I have used this place several times in the past for smog test only with no problems. Today though a "new" technician being a bit rude & aloof, tells me that there is an additional surcharge/fee of $20 for my car year being a '91 & the total cost would be $80. Not being comfortable with this higher fee & also because of the reason given "that my car is a '91", I leave and go to another test facility. I request a quote for their fees & I'm quoted a total of $60. I ask, is there any additional fees for my car being a '91? He says no. I'm pretty sure that the extra $20 surcharge was because I lived in Saratoga. read more

I arrived at 7:55AM and got a bit lost, thinking I was looking for Vikhar's and not Valero. I arrived with a coupon for $24.95 for a smog check from another establishment, because Vikhar's accepts all competitor coupons. Their own coupon was for $39.75 for a smog +ETF+Certificate fees and cash only. The coupon I brought was $24.95+certificate ($8.25) and didn't ask for cash only. I arrived before the technician apparently, but he drove up and got right to work. The gas station attendee handed me a clipboard to fill out. The technician seemed nice and filled in any blanks I left. The garage does look slightly sketch, but shrug. I asked to watch since I haven't seen a smog check done before. It was fairly quick, maybe 25 minutes. At the end they charged me $24.95 +$8.25 for the certificate and then $7.95 for the ETF. AND they insisted on cash. NO discount for paying in cash and I heard that the ETF is only suppose to be $1.80-$2. My dad went there in March and they charged $4.25 for ETF. So I am kind of confused, but it appears they charge what they feel like to make up the difference in costs due to coupons? They also insist on cash and don't honor ALL aspects of the competitor's coupon. Overall, it was $41.15, but I felt a bit annoyed because of the confusing ETF fee and I'll probably just go to the competitor next time that issued the coupon in the first place or call ahead to a few places to figure out what the fees are suppose to be. I didn't realize they could fluctuate so much from place to place, I'd have thought it was a standard fee like the $8.25 certificate fee. My first smog check complete, you live and learn I guess. read more

Rude. Thats all. Rude. Tried the next gas station over...guess what? Rude. Was denied use of the bathroom at both places. Went to Chicken Salsa and had the worst taco of my life and used the bathroom there. Then I drove elsewhere for gas. read more

This Valero used to have great pricing, but not sure since when they started reflecting the pricing of 76 across the street. Currently as of July 2016, they are at $2.99/gallon for the regular quality using credit card payment. I would recommend everyone to drive slightly further down De Anza to the other Valero. The pricing there is literally at least $0.13/gallon cheaper; enjoy! I know this Valero is quite convenient in terms of location, but honestly, this is not good customer service. read more

HAHHHAHAHAHAH drove by recently & saw someone yelling & screaming at the attendant who was fixing some pump and a Police car just pulling in no doubt to figure out "What the heck was going on" I can only guess --- BAD SERVICE IN ACTION is my guess... this place sucks in my opinion!!! When in doubt, DONT GO HERE, owner does not care about you & does not return calls... basically in my opinion an all around terrible Franchise person!!! I am guessing that they think their prices are cheap around their little station ....... but no--------- they are not at all!! Go a few blocks South & OMG another Valaro sells gas for much much less with much better customer service... repeat MUCH BETTER customer service Note to Yelp people, you promise not to change any reviews ... in this case I hope this not very good business owner is one of those u will not change no matter how much he pays you, I have been there many times & they are just bad business people, I hope they go BQ. I was there last week & the bad service & bad car washes still persists!! This owner cares less about their clients..... they treat them like "something they do not care about" \ read more

I can here for the premium car wash... more like the dirtiest car wash you can choose. The water came down on the car and it was muddy and dirty looking. After going through the dirty car wash, my car smelled nasty on the inside like mold. Worst $10 spent. read more

Got ripped off! Took my 20lb propane tank to get filled and was charged $16.99 for 2.9 gallons of propane. I felt it was a bit expensive but, I'm new to using propane and this is the second time I filled it up. The attendant seemed like he didn't want to go outside to help me, spoke limited English and had a very heavy accent. I asked him how much it was per gallon but, he mumbled something which I couldn't understand. It wasn't worth trying to carry a conversation so I paid and walked back to my car. As I walked passed the side of the building near the propane storage tank, I noticed there was a sign posted on the back of the tank (away from plain sight). It read $3.89 per gallon and $16.99 for filling up a new tank. I went back inside and asked if I was mistakenly overcharged. Another attendant (seemed to be the manager or owner) said the minimum charge is $16.99 and then they charge per gallon. Is this B.S. or what. Beware...these people are scammers and not good business people. I will definitely never shop there again. Also, I inquired about their smog pricing several months ago and it was more expensive than other locations. Shop around. read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO GET WASHED HERE! I recently took my car in for a wash and received major body damage during the wash. Then when I told the cashier he gave me a number to call but I never got a response. Be prepared to receive nothing in return if your car receives any damage during the wash. read more

I've always liked this Valero, as it is much cheaper than the Shell across the street and the owner is really nice. Got a smog check there today and the guy was pretty friendly. Discount for paying cash. read more

If I could give zero star, I would. I took my car for smog check, but had the worst experience with the rudest technician ever met. Not only rude, he said that the waiting time was 1.5 hours even there was only one car waiting in a line. On top of that they charge outrageously high! Who would pay $70 for a smog check? So I went to other place where you get much more pleasant and prompt service with a very reasonable price. There is nothing good about this place. read more

No problems here... just make sure you don't pull up to a pump where there's a (neatly handwritten sign) that says pay inside or use another pump... close entrance to 280, why not. read more

What counts most is gas price and this is one of the cheapest stations in the area. They also have a cheap car wash and sell propane.

For Smog check test only, if your car is prior to 1995, they charge $20 extra for EVAP test, then I went to other station for $10 extra. Avoid read more

The prices for smog check I got from phone call and being there in person are different. Be aware...

So here's the story. I needed a smog check for my car. This Valero is the closest smog check facility to me, and they are open on Sunday. So I called to get the price for a smog check; they would not give it to me over the phone, telling me to come in. Weird, but maybe that is OK. So I drove over, and found the smog technician. I asked him for the price, and he wouldn't answer my question and just shoved the paperwork for me to fill out. I told him I needed to know the price first. So he asked me what kind of car it is (no other smog checks asked me this, others just told me the price over the phone). I guess he figures that he can charge more if you have an expensive car, so he needs to know how much he can take you for before quoting. I don't have an expensive car; it is a 2002 Acura (10 years old). So he quotes me that with his 'special discount coupon' it will be $48. That is $10 more than other places, so I drove to a different station (the Union 76 at Saratoga and Prospect) and had it done there for $38 (including certificate), they are also open on Sunday and I got right in at the Union 76 station. Avoid this rip-off Valero place unless you like to spend more than it is worth. read more

always cheap gas n cheapest car wash

Went in for gas and kids wanted to use restroom badly but he declined. Its kids, man, they cant hold. What a jerk?

Stay away from these pirates. I was charged $70 for my smog test. Car is a 2000 MY Range Rover. I've been there several times before and so didn't ask the price - a big mistake on my part. The test guy took forever, almost an hour. Is the visual inspection requirement different now? The car passed so I don't think the extra visual was to do with any specific problem. Yes I was offered $2 off if I would pay cash. Maybe there is a Saratoga surcharge as the previous poster suggested. read more

I've been taking my vehicles to Valero for smog tests for more than 10 years, based on habit, I guess. This week, I needed to test two, a 1998 Toyota truck and a 1994 Nissan 300zx. Testing the truck took over an hour. The attendant, who didn't seem to speak English very well, said it took a long time to get the engine hot enough for the test. The truck did, however, pass. A day later I took in the Nissan. Again, it took an hour, but this time the attendant said he was unable to complete the test. I think his explanation was that he couldn't locate the proper testing instructions. The next day I took the car to Auto Smog Test Only in Cupertino, where it passed in 10 minutes. Sometimes you need to break habits read more

Don't go here for smog check. I brought my car in at 2 pm. The "technician" didn't speak English well enough to tell me why he needed to keep the car overnight. I asked him if he needed the DMV form, he said no, keep it. I walked the two miles back to my house. I came back the next afternoon to pick up the car. It wasn't ready. They didn't work on it because "you didn't fill out the form". Not only did the technician not speak English, he didn't know enough to hand me the form to fill out. I will find another place where they can communicate with the customer. read more

cheapest gas servicing the saratoga area and now they have a carwash! yayy.

when i arrived at the place the technician was getting lunch. no problem....first off the technician was smoking right next to a car he was working on with the windows open. he made me wait 20 min while he did a car ahead of me. fine. when he was about to start doing my car he hands me the keys back and says "your car has an aftermarket stereo, i cant do it." the then pulls out a bunch of paperwork to show that it is his policy....he couldnt even find that paper. i think he just wanted to eat his lunch...never go here. read more

I am only reviewing the smog check person. Supposedly the regular guy works the rest of the week but I came in on a Sunday. The smog check man was 1)late 2)he kept my car running while he went to his car and started to clean it 3)he did not understand English very well and said to go forward instead of, turn your car around 4) he asked me three times if my car was for sale 5) it took an hour. read more

I just had my 2008 M3 smogged here, second time I've used this Valero for a smog check this year (two different cars), Su was working and was very courteous and friendly, offered me water/coffee, chatted a bit about cars, etc. They had a coupon promotion going, so the price was very reasonable. Service was quick (25 mins), too. Overall exactly the kind of experience you look for in a smog place. read more

I had my nissan 350 Z smog checked at Vikhar Valero today. What a rip off! I was charged $70 for the smog and certificate and a $5 surcharge for using a credit card. I will definitely go elsewhere next time around. read more

Went in the morning of 10/15 for a quick car wash and was very happy with the helpful and courteous gentleman working there. My truck looked great for a drive though car wash. Thanks!! read more

Rude, and no courtesy when I had my smog check done. Commands and not requests. No please or thank yous. Just give me my money and next customer. They must be doing ok without courtesy since there seems to no reason to show it. For me, I will use my gas to find a smog check that is more friendly. read more

I wait there and get free coffee while they are checking my car. The usual wait has been under 20 minutes. No appointments needed, so wait can vary. The new tech, Su, is quick and friendly read more

Note: This listing mixes reviews for two different Valero stations on DeAnza Blvd, one very close to the De Anza exit from Hiway 85, another station at the corner of DeAnza and Prospect Rd. This comment is about the station near 85. It has a car wash, no car repair and generally lower prices. I have a complaint about the car wash policies. That is, the wash code that you pay for will expire whether or not you use it. You can buy a car wash with your gas purchase or in the store. But you are not told that the car wash ticket expires in seven days, inclusive of the day purchased. The ticket, if you read its printout says "Code Expires..." giving the date that is after the seven days end. Frequently the queue of cars for this drive through wash is long. Seeing that on that day, I drove away with my ticket, not knowing of the expiration date planning to return when I could. It turns out that was after expiration, not having read the ticket thoroughly.I wasted time in line and did not get my car wash. When I went into the office I was required to sign a form explaining why I wanted a reprint with a new wash code for a service that I had paid for, never used and when a week's time is an absurd limitation. The station makes no attempt to let customers know there is any expiration! I am taking my car wash business elsewhere! read more

Cheap gas but their customer service sucks. They are very rude. I've had multiple problems with their "specials" on car washes. One such "special" is buy 2 get 1 free. I asked when they expire since I only wash my car about once a month. The owner said no problem...just keep the ticket with the car wash codes on them and come into the store to get a replacement code when you want a wash. Each time I did his, they hassled me and I had o try to convince them the codes had not been used yet. I gave them the old receipt back so I could get a fresh code and use it right away. It was such a hassle every time trying to get the code from them. Then the next time I went, the had a new special of buy one car wash, get one free. The sign on the pump says to "see attendant". So I pump my gas and get the code for the wash on my receipt. Then I go see the attendant to get my free wash code and they wouldn't give it to me. He said I had to see them before buying it at the pump even though it was like 30 seconds prior and I had my recept to prove it. They has cheap gas but really the Arco half a mile down the street is 25 cents per gallon less so I will just be taking my business there instead. For as much as I spend a month on gas, you'd think they would want to be nicer and honor their advertised promotions. read more

in the cupertino/saratoga/west sj location, valero (vikhar) seems to have the best gas prices. the shell across the street is always 5 to 10 cents more...or higher. as for propane gas service, they always take care of me...full tank, no shortchanging. and for smog check, i just got one on 27oct2010 and it took 30 minutes and cost $50 (incl the certificate). the shell across the street charges $59 for smog check & certificate. read more