Carlsbad Smog-Test Only Center

I agree with the other 5 star reviews — Carlsbad smog meets expectations in time and price, no hidden up-​charges or fees that weren’t mentioned prior to service. They are trustworthy and provide a nice waiting area or a short walk to the Carlsbad Outlets. They made the process easy and painless, I’ll be a repeat customer!

The guy that runs the place is very reputable and gets your car in and out quickly. We’ve taken 3 cars there and each time its been a good experience.

Fast, polite and affordable. The fella working there talked me through the process including why my car might fail. Helped me identify the issue so I could get necessary work done. Clean office and garage. Two thumbs up!

Straight forward, plain talking, get them in and get them out. I really appreciate the kind of service I get here. I called ahead and he was honest with me in the wait expectations and was quicker than he told me. It’s just nice to have a service you can count on.
I’ll see you next time.

Fast and friendly service. I was in and out in about 20 minutes and he even took the time to research my AFE filter for CARB compliance. Great business.

This place is great. Convenient fast and the staff is really nice and friendly. In and out in less time than expected — on a Saturday!
They offer a discount if you check in on Unilocal.The spices are good even without it.
Clean little lobby waiting area.

I arrived about 10 minutes before they opened at 8 and they opened a little before 8 and got the smog check done and was done by 8:15. Great and fast service.

Great service — really helped me understand a problem with testing my Lexus and re-​tested at a reduced price.

I swung by on a Tuesday at 5pm, place was empty. Shop manager (owner?) was super polite and got my car in and out in ~15 minutes. With the online coupon or Unilocal checkin offer you can save $ 20. You really couldn’t ask for a quicker, cleaner experience. Paperwork was organized and linked to state system electronically.
Neighboring businesses Legends Auto and Enterprise are both good places as well.

This place was awesome. The wait was less than 15 minutes from beginning to end, the guy was straight to the point and told me exactly what needed to be done for my registration afterward, whether I did it online, by mail or in person, and I was given a $ 20 discount even though I didn’t have a printer for the coupon online. My husband and I will definitely be using this as our go-​to place.

Fast and friendly. A customer before me failed his test and the person behind the counter worked out a deal with him to:
1. Create a fair payment plan
2. Figure out how to fix the car so it would pass next time, including a description and an image to take to the mechanic
He took my car in last minute and was clear about the wait time. 30 mins. No mystery.

This is an easy, really painless place to get the smog check done. Fast and efficient, it’s the only place I go!

Fast, efficient, I was in and out in literally 15 minutes without an appointment! Very well priced as well. Highly recommend.

Fast, efficient, friendly. This is the first time that I’ve done a smog test as a new driver so I’m honestly still iffy that I got a good deal on the price. My truck is a ’94 Ford Ranger, and the smog tests for the older cars (’95 and older) are more expensive. So altogether the total was $ 97, with the $ 20 coupon it came out to $ 77. I thought it was going to be around $ 50 so it threw me off a little.
Still, the overall experience was good and I was in and out of there quickly. :)

Got in early to avoid having to wait too long. Very efficient and friendly. Up front about what I would walk out the door paying and mentioned the coupon before I even brought it up. I’ll definitely come back if/​when I need another smog check and would definitely recommend heading here.

We came here to get a smog check for my car. I hate dealing with car stuff so my husband usually deals with it for me… I’m a lucky gal not having to worry about this kind of stuff. Now if only I can get him to do laundry and complete that honey-​do-​list! (sigh) But, I digress.
Anyway, we brought my car in over the weekend and drove two cars expecting the wait would be an hour or more. We figured we’d drop my car off and run a few errands at the Carlsbad Outlet Stores down the street. My husband left 15 – 20 minutes before me to get the car checked in and by the time I got there, they were already done with my service. What a guy… way to make your preggo wife happy!
My husband was super pleased with how professional and expedited their service was. I’m not sure if this is typical but all results are electronically sent to the DMV so I didn’t have to worry about getting anything to them. Score! The complete service was about $ 50 and so worth it. I think the trick is getting here right when they open because he was seen right away and the smog check diagnostic took 10 – 15 minutes max.
We couldn’t be happier with the professional and expedited service we received here and we’ll definitely be back if ever in need of a smog check again. Great job, Carlsbad Smog Center!

Great place! Gets the job done, kind and honest service. The waiting room is clean and there are plenty of magazines to read. Even though the DMV makes my life hell by telling me my car needs a smog test, it’s nice to find an honest test center to get the job done.

It isn’t swanky– it is a smog testing facility. Located right off I5 behind the car stores, this is a quick and efficient company that accomplishes what the state asks them to do. Their prices are clearly posted. They comply with the law. It does exactly what it says it will do– perform the legally required smog tests. Was nice that they were open on the weekend and very much nicer than the place I used to go to in Vista. Thanks for the service.

******BEWARE*******
Having done my smog test here 3 yrs ago without any challenges, I chose to go there again today. I will not be returning again, however. How does a $ 20 off coupon take a $ 58.95 smog check to $ 53.00… I’ll tell you, I believe it’s called «bait & switch». The additional $ 14.05 is for the Smog Certificate, itself & an «Electronic Transmission Fee», which are standard & have to be done with EVERY single check. This clever little operation doesn’t have it in the standard cost, as do all other more reputable establishments, no they keep it as 2 separate costs to add INTO their standard fee, thus their smog test is NOT $ 58.95, as advertised and posted, but IS $ 73.00!!!
This type of business practice could be used so many different ways, for instance a standard advertised $ 15 haircut could tack on an additional $ 4 scissor usage fee & an apron rental charge of $ 3, right? Standard Mani/​Pedi is $ 35.00, but an additional $ 2 fee for the needed file/​clip per appendage & $ 3 towel rental charge brings the total to $ 46.00. Clever, but not quite right.
Always remember, a happy customer tells 3 people, but an unhappy customer tells 11.

This is the only place I would consider taking my car for a Smog Test. They do not take appointments but they are super efficient. Because they are so efficient, sometimes it seems like they are a little too busy for you but I know they don’t mean to come across rude. I think their focus is getting you in and out of there in record time, usually 20 minutes from the time your car hits the station. Sure, there are probably cheaper places to go but I trust these guys. Be sure to go to their website for the $ 20 coupon.