4 Less Smog Check

Josè is a really professional and kind mechanic who treated me really well.
He was honest and more than accommodating on all my requests. Would definitely recommend his shop for any service

Efficient, courteous, and a clean facility. I’ve been coming here for years now and have never been let down. They will never give you the run around like many other smog shops. I met with Jose Bernales on 1÷15÷16 and was treated, like all other times, with the utmost respect. Thank you for making smogging inspections easy for my family and friends!

Great Service, fast and accurate

Super efficient and easy. Drove up, no wait at 5pm, and mentioned their website price of $ 29+ cert fees. Guy said no problem, reviewed cost with me ($ 38 total for today, $ 20 or something within 90 days for retest if car fails first test). I sat in the (comfortable) waiting room for 5ish minutes while they did the test, and I was out the door.
They were friendly and efficient, couldn’t ask for anything more. Oh, and Cat Town Café is next door if you do have a wait (coffee and cats)

I called (510) 444‑0222 on Dec 23 at 2:30 pm and the person insisted that there is a $ 10 surcharge for SUVs and it will cost me $ 38. I told him that he was not honoring the Unilocal offer. Unfortunately I did not get his name. Make sure you call before and verify the price before you go to this place.

I’ve been bringing my car here for five years — consistently receive prompt, professional service and good prices! I brought my car in yesterday afternoon for a smog check and was in & out in 15 minutes! They’ve also taken the time to provide a nice, clean waiting room for their customers — in the event you have a longer wait.
Thank You 4Less Smog Check!

Fast! So easy. Jose was great.
I paid my DMV fees online and then went here to get the smog check.
What else is there to say? If you are a repeat customer, ask for a discount. Jose will make you smile.

These two affable guys gave a smog check to my car at 5:45 on a Sunday, the day before my smog check was due. Even though I forgot my papers, I was out before the «open» sign was off. They also gave me a discount for mentioning Unilocal.I am so grateful! Thanks!

The other reviewers are correct — this place is clean, quick and efficient.
However, when I arrived, they informed me that they couldn’t honor my coupon ($ 29.75+$ 8.25 cert) because my car was a diesel. Instead, I’d have to pay an extra $ 10. I ended up getting back in the car and was about to drive off when the attendant said ‘oh, ok… I’ll honor the coupon’. He did, and that was fine, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
I’ve been here a few times before (with a diesel), and it hasn’t been an issue, so I’m not sure if this was a one-​off ‘mistake’ or actually a new policy. You might want to call before you go, especially as their coupon says ‘Honest Pricing — No Extra Charges’.
The smog check itself was great — as usual, I was in and out in under ten minutes.

These guys do honest work and take great care of me every time I take my car in! Bonus points for their speedy and efficient work flow-​I never have to wait long to be back on the road, and I appreciate that!

Super friendly guys and fast. I would highly recommend. They were open on a Sunday, super score me. and there was no one in line at opening. Woot woot!

Not much to say, which is great. Folks are friendly. Comfortable wait area. Short wait time. In a busy, safe area. Run across the street to Broadway liquor of you want something to snack on or drink besides water. Ongoing Unilocal deal saves you even more. Once they finish, you can register your car immediately. Is there something more you need from a smog center?

Very quick, nice clean waiting area. I hate doing anything with my car because I’m not sure if I’m being cheated. I was so excited when Star told me no extra charge for my little suv (I always get an up charge), that forgot to mention the online special. Star asked me how did I hear about them, but thought nothing of it & she gave me the discount! I wish they did more than smogs

Fast and efficient!
Omg, I hate, hate, hate, going to get smogged! I’ve been putting-​off getting my 18 year-​old Toyota smogged until the very last minute by making every excuse possible.
I found 4 Less Smog through one of those coupon packets that shows-​up in the mail monthly, and their reviews at Unilocal seemed pretty good. They also checked-​out clean at the state BAR site.
This shop has one one of the most efficient set-​ups I’ve ever seen in all my years of car ownership: you drive in on Broadway, the car gets smogged, and the tech drives the car to the street in the back. This saves time with the techs walking around less and the shop smogging more cars in a given amount of time.
I prepped my car by changing the oil recently, replacing the air filter, adjusting the tire pressure, and taking the car on a nice long drive before heading to the shop.
End result: I PASSED!
The techs were clean and very professional and the gal working the desk was skilled at diffusing my anxiety.
I’ll be back at this shop for my next check.

I called for a price estimate and spoke with Toshihiro.
Me: Hi, how much is a smog check?
T: What kind of car is that?
Me: Sprinter Van.
T: $ 38.20 out the door with certificate.
Me: What is the price with your web deal?
T: That IS the web deal.
Me: Oh, really, ok. Wow, same price even for a large Sprinter van?
T: oh, its a van? Thats $ 10 additional, so $ 47.25.
Me: Oh, ok… I see… Ok then. And what’s your name?
T: Oh, and $ 45 to to remove engine cover.
Me: $ 45 for what? Remove my engine cover? So, thats like going to be almost a hundred bucks?
T: Right. Unless you want to remove it yourself for us.
Me: Wow, oh ok then… So what’s your name?
T: Toshihiro.
Me: Thanks Toshihiro.
Then I called Brian at Auto Row and he quoted $ 48.20, no mention of engine cover. Brought the van there and they kept their word. I checked out what they were doing and nowhere was there any engine cover. Under the dash to the left of the steering wheel, there is a connector that the Auto Row tech plugged into, ran his machine, and got my certificate.
«$ 45 for Engine cover removal?»… Wth?

I had a mixed experience here. Technically speaking it was fine. Service wise, they could have done me an EASY favor, but instead they got me to pay for two visits.
My 1978 truck is three years too young for smog exemption, so I make a biannual prayer that I will pass smog. I brought my truck here on the recommendation of my wife, a regular customer.
When I rolled in, the first thing they did was pop open the hood. Then they told me to come back in 30 minutes. When I did, I was told that the truck had failed, but it did not fail for emissions reasons. It failed because they claim the gas cap and a fuel line were leaking. I had a locking gas cap on because someone had siphoned my tank when I first bought the truck but had my original cap in the glove box. Then a tech said that the main reason for failure was a visibly leaking fuel line. This fuel line is under the hood.
If the fuel line was visibly leaking (it was, but I wasn’t aware this was cause for failure or I would not have brought it in), and the first thing the shop does is open the hood, then they should have told me that it was obviously not going to pass before charging me $ 50 just to tell me it wouldn’t pass. I had a Unilocal check-​in for $ 29.99, but apparently it doesn’t apply to old trucks.
This place doesn’t have a pass or don’t pay either. They charge $ 20 for the retest, then charge another $ 10 for the certificate.
4 Less Smog Check got two visits out of me for $ 80, but they’ve lost a customer or two.

I went on a Saturday morning.
Their staff explained the process clearly, the check-​in discount apparently only applies to the inspection part so it still cost around $ 50 when it was said and done.
There was a waiting area to get some water and wait for the test to be done. Since the car I brought in was a ’95, I was worried about whether i’d be able to pass, but it did! Here’s until next time, I’d come back.

Easy in, easy out! I was required to get a smog for the first time :(I was in the neighborhood of this place, running errands & they offered a Unilocal deal, so why not?! I called first and learned that there was no wait; it would only take 10 – 15 minutes for the smog check. Score! I drove to the station, conveniently located on Broadway near Auto Row across from Grocery Outlet. I pulled in, signed some papers, and stepped out to run more errands! Jaunted across the street to pick up some things at Grocery Outlet! By the time I was back, I had passed my smog! Double score! My car was parked out back. Done deal! Service was fast, friendly, and profesh. I highly recommend this place. I’d give it 5 stars but I saw some other deals in SF that were only $ 15… so maybe they could match those prices?!?

I got there at 10am.
Found the place online originally and so they charged me less (29 instead of 39). +10 dollars for passing inspection
Was 2^nd in line, sat down, used their wifi, barely checked my email before they told me my car was ready. Out in less than 10 min.

Actually overshot this place and ended up turning into the parking lot just after the building. Happily that lead to Webster street so I ended up going around that small block an was back in the building in no time. You’ll want to enter that small driveway *into* the building and drive in until the yellow line.
It was early, so I was the only one there. Gave my paperwork, mentioned the Unilocal coupon, and sat down in the waiting area – the girl said 10 – 15 mins. I thought, cool, I can get started on my Unilocal review. That was 9:42 am.
Girl comes back at 9:49 and says ma’am? Congratulations, your car passed! The total with the coupon is 38.20, and includes the certificate.
Wait, what?
Less than $ 40 AND I’m done in LESS THAN 10 MINUTES?!
That. Is. Fraking. Awesome.
[ Other places I’ve seen charge $ 75 and it takes over an hour. ]
You guys definitely have my business.