Autosmog & Oil Changers

I called at 10 a.m. to see if I could schedule an appointment for a smog check. I was told to come by at 11 a.m. I got there at 11:02. I was back on the road at 11:15, with a successful smog check completed.
Fast, friendly, and affordable.

Really unbelievably great. I called to see when I could get my smog check done, was there in 17 minutes, and finished in another 8 minutes. Howard was super polite and professional and pleasant.
Couldn’t be more pleased with my decision to come here. Highly recommend.

These guys give the best service — efficient, thorough, and affordable. I’ve come here for the usual smog check and oil change and have no complaints.
They also do a lot more (repairs, etc) — My sideview mirror is literally hanging on by a thread, and 2 other body shops have quoted hundreds of dollars for the repair (honestly ¹⁄₅^th of what the actual car is worth!). Howard told me I could easily buy a new sideview mirror on ebay for $ 20 and that he’d install it for $ 15 – 20 next time I came in. Can’t beat that kind of honsety and transparency in service!
I do recommend calling ahead to see the best time to come in. They are typically pretty busy so it’s best to call to check. I’ve never had a problem with going in same-​day.

Fantastic place. I called on a Friday to find out availability for a smog check. They told me to come right over and the smog check would take about 10min. I drove over and they took my car on right away. Best part is that I really did wait only 10 min. The gentleman I dealt with was courteous and knowledgeable.
I will definitely be going back there if I need any help working on my car in the future.
Thank you for making this so fast and easy! Great recommendation from a friend who used to go to Dons, but after my negative experience, we no longer will do any business with that garage. Just this one!

Made a cal at 8:30 — Howard picked up the phone. «Can you check me out in 20 minutes?» Sure! Bring it on it. 20 minutes later I pull up, they greet me by name, and 10 minutes later I’m driving away with the cert. $ 65 — no add-​ons or hidden fees (I hate these places that say they’ll do it for $ 39.95 — but then charge $ 30 for sending the report to DMV).

This place is fast! Might be a little pricy, but they are in a good location and seem to be able to get to my car right away every time I go there.
I’ve only been for an oil change and smog check, but they seem trustworthy and everyone there is real nice!

I went in February to smog my car and have them check a noise in my brakes. I was told that there was nothing wrong with them even when I insisted that the noise was loud and concerning when I drove on the highway, coming from the front right. While I was standing there they took a peek at the brakes while the car was on the ground and decided that the back brakes needed to be replaced. I was uneasy but was told that it would be dangerous to drive without the repair and I trusted them.
A week later the noise was still not gone so I took the car back. I was told that the person that performed the repair was not there and to come back in a few days. When I called a few days later, I was told that he was sick and would be out for a while but to keep trying back. I tried two other times but was told he was still out and there was nothing they could do. they wouldn’t even look at it.
Today, I had a different shop take a look and was told that the back brakes definitely were not the problem and the front brakes should have been replaced in the first place. This car is old and I cannot afford to pay for a new set of brakes, but i have to drive for work and I am incredibly uneasy about the sound at this point.
I cannot believe that I paid an extra $ 600 and that they refused to double check for me. Customer service was terrible and I feel duped out of a huge amount of money.

Quick plug for Harold — he turned out to not be able do to my star certified smog check, but super nice dude, sent me right around the corner to his buddy who gave me the Harold discount, feels good to have peeps like this in your neighborhood

I’m lazy and don’t want to do an oil change on the weekend. I work 3 blocks west of this place and saw that it had great reviews so i gave them a call.
Jesus (hey-​zeus not geeze-​us) picked up and was super friendly. We booked an appointment at 2pm and I showed up right on time with the car and he was waiting for me.
40 minutes later I got a call and headed over to check on the car we were all good and it was all at a fair price.
Here was my favorite part of my time there:
Jesus– Hey man, I have a question for you…
Me– Sure what’s up? *Thinking my car is messed up*
Jesus– Where did you get your BayMax Tsum Tsum from? Disneyland? That’s limited edition.

Ok– I’ve waited to review Howard’s shop because I’ve only been a customer since March of this year, but after my experience this morning I knew I couldn’t put it off! Howard is THE most patient, thorough, and kind mechanic I have ever brought a car to. I’ve gotten two oil changes from him, one of which he offered at half price when they couldn’t accommodate my original appointment.
This morning, when my check engine light turned on when I was heading to work, I took a chance and dropped in unannounced to ask for some help. Howard immediately dropped what he was doing and came over to assist. It ended up being a minor code and I was quickly on my way. How’s that for customer service?! I’m not taking my car anywhere else from now on! Thank you Howard!

Howard and his team are awesome. Hopefully I’m not jinxing my car, but I’ve had 4 years of quality check-​ups at their shop. In terms of repairs I’ve had a few done here as well (brakes, tie rod etc…), plus they Smog.
Cheery demeanors, fair pricing, communicative, honest. Good vibes all around.

I first visited Howard’s shop in 2012. Since then, he’s been my go to guy for all of my automobile needs. He’s an incredibly nice guy and business owner. It’s tough moving to a new place and having to find a new mechanic you trust, but I am a fan of him.
Every time he’s quoted me something for my truck, he’s been reasonable with his rates and honest with his assessments. My best friend is a mechanic, and if it weren’t for moving to San Francisco, he would still be the main person I go to. I’ve checked with my buddy each time I’ve needed work done on my car. I’d share with him Howard’s recommendations and rates, and every time he’s told me that Howard and his shop are on point with their analyses. It’s just helpful to know that Howard and his team are honest and aren’t trying to scam me.
Last but not least, Howard owns the same vehicle that I have! I got a lucky in that aspect. It’s cool to know that he knows my truck very well. I had to get my brakes and axels replaced a couple of weeks ago. After he replaced all of the different parts, he showed us the old parts that he replaced to explain why we needed it. It’s the little things like this that make me appreciate his services and his business.
Howard is just a super nice guy! (His staff are also all very pleasant.) Thanks for keeping my car in tip-​top shape and earning my trust. I appreciate it and hope that the excellent service continues in the future. :-)

My brother and I have been taking our vehicles to Howard for years. He is honest and fair and a top notch mechanic. I’ve brought a Subaru Outback, VW GTI, Honda Accord and last but not least, my grandma’s Cadillac. All services and repairs were excellent. He always gives a thorough breakdown of the job at hand, pricing, and a good explanation that is easy to understand. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a good, reliable mechanic.
Thank you for your great service Howard!

Sometimes as a lady, it can be intimidating to deal with a car’s innards. Synthetic or regular oil? In any case, I always feel like I am in the best hands when I visit Howard’s shop. He and Jesus run a very friendly, quick and honest operation.
Recently, my back tire was giving me trouble and constantly running low on air. After determining that there was no gash (it was a slow leak), Jesus changed my air valve plug. Unfortunately, that did not seem to solve the problem, so I returned to the shop a few weeks later when my flat tire light turned on again. Howard had me purchase Fix-​a-​Flat tire sealant from around the corner and didn’t charge me for the second diagnosis. I would feel slightly bad except he is so darn nice! He had even filled up the air during one of those crazy freak storms, telling me not to get out of the car while he worked in the elements.
One thing I’ve noticed is that when Howard is speaking to one customer in the shop, he may not pick up his phone. So, the best bet is to try calling again. Although this might be slightly frustrating if you’re trying to make an appointment, it seems like typical Howard: providing the best customer service and not purely trying to get the next dollar.

I came for the smog, and stayed for general mechanic work.
I’ve had Howard work on all four of the cars I’ve had since moving to the bay area, and have always been happy with the friendly service, flexible scheduling, and honest assessments. He is one of those rare mechanics that will tell you what is wrong with your car, and not pressure you to get the work done with him. If I want to do the work myself, he just tells me what is wrong with helpful tips on where to find parts and things to watch out for. World class.

I have a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300 and for the last 65 days when I put the key in the ignition 3 different service lights pop up. Oh Mercedes how I love and loathe you.
Being that the holidays just passed I finally found time to take my car in. I called around to a few different shops to get an estimate. The shop that I had previously gone to– a recommendation of a friend– quoted me way more than Howard. Nope.
When I called Howard’s shop he was so polite and courteous over the phone. He gave me a quote and told me what times he had avail the next morning and told me how long it would take.
I show up the morning of and am welcomed with a warm hello and smile. I feel good about this but let’s see how it goes when I get back and it’s time to pay the bill.
I go for a stroll down to 24^th and grab some Java at Philz. I hang out there for an hour and half and decide to stroll back. When I get back I’m greeted and told it will just be another 15 mins.
While I’m waiting in the seating area by the register I see car after car come up and Howard greets them all in the utmost friendliest manner. A BMW, an Audi, and VW. (So if you’re wondering if you should take your high-​end, finicky car here, I did, and so do others).
Jesus, one of the other mechanics there, gave me a run down of every thing he inspected and what the condition was for everything. He explained it so well even my chihuahua could understand it. I mentioned my squeaky breaks and they said it’s just because they’re dirty. (Oh thank god they didn’t try to convince me that I needed new rotors like another unnamed big-​chain tire shop did). Just simply, they’re dirty. Howard sprayed some break cleaner on them and on the drive home they already sounded a bit better.
And here comes the most important part… not only did Howard quote me the lowest of all 3 – 4 shops I called but when it came time to pay it was less then he quoted.
You know that amazing feeling when you’ve found the one? The ONE hairdresser, the ONE eyebrow lady that you’ve been searching for… I’m pretty sure I just found The one mechanic for me.
Will return and will recommend highly.

$ 65 for a smog check, and I was done in about 15 minutes. The part that took the longest is that I left my wallet at home so had to drive back to get money to pay him. He was nice about me going home to get my wallet (though I guess my smog check forms were also held hostage) but appreciated his flexibility.
It looks like it’s a one-​man show, so I’m surprised that he’s able to get these smog checks done so quickly!

This place was a great Unilocal find! I was able to get a same-​day appointment for an oil change and safety inspection, and was pleased with my experience.
The staff was very polite and professional, both on the phone and in person.
I was charged about $ 45 for an oil change and a safety inspection was included at no additional charge (I was about to leave on an SF to LA road trip and wanted to make sure my car was in good shape). They checked the fluid levels and brakes, and put air in my tires.
The process was quick, and I was in and out within 20 — 30 minutes.
I was happy to find this place and will recommend it to others.

Howard is a world class guy.
He and his team are honest and will do whatever they can to help. There are very few honest mechanics and he is one. I will be a customer for life !!!
I’m always in with my Toyota Prius and he helps regardless of the situation.

Two words: Simply Amazing!!!
Honest, Great Service, Professional!
I needed a smog check recently and came here because of the high ratings. Unfortunately their machine was being serviced (some state requirement) and couldn’t get it done. THEN, I needed an oil change… I immediately decided to come here. VERY GLAD I did! Now I have a smog and oil change spot to go to!
Rarely, does one get GREAT service at these types of establishments… The service is amazing! They went the EXTRA mile to point out other items they recommend I look into. ALSO my front bumper was slightly hanging and they put a bold for FREE!!!
Thank you Howard & Jesus!