Jimmy Dean’s Smog Center

I came here for a smog certification today because I was taking my car to Promise Auto Repair on the other side to get some new headlights installed, and the mechanic there said we could come here to get a smog certification.
It was pretty busy on a Saturday morning, with one customer ahead of me and another customer that arrived shortly after I got there. There were some plastic chairs set out that we could sit in while we waited, but it was really sunny outside, so I took refuge inside the garage in the shade.
When it was my turn, I pulled my car in and watched as Jim proceeded with the smog check. I’ve never seen one before, but my dad said it seemed very thorough, as he lifted the hood and inspected a bunch of stuff over, under, and all around the vehicle.
Jim was pleasant and chatted with me while working, commenting on my UCLA license plate frame and asking what I had majored in. When I said electrical engineering, he joked that he needed an electrician and asked if I had a job right now, LOL. Then he started talking about slide rules and a wooden one that he had gotten from England, but that was a bit before my time and I had no idea what he was talking about, haha.
While I was filling out the paperwork, Jim noted that we came from the same hometown, and we found out that we had gone to the same high school, too! But it was years apart, so although it was in the same location, the school had changed names by the time I went (probably like 20 years later).
The smog check passed and cost $ 59, which I could pay via Visa or Mastercard. I got a printout of the report for my records and was on my merry way. Jim said he sent the inspection results online to the DMV so I could just go online later to pay my vehicle registration renewal. When I checked later on that evening, the DMV didn’t have the records of my smog test yet, so I guess I’ll wait a bit and try again to see if it the results went through the system.
Overall, a pleasant experience, and I’ll definitely come back to get a smog check here if I’m ever in the area.

Just like Nicole below me, I had the same exact experience. I came in and paid $ 50 for a test and he failed me. He also proceeded to give me his friends card to go get it fixed. He said the converter was «rescinded» and no good.
I went to my mechanic and he said Jimmy could have passed me but probably didn’t. The mechanic changed my converter and said it should be good and go get a retest as it stated on the receipt.
I went back and Jimmy said I’ll have to pay full price again because the retest passed by a couple of days.
So, not only did he fail me for something small he then tried to charge me full price again.
Whatever you do don’t go to this place! He’s trying to rip you off and make your life miserable, stay away!

We have been coming here for years to have our cars smogged. He’s a very nice, polite guy and seems to do a good job. We’ve never had any problems and our cars have always passed with out problems. We have, and will continue to recommend this business to family and friends. Thanks!

Horrible !!
I Will never come back here again due to This man trying to take me for extra money.
He checks my car, charges me almost $ 50 and then says I didn’t pass…
Hmmm, I ask why and he says one of the parts (pcv hose) inside my car is the wrong part and I need to get it changed…
So I go to my mechanic and they tell me the hose on it is just fine but if that’s what I need they’ll change it…
They looked over my paperwork and said he could’ve just passed me but most likely just wanted extra money for a re-​test –_​–
Uggh so here I’m taking time off work, Now spending extra money and wasting My time…
So I change it anyway so he can pass me… Apparently once you go to one smog place some won’t take you after that, so I have to go back to the same person =/​
Go back and he says its still wrong, won’t pass me and this part «HAS» to be from the dealership… What, why?!
Call my Mechanic and they say its the same piece of hose the only difference is it says «honda» on the bag…
Then proceeds to hand me his buddys card (mechanic next door) and says go there he’ll fix it your mechanics are trying to rip you off and take your money… and says how «horrible» they are… I’m sensing BULLSHIT!
uuum NO, my mechanics wouldn’t have made a DIME off me if it wasn’t for this smog place making me change something to get a little extra money out of me… My mechanic said I didn’t even need what he’s making me change!
Now all of a sudden you want me to go to your buddy next door so I can be charged even more?! uuum NO THANKS!
He tells me I need this specific «star test» because hes a star only station but when I researched I didn’t even need a star test and he has no signage saying his shop is star only, in fact is says TEST ONLY, which there’s suppose to be visible signage at a shop if its star only…
So I leave his shop not knowing what to do because he won’t pass me, the 2^nd time, AFTER I fixed and changed the part he told me to (ooh but I should go through his friends shop and pay to do it there, NO)…
Consult with a friend who is a certified mechanic and has owned a shop for 30+ years and says the same thing my mechanic said, He’s screwing you to get extra money the part he wants you to replace is fine…
We go to another smog place just to check everything and this smog shop says the Same thing, my Car is just FINE and I should’ve passed…
One thing I can’t stand is trying to screw someone over just to make a few extra bucks…
And every question I asked he couldn’t even give me straight answer…
So I will NEVER go here again and would highly recommend nobody goes here either…
I may not know much about Cars, But I could Definitely Smell the BULLSHIT!!!