A real gem of a find (thanks to Mike at A&C Automotive down the street). The boys here are friendly, kind and down to earth, wonderful people. I own an older vehicle, which takes longer to test, so if you have a pre 2000 model year vehicle, call ahead and make an appointment. They will need about an hour to run the check on older cars. Last Smog I had done cost me $70 more than the amount I paid here. For someone without an extra dime to my name, every cent counts, so that right there is a bonus. My van passed. Highly recommend shop!!! Thanks boys read more

Seems it's getting harder and harder to find a place to get smog check/certificate. These brothers at Vista were exactly what you want. Drive in - they test and certify your car while you wait - including sending the info the DMV. read more

The 2 sons who run the station could not get a diagnostic reading on my 2006 Aston Martin today. When both tools failed n he told me 17 cars failed recently I knew it wasn't a connection problem. I ended up crawling under the dash n discovering that there were 2 ports under there. #1 was for the engine n the 2nd was for the body n suspension" sophisticated eh?- I should have not had to get involved by having to hold gauges or intercede to get then to perform the job properly , particularly at almost $100.00 price tag!n 1 hours wasted time working with technicians who were suppose to specialize in exotic cars. Next time I will ask for the senior to do it correct the first time! read more

Excellent service and honest answers. I went to MSI prior to this and was given incorrect information and was charged $160 for a 5 minute look at my vehicle. read more

This is a family operation that does one thing, and does it well. Nice folks! Usually you're in and out in 10-15 minutes. Have been taking all my cars there for ~20 years. Be sure to download the $30 off coupon from their website. read more

I love this place. I'm a busy lady and I have rarely had to wait for a smog here. Yes, they do have a fee for processing your registration and handing you your tags but for me, time is money and I would rather pay a little extra than go spend an entire afternoon waiting in the DMV or even AAA which can take a long time. Choose your battles. read more

Best way to resolve an issue is to have intelligent and polite conversation. I spoke to the very qualified technician who, had issues caused by my Seville, Had an outside shop fix the issue and I did some minor adjustments too. So do try this Smog Test Station. So now I give High marks to this Star Smog Certified Test Station read more

MADE MY DAY! solved all of my DMV/glitchy website etc problems and the best attitudes, customer service, friendly prompt a one stop shop. YAY! so glad I stumbled onto them today! THANKYOU!! read more

Family owned and run. Quick and professional. Great people. Great work. Mention the discount they have on occasion. Highly recommended. read more

Vista Test Only Center - Vista Smog Center with flowers. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - San Rafael, California

Jus came here to renewal registration.. but my friend didn't ask about how much fee to do dmv renewal.. damn it $46 additional to whatever the renewal for ... total not worth it.. better go dmv or AAA straight!!!! read more

Vista Test Only Center - Smog Check Stations Near Me - San Rafael, California

Good service as always! The owners son was super nice when I came by to get my 2010 smogged.

We always come to Vista for smog testing and certificates. Make an appointment! They are busy--because they are good, professional, fair, and reasonable. They will do all the paperwork for you and put the new sticker on your car (small fee) if you are nosing up to the deadline. There's a waiting room -- small and cozy. Vista is a ways away from us, but it is worth the drive to know that our cars are in good hands and that the DMV reporting is done correctly and quickly. read more

I had a great experience getting my smog test. Owners are very friendly and kind. No issues whatsoever and I was in & out within 15-20 minutes. Highly recommend! read more

I stumbled across Vista trying to get a smog taken care of for Test Only for DMV. They were extremely helpful and even have the option of skipping the DMV and getting the paperwork and stickers done there. All it took was a little time hanging out and they got me on the road. Now every vehicle goes to them for all my smog test needs. read more

WORD OF ADVICE: make sure your "OBDII Monitors" are ready before allowing them to do the smog check. Apparently, mine weren't "ready" which means they were not able to actually test the smog (leading to a "failed" result). One of the guys working there told me "Yeah, this happens a lot. If the customer asks us to check the monitors beforehand to see if they're ready we'll do it as a courtesy". The issue with this approach is that most customers are NOT gonna know to ask about this, which means they'll have to pay for essentially no service (which is what happened to me. I still had to pay $51 for the test even though it was not actually done), and will have to pay another smog place the same amount to retest my car's smog once I can figure out how to get the monitors ready (I'll just call Honda to figure that out). Also, the guy told me in order to "wake up" the monitors I would need to drive 50 or 60 miles in order for them to work, then come back for a retest. The problem is I've already driven that distance at least twice in the last week, which means that either A) he didn't know what he was talking about; or B)this is a tactic to get people to come in a second time to have to pay TWICE. ALSO: if you're quoted the $59.95 price over the phone, be sure that the paperwork they give you has THAT price (apparently this $30 discount is supposed to be for vehicles 2000 or newer, which mine is). The guy handed me a paper to sign for the service to be done, and it had $89.95 as the quoted price. I called him on what he had told me on the phone earlier and he brought the price down. But I'm sure once I had signed the document (which at that point would technically be a legal agreement) he would have proceeded with charging me the $89. I don't know, this place just seems a little shady to me. I probably wouldn't patronize again, especially not for something as common as a Smog Check place. They really are a dime a dozen and according to some other reviews here, much cheaper than this place. read more

Not the cheapest place but they are fast, efficient, and don't mess around. I buy and sell vehicles frequently and this is one of my favorite places to go. They don't seem to have any problems smogging older vehicles like some other places. read more

ASK the price FIRST! I was charged $81.50. No $30 coupon given. Car didn't pass and I was told retest would be $61.50...saving me $20! I corrected the problem then went to the smog place across from the car wash on E Francisco. It cost $65 and passed. Always ASK the price as there is no governing of how much they can charge! Tough lesson learned! read more

Wow, this merchant really elaborated on this but to cut it short read other post as this is not the only post with related incidents. Also, this merchant doesn't realized that the 89 or 90 dollars or higher for a service is not the actual cost anymore for a small car as there are more technicians now a days. Is not my fault that prices go down on things. As a customer we have to evaluate cost from location distance, gas, and price for service. The car was taken there do to the a person over the phone making us think that it was a good deal to get the service there as a different price was given and after adding time, gas and location it sounded a good place. But by refraining to state the facts from the begging this merchant takes away you ability to evaluate your cost and budget by using sales a sales pitch that he would not honor and persuasion to make you believe he gives good deals. But please don't stop here read all the post by others and on different websites. Thanks! Owner Your post is a good price for NOT seeing you anymore at our shop. Looks like you have lots of extra time to bother people. Well, good luck. Very productive way to spend the time. read more

I took my Minin Cooper for a smog check with a $30.00 off coupon. Yes they were nice and efficient. The charge was $59.75 with their coupon. Which meant they would have charged $89.75!!!! OUTRAGEOUS. WHAT A RIP OFF. They use the $30.00 off coupon to 'suck' you into their shop and still charge full price. read more

If you need a Smog inspection and pay your DMV registration at the same time , this is the place. Fast, friendly and clean shop that you can enjoy. read more

Friendly and efficient, exactly what you want when you have to get your vehicle serviced. Being able to also get your car registered at the same time is so convenient and time saving! read more

Excellent quick service and the cleanest smog test facility I have seen! No worry about the technician messing up your seat with greasy overalls. We brought our Porsche 911 here at the recommendation of the dealer and another Porsche mechanic we frequent. They are even able to take care of the DMV paperwork and issue a renewal sticker on the spot. Didn't have to mail anything. Again great service in a clean facility. read more

OK, I go to Vista thinking they have the $30 off coupon and all. Well, that means their "regular" price is $71.75! well, I needed a smog so I went with it. I sat for a while as my car is getting tested, and it does not pass. they said their computer would not connect with my car. of course, they have a repair guy who will do it for me. So, I went to my mechanic and hooked up his equipment and guess what, no problems, he can connect and communicate with the computer.. so, I go back. again, it won't connect. thinking it may be this place, I go to a very nice place A-1 smog check.. it is only $29 and I don't need a coupon. I tell her about my experience at Vista so she hooks up her gear and yep, it connects. Just to be sure there are no problems, she holds the plug to my connector while the computer does its checks. yep, I pass with flying colors. Vista, Nope A1, YEP! read more

I've had my car smog tested here twice now. I can't say enough good things about Vista Test Only Center. No appointment needed and it takes less time than any other test center I've used. Vista issues registration and stickers on site; this saves a lot of time. The employees are polite and friendly. I don't plan to go anywhere else for a smog test. read more

Vista is great! Lily and Chris took care of everything. I have an old Land Cruiser that most shops won't touch. I got a walk in appointment, they did the test, renewed my registration (which had lapsed two years ago!!) and gave me new stickers! Awesome. read more

These guys are the worst. They advertise a $30 off coupon, but suddenly change their price from $59 to $89 to make it meaningless. They failed my car saying the emissions controls were "tampered" with when all I "needed" was a $4.00 replacement hose from O'Reilly's. Thankfully I was smart enough to to not have them do the work. It took me 3 minutes to make the repair. I went to a different smog station today - passed of course and was told by him that he wouldn't have failed me in the first place. I showed him the hose I replaced and he said it was just fine. I had that same hose in place last year when I passed the smog test as well. So in total, I paid for a unnecessary test $59.00, $4.00 for a unnecessary replacement hose and over 3 hours of my time. Vista Test FAILS. eff them read more

Shockingly bad experience. After taking my 2010 car there for routine smog tests every two years, over a decade, on my day off I went with my DMV paperwork on Tuesday, expecting the same uneventful test. After testing, the owner, Set told me my car didn't pass and asked me if I had changed the battery. I told him I had not, but I had an AAA jump start several days prior due to a dome light I had left on. He scolded and berated me that I should have told him before. I told him I didn't know that a jump start from several days ago would impact a smog test. He said I had to drive my car to Petaluma. I paid Set for the test, then called Acura service and checked with them, and they agreed I should drive it, and gave me instructions to do so using the air conditioner and the cruise control. That afternoon I drove to Petaluma and came back yesterday morning as promised. I gave Set the paperwork from the previous day. My car passed following the steps my service providers sugggested. I told Set that I had used the steps that they given me (drive on side streets for 15 mins, run the air conditioner, drive on a flat area of freeway, utilize the cruise control me, and, had also driven to Petaluma. He then rudely disparaged my repair shop's instructions. I gave him my credit card and paid him again. He took $10 off the bill. My shop had said that cars are allowed to pass if the evaporator reading hadn't reset. I suspect that was the case all along, but I don't know for sure.) Set had a very nasty tone, berated me, held onto my credit card and paperwork, and didn't want to hand me my registration sticker. I asked him if I had to do anything else with the DMV or if they had received everything electronically. He said he was mailing my paperwork that day to the DMV by Certified mail (which was not what his wife Lilly had told me who was working in the office the day before. I have had a lot of problems with the post office this year (receiving mail that didn't belong to me, missing mail that was mine), consequently I was concerned that the DMV would not receive it timely and called today to ask if it had been mailed. He then yelled at me, and said he was going to mail it in six days and it was none of my business, and I was bothering him. This man's shop has had my loyal business for years. This time he tried to berate and intimidate me both in person and on the phone. He has lost my business and my respect. read more

Excellent! The people who work there are very nice. The price seemed fair. You can get a $30 off coupon if you go to their website. They'll even print out your registration right there and give your your sticker. All told it took about 20 minutes and they have a nice waiting room with lots of National Geographic magazines and books for kids. read more

For 15 years I have only used Vista for smog checks on all of my cars (usually 4 cars at any given time, some older models). They have ALWAYS been very professional, accommodating, reasonably priced and provide great service. I have never had a problem with them (unlike other businesses I had used for smog checks many of whom I felt were not trustworthy). They are EXCELLENT. read more

My experience at Vista was so good that I returned this year for my smog test. I love the fact that I can register my car here for a reasonable service charge. read more

Had problems getting my Celia smogged.Went to my usual spot,and the car failed was told to replace a pipe going from air filter to engine,reset the timing .I replaced part and had Toyota do the timing.I took it back for a recheck for $35.Right away it didn't pass.So back to Toyota to tell them,what went wrong.the steered me to Vista smog garbage .they were a life saver Very polite,understanding.Car passed.I am very pleased. . read more

I got my car smogged here and they didn't send the electronic copy to DMV. It's been 2 months and they still haven't sent it in. This place sucks don't take your car here for smogs it's expensive and unreliable. read more

I had no problem with customer service. I was in and out very quickly at the end of the day. Comfortable and clean office with current magazines to read. I read a one-page article in Motor Trend and he was done. My problem was the price. Even with a $30 off coupon it was $59.75 which included the test $49.75, certificate $8.25 and electronic transfer fee of $1.75. Other local places advertise as $38 out the door. I didn't see a sign stating what the price is for a test so you don't really know if I got a discount in the first place. I asked the price when I first walked in but I felt too sheepish to say thanks but no thanks and go somewhere else. He does have a couple of dynos, which appeared to be for rear wheel and front wheel drive cars. The shop is clean. read more

My car passed but they failed to send test results to the DMV and as a result I could not register the car on line. Next is a trip to the DMV. Hopefully I won't need to get the car retested. I have the paper work but that may not be good enough. I guess I should paid them for the reg. read more

NINETY FREAKING DOLLARS for a recently mandated California STAR smog test? Seriously? And the price wasn't the least bit negotiable.

I had a very bad experience this morning with Vista Smog. If you are a woman, the owner discriminates against woman. DO NOT GO TO HIM. Another customer, male, came after me. He smog his vehicle and he was out of the garage before me. When I pointed this out to him, he said, "I can run my business the way I want." No, sorry, basically he did not care. My Rover did not pass. It cost $89. He never said get this fix and I will do it for free. I am a returning customer. I have 2 vehicles. I have been going to him for 5 years. I have referred other people to him. NO MORE. I went to another garage and paid again. At this point I did not trust his nasty attitude. They said fix your car and we will do the next smog for Free. read more

BE careful, very careful regarding the price they quote. They see how much you will "bear".

Got sucked in by the online ad--I bring car in after just getting software update (VW Passat TDI--yeah, I know!!) and I'm having to smog because, oh, I don't know, CA DRE wants proof that the VW Corp. has lied about whether software really does cheat?? Anyway, not only does VW service not tell me, but these guys don't tell me, even as I try to hand him the clearance on the software recall for VW, that if you try to smog a car right after the software update, the car/smog will fail--which of course it did. He tells me, "drive around for about 60 miles and then come back"...and oh, btw I'm not only going to charge you $41.50 right now for doing nothing (less than 10 minutes from getting out of car and back into car)--but I'm going to charge you again when you come back. I ask why he didn't ask me about the service since I had tried to hand him the recall clearance notice and his response "why would I ask you?". Definitely would not recommend as their service is based on volume and not quality--buyer beware. read more

This is great place to do smog check and to get sticker , it takes 15-20 min to do it. Clean, nice!

I had a good experience here. the shop is clean and Set was very nice and so was his wife Lilly. They got me in right away and my car passed. Thank God. At first i thought the pricing was higher than other places, but i mentioned it to Lily and she gave me $60 out the door. They were fast and efficent and they came recommended by a reputable mechanic. I was very happy. Looks like he has all the right equipment there. I'm not always trying to lowball everybody, but i wanted afair pricing for the work. I think that worked out. They offer some services some other test only places, don't so i think for conveinance sake and a few extra bucks, some people would value that. again, i think Set and his wife were pleasant to deal with and i did not have to go over to the canal area just to save a few bucks. I'm very happy read more