DEKRA Smog Check Station

Great service! Albert got my car right in and out in about 15 minutes. He was very polite, friendly but most importantly professional. Thanks for the great service Albert. See ya in 2 years.

Quick service, clean lobby
No one else was getting a smog so it took about 15 – 20 max to get my car serviced. You can also get your vehicle registration paid there too if you want to skip the DMV lines.

I really don’t understand the one star reviews, especially If you don’t bother to make an appointment or you have unrealistic expectations. Here is my experience taking both of our cars in.
Made an appointment the afternoon before for 8:15AM the next morning for both cars one week apart.
Car 1: May 25 — Arrived at 8:13AM, did the paperwork, they smog tested my car, I paid, and was on the road again at 8:26AM.
Car 2: June 1 — Arrived at 8:12AM, did the paperwork, they smog tested my car, I paid, and was on the road again at 8:28AM.
Friendly and efficient service from Marco both times. He explained paperwork exactly. Even suggesting I should wait a few hours before renewing the tags on both cars, to ensure that all the smog info. had gotten through in Sacramento.
I also got $ 5.00 off for checking in with Unilocal and another $ 5.00 off for having been referred by my mechanics, AutoTech in El Cajon.
Thank you very much for being so efficient and professional and making this a painless experience for both of our vehicles. I will be referring your business!

Closing at 6:00 pm really means somewhere between 5:15 and 6:00 pm! I raced over to this location after work and arrived at 5:45 to get my 1992 Toyota Truck smog checked. However Gilbert informed me that he would not be able to do my truck because it would take longer than 15 Minutes to complete. Matter of fact Gilbert was so anxious to get on out the door that he already had the bay doors closed and his car parked out front. Gilbert must have had a date.
I’ve been taking my THREE cars to this location for nearly 20 years (even before they were purchased by DEKRA) to support business in my neighborhood. DEKRA will not be smogging any of mine or my families vehicles anymore. We’ll go someplace convenient that appreciates loyalty.
Oh, and for the record, last year when they smogged my car they left the remote control for their smog machine in my car~~and when they called me to ask if it was in my car not only was I honest with them but I IMMEDIATELY drove it back over there to them. You’re welcome!

This place is great! I had an early morning appointment. They opened on time. The experience was quick & friendly. Andy and Marco did a great job! Excellent customer service!

This was my first time here, and I am very satisfied. The service was prompt (my test was done within 15 minutes), the tech was professional and (very importantly) they are the ONLY smog test station in the La Mesa area open on Sunday.

Had a truck that needed to be smog checked. Stopped by DEKRA on my way to my normal SMOG check location. I went in just to inquire about price and was greeted with a friendly employee. The combination of the employee and the unexpected lower price than I normally pay was the go ahead to give them a try. I informed the employee that I would pick my vehicle up later as I had someone picking me up. DEKRA was so quick that my truck was done before my ride for errands ever arrived.
My experience with my truck was so great that I took my clunker car there a week later for a carbon copy 5 star experience like my visit before. Thank you DEKRA team.

What can I tell you, they were open ealry, which is the only reason I considered overpaying the $ 63 charged to smog my ’89. I had other quotes at $ 50 even out the door, but I just had to go early. I’ll say this, they are nice and courteous and efficient. Guy broke the shifter on my car. It worked fine when I pulled in, when I go to leave I notice three three clicks puts me in drive but the indicator in reverse, like i said this was not the case going in. I asked him to fix it, and I watch him trying to force it without the key in the ignition, just cranking away on it, I stopped him, asked him what to do about it. He claims he didn’t notice, which is completely impossible, he would have noticed the shifter sitting in his lap in drive. I am so mad, I cannot even speak.
The place is way over priced, and the folks mean well, but they broke my stuff, and I spent $ 20 more than I had to for the pleasure.

Nobody likes getting that notification from the DMV that reminds you that your registration fees are due and you better believe they sure as heck don’t like seeing that reminder that you need to take it to Star station for smog certification.
Luckily for those of us that get that dreaded reminder, a place like DERKA exists to make the process as painless and as easy on the wallet as possible.
Scheduling an appointment on their website is simple although they do take walk-​ins. Simply fill out the online form, select your preferred time slot and then confirm. Once you arrive, you are met with a friendly staff who walk you through process and paperwork (minimal) and get the test going. To keep you comfortable in the lobby, they have seating, magazines, a coffee maker and WiFi.
The overall process only took about 15 minutes and really couldn’t be any easier or more painless. Pay the bill, they send the info electronically to the DMV and that’s all she wrote. That’s why I’ll continue to come here when that dreaded renewal/​smog notification comes in the mail. DERKA makes it quick, painless and easy to get your vehicle smog tested.

Fastest smog check I’ve ever gotten in my life! The lady at the front was really helpful and she had my car done in no time. The place is nice and clean, the waiting area had magazines and there was a TV as well. Excellent customer service, very knowledgeable, I will definitely bring my car here again.

Best smog station in east county!!!
Excellent service, convenient shop hours, and the lobby for costumer waiting is really clean with current reading material!
Thank you Marco for great service.

They were very good and very helpful.

Fantastic experience. I work two jobs and am a queen of procrastination. It was the end of the month and my registration was expired. Had to get a smog check, of course. Came in here after work and was mentally prepared to wait an hour and cruise to the DMV afterwards. I pulled into the parking lot and was greeted at my car by a technician. They grabbed my keys and got the process going. I walked inside and Joanie, the receptionist was so warm and welcoming yet efficient and professional. She asked me if I wanted them to hook me up with the new registration and sticker there for $ 25. You mean no trip to the DMV? Worth it. Andy got my car ready in 20 minutes. Didn’t even finish my coffee. Five full stars to you guys!

This was my first visit so I made an appointment online and also printed a coupon before I headed over. They didn’t have me wait around and saw me right at my scheduled time. The waiting room was very tidy and like another reviewer mentioned it doesn’t have that oil/​mechanical smell that I’m so use to at other places. I barely had time to clean out my bag or enjoy my book, as they had my car in and out so quickly! This is the perfect place to go if you have a busy schedule or are in a time crunch. The staff was very knowledgeable as I had a lot of questions about the smog check process and what I needed to get done to complete my car registration renewal. Thank you for such a pleasant experience!

Great service and quick. One of the few places OPEN ON SUNDAY. I called at 11am and made an appointment for 1pm. I got in quickly.
Staff was awesome, just one guy there today. Shout out to Marko Flores who was running the shop. Super professional but still friendly and casual. He gave some good advice to the customer before me and I’ve never seen someone who didn’t pass a check walk out with a smile on his face. This guy is a real asset and knows how to talk with customers.
He took care of my payment, thanked me for choosing them and closed with a handshake. I will be back for my next smog.

Most efficient smog check ever. I’m still in awe of how quick and easy it was. Highly recommend to others. I’ll be back.

After my irritating experience at this location a couple days ago, I ended up speaking with two different managers from Dekra. Both listened to my concerns, explained why they swipe drivers licenses, apologized for the hassle, and went out of their way to make it right. After speaking with them I’m updating my review because I would consider giving them another try, as it’s evident that they care about their business and reputation.

We took the car there yesterday. Great service from the shop, we were in and out no waiting around. However, my wife ask to us the restroom and got a big «I’m sorry ma’am we don’t have a public restroom.» I didn’t realize that my $ 65 smog check made me the public. I assumed I was a paying customer. You did offer me coffee, tea, or water. But I guess that is «public» coffee, tea and water.

I am a procrastinator… and I work Monday thru Friday which leaves only the weekends to get things done… of course, at the last minute. I live in the South Bay, but there was nothing open on Sundays in my area. It was the last day of the month… my registration was expiring tomorrow…
I am familiar with La Mesa, so when I found Dekra online, saw that they were open on Sunday, it was a win-​win. Joanie, the lady over the phone and then behind the desk as I came in, was as nice as they come. She was pleasant, answered my questions and provided some nice chit chat as I waited. I liked that she didn’t give me a hard time for forgetting my DMV paper at home.
The check took MAX, 15 minutes. The waiting area is clean, didn’t smell like there was a car shop just on the other side of the door. Keurig, TV, water cooler, magazines and comfortable chairs. I’ll be coming back here and will refer others.

Great smog place, Ask for Andy real cool guy got in and out in no time great service. I will be back…

I have had many smog checks over the years, never one as fast and efficient as this one. Ross, my technician, was courteous, the environment was nice, bathroom was clean/​Keurig was good, and the service was fast. My last smog check a few years ago involved the revving of the engine, the whole nine. This time there was none of that. I *highly* recommend this place. I will definitely be back.
By the way, they’ve moved, they are now at 7633 El Cajon Blvd.

Quick song check. Good price. And super close to me! The people inside are very nice and explain everything in detail. It is attached to a car parts store as well so while you are getting it checked you can swing over and maybe get some things for your ride!

Fast and easy. Quick in and out in less than 15 minutes and didn’t even have an appointment. I’ve seen this place go through a few ownership changes and even those it’s gone through changes, the quality of service had remained the same! Will always come here when it’s time to smog.

Excellent customer service! It was one guy running the show when I went in on Sunday morning at 10 am. There were 3 people in front of me but I still got outta there in less than 30 minutes! Thank you so much for being a great business!

Nice environment, Keurig brewer always a plus. One of the quickest and easiest SMOG checks I’ve ever had and they’re open on Sunday. Military discount. Winning!

I just recently moved from Hawaii this year and I was not sure on the process of getting my vehicle not only smog checked but also registered in CA. The agent Denise was extremely friendly and professional and helped me not only get a great deal with the smog check but assisted me in finding a open DMV satellite remote office that was open on Saturday morning.
I highly recommend this location for its friendly quick professional staff for you smog test needs.

I’ve been here three times in the last 2 months with our 3 older cars. We have come to this location for years, and it’s much nicer now under the new ownership (Dekra). Equipment is updated, free coffee and WiFi: what’s not to like?
Denise & Andy are very friendly and efficient: the car is tested quickly and returned clean (no greasy steering wheel). You can make an appointment, but I usually just call and see how busy they are and then walk in. Be sure to download a coupon from the website before you go.