I made, to which they recommended equally efficient alternatives that were much cheaper or free. It's just so refreshing to find competent, courteous and honest mechanics, so I had to give them props. Their prices are also very competitive. I created a Yelp profile just so I could rave about them. Seriously, so nice. Okay, I'm done read more

I have been going to this shop for 7 years now. I'm satisfied with the service that I receive here. They are loyal and they do not get over on you! The service is quick and the employees are Friendly and they have conversation. Around the area it's places to eat at that's in walking distance to kill time. read more

I took my Mercedes in to this shop with a broken gear shifter. That cost $799. There was nothing else wrong with my car. They claimed to have done another 1K in repairs but nothing was repaired and they did approximately 3K worth of damage to my car. The BAR has found them at fault but instead of doing the right thing and refunding my money or fixing the car, they've elected to make me take them to court. Thanks for breaking my A/C and my computer guys. If you didn't know how to work on a Mercedes, and it's clear you didn't, you should have said so. Try having some honor and accountability! read more

Had my engine replaced for my Chrysler 300c and had a good experience and my cars running excellent

I brought my Vehicle in to be smogged after the guys at o'reileys recommended them. I was first helped by Neely, who actually skipped me to help another customer that came in after me, no big deal. They wrote me up and took the keys. Cesar shortly returned to inform me that my check engine light had turned on, that I would not pass smog and would have to diagnose it for $120.00. The light had turned on for me a couple days prior, after losing the gas cap, hence me going to o'reileys to purchase one. But it had turned off on my drive there. I mentioned this and Cesar brushed it off. He gave me the option to return the next day, or they could diagnose it now, but would take till the end of business day, nearly 5 hours. I opted to leave the car and come back at close. I began to walk home, but decided to return to the shop to ask if perhaps the gas cap was a wrong fit and I had a change of heart and would return the following morning. When I returned I noticed my car had been taken out of the bay and was parked to the side. I waited in the lobby alone for a few minutes and finally got Cesar's attention. I told him I changed my mind and would return tomorrow, I also brought up my question about the gas cap. I mentioned if it could be wrong, he said "no, it's not the cap." I mentioned that the light was off on my drive over, perhaps I needed to drive longer? Cesar slightly raised his voice and said to me "it's not the gas cap bro, get over it! We checked it" I was a little stunned by his comment... When I took my car back I opened the the fuel door and noticed the cap was in the exact same position I had left it. I unscrewed it, re-screwed it tightly and wouldn't you know the check engine light came off. I drove a block down, found another smog shop and I passed. I paid a little more, but they were fair. This is why customers have trust issues with mechanics. At least take a minute to hear me out and see if I have a valid point. I'm sure they deal with a lot of angry, customers that are too demanding, or often don't know what they're talking about. But not everyone is like that. I don't make a lot of money, and all that extra money means less food for my 8 month old. Not sure if I'll ever return. read more

I have had 3 cars smogged here. 1st car, they put in the wrong mileage, they added an extra 40K miles. B.A.R. said they had to redo the test to record correct mileage. OK. Second car, before the smog test they found a problem, no charge for test. Took the car back after I fixed it, it passed. Very good service. 3rd car, they did the smog test, then found a cracked hose, passed smog, failed visual check, $25 with coupon, no retest. I will find another shop to test my cars from now on, that have a free retest. For what I needed, they were ok, but there are other shops. read more

So like most posts say on here, these people are so shady lol. I assume they mostly try to scam girls who seem nice and dont know about cars. I went to get a smog since it was so cheap (ughh u really do get what you pay for), i have a 96 toyota camry with only 100,000 miles on it and recently had everything fixed. So I assumed there would be no reason for it to fail. Well of course it fails and he said it "barely failed", and i asked if he knew any reason why it would barely fail like that and he said i would have to pay 60 more bucks to find out lol. So i was like whatever imma just go to this other place my dad told me originally to go to. on my way I stopped at O'riely auto parts and told the guy i just failed smog. He was being so nice and interested and looked at my reciept and said I should not have failed. He said he knew the guy who did smogs at this place so he called them and the guy told him that it was my catalytic converter and it was most liekly because they did a cold test meaning it was just not warm enough when they tested it. Are you serious? you couldnt tell me that? That just shows how shady they are, they really were trying to scam me into paying 60 bucks just to tell me my car wasnt warm enough! and probably would have made up a bunch of other shit that needed to be fixed lol. So anyways I went to the trusted smog place and they guy told me the same thing, that it failed because it wasn't warm. He said as a courtesy to his customers he always makes sure it's warm and if it failed he warms it up and retests it to make sure that isnt why it failed. He said that is a common courtesy, and most places do that. So he told me the obvious shit, that this place SCAMMED me, or at least tried to get me to pay hella money for a damn smog. Sheisty. I never write reviews but this situation made me so mad I just had to. I wish I looked at these reviews before I went to these shady ass people. uGHHH! I wish I could post a sign outside theyre shop and warn people! Oh well they only got 25 bucks out of me at least I didn have to pay 85 bucks. read more

Had a strange experience at this place.. Took my car in for a smog check and was told it would not pass due to the battery being disconnected (it had not). I was told to drive car 75 miles and return. The tech made absolutely no sense so I took my car to another smog place and it passed immediately. I too agree this is a shady business. read more

The gentlemen at the counter Cesar thoroughly explained to me all of the details for the repairs I initially brought my car into the shop for. I knew I needed my clutch replaced because my daughter had recently burned it up in a day by riding it the whole time she was using it. I also needed my brakes replaced although I was unsure what additional things may need to be done with that because I've been told in the past about the wear on my rotors... I used to drive a lot harder then so I was open to possibly needing new rotors with my limited car knowledge I was definitely aware I could very possibly need new rotors... Or so I thought at least. Turns out that no new rotors were needed, they just needed to be resurfaced. The clutch was replaced and the flywheel was also resurfaced which is pretty standard when replacing clutches from what Cesar told me. He also replaced my transmission fluid and found a seal at the back of my transmission that needed to be replaced also. Overall this was a great experience. It's always so nerve wracking knowing you need to get car work done because of the stigma related to this industry and consumer lack of knowledge... It's easy to worry your pockets will get reamed by the time you leave with additional alleged fixes needed that we aren't anticipating but thank goodness that wasn't the case for me here!!! Highly recommend this shop and I certainly have the confidence in them to take care of my car without all of the extra baggage that breaks my bank. They've gained a happy customer who will be returning for all of my auto needs! read more

Ok first things first Cesar works way too hard to just be a regular citizen, I'm now convinced he's a super hero in disguise. Plus they don't just say this is the price and here you go I'll do the work, they let you know what's wrong with your car and inform you about things you would never know about your car until it's too late. All in all I'm coming here for everything I need done period. read more

I would like to say thank you to Cesar for fixing my car. I took my car to his shop a few days ago for a diagnostic, not only did he tell me what was wrong with it but he also fixed it the same day. His staff was really professional and they did a good job. I would recommend him to everybody. His prices are reasonable and he gets you in and out. So once again thank you Cesar!!!!! read more

WOW!!!! FOUND SOMEONE I CAN TRUST!!! I'm new to Sac and I come from a family that has owned multiple automotive shops. From the moment I stepped into the office I was greeted professionally and promptly. I drive an Isuzu Rodeo and my check engine light came one about 3 weeks ago. I was previously diagnosed with a problem concerning my cat-converter. I was well prepared to pay $800 in parts and $100+in labor, when Cesar, the owner, reccomended to only diagnosis the problem becuase my issue may be smaller than I thought. Well, he did an amazing job diagnosing my car!!! He let us know we only needed a gasket and that the repair was a simple $8 fix. He saved me $800!!!! Yes, YELPERS, $800!!! Anywho, we drove the car back to the shop so that he could reset the check engine light. He told us initially that the car had to be driven for 100 miles before it could be smogged. We drove the car and passed smog with flying colors. So, let's be real. Everyone's experience is not going to be the same, but this is a very well staffed environment and they produce quality work. I came on a reccomendation from a co-worker who is EXTREMELY picky about their car, and they swore by this guy. All I know is that I have fortunately been able to be both the patron as well as the person running the desk and from the business side , there can be days that are not so pleasant and days that are. You get what you pay for, but with these guys it truly is a steal!! Don't take my word for it, just stop by and see for yourself! read more

This place is the biggest ripoff. They are dishonest and will charge you above and beyond what the original quote was. They charged me an extra $40.00 for an oil change, they put synthetic oil in my car after I told them no because it was too expensive ($65.00). The man came back in and said that they already put it in my car and YELLED at me WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT? I do not recommend this place for any work they will charge you more. I should have looked at the reviews before going here. I was wondering why the place had no customers when I was there nor dod the phone ever ring.I feel like I was taken advantage of. I will NEVER go back here again. The customer service needs to be improved also read more

Brought it in for a 90k service which was quoted over the phone at $280 since I had a coupon. Drop it off the next day and told it would run $550. "Oops they quoted you the wrong thing. Let's make a deal, say $390." Then they find cracked timing belts, add $90. Then when I pick it up I'm told the power steering pump is broken. I drive it 90k miles, no problem, they drive it 200 feet into the repair bay...the power steering pump breaks. He says he'll help me out and do it for $230. I call another guy recommended by a friend, he says it sounds fishy because the pump is $400+ bring it in and he'll take a look. Turns out they messed up the service on the pump and simply let in air...cost $80 to fix. As they are fixing it they see that the power steering boot (I think that's what he called it) was beat to crap, was recently done and impossible to do while driving. His thoughts, SDS did it. The cost to fix it...$150. Hmmmmm, $150 + 80 = $230. So he wasn't going to replace my steering pump, he was going to fix his employee's mistake and charge me for it. Go somewhere else. Not worth your money because it will always lead to even more money. read more

save your time! this place will frustrate you and the service is pretty bad. same experience as others. passed emissions with my 2003 325i, but failed "functional" test so i needed to have a valve and hose replaced. $290 and a full day of waiting for a repair they said would take a "half an hour" later i pass smog checks and clear the service engine soon light form my dashboard. one week later i have same light pop up on my dashboard and take it back to get the code read, code comes up different so the owner sais he double checked the work they did and its a different code so it's not related to what they did. he was nice enough to write the code down for me, i got home and checked online where to look. turns out the code was different, yet similar and due to a loose hose that was supposed to be directly connected to the other end of the very valve i paid them to replace. i found this in less than five minutes. i could have made this simple repair myself, and i know i would've connected the largest most obvious hose correctly, and as the owner "double checking" a return customer i definitely would've spent more time to make sure my shop did a good repair. off to the dealership tomorrow to get the code reset, i refuse to go back to this place again. i haven't even called to let them know about their mistake as i really don't think they will care. it's just that kind of shop. don't say you weren't warned ;) read more