Universal Smog and Repair

Jack was great. I’ve had an ongoing issue trying to get my 2001 Infiniti i30 to pass a CA smog test. He took a look at my car’s underside and let me know that, due to rust, he wouldn’t replace the catalytic converter, that I needed a muffler shop with torch/​weld capabilities. He explained what was happening with my car in great detail and gave me the name and address of another shop, listing out the questions I should ask at the next location (cost for parts & labor, etc). I was given a discount at my next stop because I told them Jack referred me.
It’s really refreshing when someone takes the time to diagnose your problem, can’t fix it, tells you who can, and doesn’t charge you for it. When does that ever happen? At Universal Smog, apparently. Good place to come get some information and guidance, even if you’re an innocent looking female twentysomething with a complicated issue.

So glad I found this business! Popped in for a smog test, got a friendly and pro helping hand and was on my way. That’s what I needed!

I wish I could tell you that they were good or their prices were great… But I just left there needing to do a smog check and have them check my muffler out… They were too busy eating lunch (there were 7 guys there, all eating). They said I would have to wait 20 minutes for them to even bother with me, F that you just lost a customer guys.

Quick cheap and friendly smog check. I pulled up, the guy let me sit in his air conditioned office for 5 minutes while he hooked up my car and ran the test. Literally was in and out in under 10 minutes, and for cheaper than husband paid for my other car to be checked a few weeks ago down the street. Thanks!

My service has been so good here that I’m completely baffled by the poor reviews.
So one day, my car wasn’t feeling so well. I was driving around, and I forget what was happening, but I knew that if I turned off the engine, it wouldn’t start again. So i pulled off to the side of the road, idling, and looked up auto mechanics in the area here on Unilocal.Universal came up as close to me, with a bunch of glowing reviews, so i went there.
To make a long story short, I’ve been going to Jack ever since. Every time I go in, Jack and his guys tell me exactly what I need done to my car. They never try to sell me work I don’t need. Most importantly, I always feel like Jack has my best interests in mind. He wants my car to run good, and he doesn’t want to overcharge me to do it.
Two years in a row, I’ve had to drive cross country, and both years I took my car to Jack to make sure it was in good shape to do so. One time, when the repairs were going to take a little while, he loaned me one of his cars so I could wait at home.
Has Jack ever turned me away? Yes, but only with good reason. He was packed with cars, and I had brought my car in without an appointment and with a non-​emergency issue. He took me in the next day. Jack has always shown me the same respect I give to him, and I truly appreciate him for it.

I can’t say enough positive things about Jack and his team of employees! They are absolutely fantastic.
I grew up with my dad fixing our cars, so when I moved to LA it was the first time I’ve ever needed a mechanic. I had been overcharged by several in LA until I found Universal Smog & Repair. I totally trust these guys! If you need anything done they will do it or find someone who can!
This is a good, honest company.

Where do I start with this awful, egotistical man named Jack?
I brought my older model Corvette here on a referral and my experience couldn’t have been worse…
First, give yourself plenty of time to listen to Jack ramble about how knowledgeable and experienced he is, how much he knows about cars, his entire childhood history of fixing cars, and bragging about how great he is. I’m not kidding. I was stuck there in his office for 30 minutes one time listening to his monologue. No wonder it takes so long to get your car fixed!
Then, be prepared to leave your car for a looonnnng time. He doesn’t manage his time well and gives other customers priority based on how easy their fix is. Also, he’ll have a shop full of cars and TAKE OFF to some auto race in Arizona or Vegas for 3 days, leaving your car apart and sitting. (Yes, he did this to me AND my neighbor, who had the same bad experience I did when he brought his older model truck in. Same issues. Same tirade when he complained)
If he answers his phone when you call, you’re lucky. 4 out of 5 times you call it just rings and rings and rings…
Aside from the customer service (or lack of it), my car now runs WORSE than when I brought it in!!!
It won’t idle, stalls if I don’t constantly hold my foot down on the gas pedal, shakes violently and the carburetor SMOKES. It’s not adjusted to idle properly and the fuel/​air mixture is wrong. Also, I had a manual choke in my dash (necessary to starting the car when it’s cold) that had been working for over 20 years that he BROKE and wouldn’t fix. Claimed it was probably old and went out on it’s own. Yeah, that’s why it worked for over 20 years RIGHT UP until the DAY he got his hands on it!
When I complained to him about my car not running, he YELLED at me. Yes, YELLED. Once again, went over how amazing a mechanic he is and all his accolades and told me I was insulting him! I told him that was all well and good, but all I know is that my car worked better and had less issues BEFORE I brought it in and he needed to make it right!
Because I can’t DRIVE the car now (It stalls every time I stop at a light or stop sign), he sent 2 of his guys over to PROVE to me that I don’t know what I’m talking about. (yes, he did tell me that – and all they did was point at this and that and didn’t FIX anything! He also reiterated this to me in his narcissistic yelling tirade. I don’t know what I’m talking about, because he knows cars and I don’t. Regardless, he couldn’t seem to understand that my car DOESN’T WORK as a result of something he did to it. He was completely irrational. Then, he told me to never come back.
My car is still not running and I’ve got to go somewhere else and PAY someone else to fix it. What honest and decent businessman would leave someone’s car like this, not make it right, and then act like it’s their fault and tell them not to come back because his feelings were hurt??! Ridiculous.
If I had the time and money, I’d sue him, but I need to save that money to get my car fixed. :P
GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, because if doesn’t get it right, he won’t make it right – and you’ll be throwing your hard-​earned money away. Not to mention getting yelled at by this horrible man who clearly has issues.

BEST and most HONEST mechanic in the city!
I originally discovered this place through Unilocal when I needed a smog check. What a blessing! Jack the owner is a rarity amongst mechanics: friendly, kind, honest, trustworthy, smart.
I have been in need of some repairs to a nine-​year old Mustang lately. Jack has taken excellent care of me and my car. I have found his rates to be VERY affordable compared to Sunrise Ford. Most importantly, i know he’s not ripping me off. And he’s fast.
If you are in Studio City or NoHo, this should be the only mechanic you go to. Say goodbye to crappy dealers and hello to excellent mom & pop service!!!

The best mechanic in the valley hands down. 1^st off honest and trustworthy guy that knows his stuff. I’ve been going there for over 5 years and still do for oil changes. He’s is always busy which if anyone knows a thing or two about mechanics is a «good sign».
Many times I’ve taken my car to dealerships that claimed there were issues with my car. I took to Jack who told me otherwise or exactly what I needed to fix. I even went back to the same dealer after Jack fixed it (for way cheaper and quality parts) and had them do a check-​up to find that there wasn’t anything wrong. Though they claimed a multitude of «supposed» problems… go figure.
Jack has reasonable prices and won’t screw you spike strip without the kiss (like a ton of mechanics do). If you got an any issue with your car, Jack’s the man. I would suggest calling him first to see when to bring your chariot by… like I said the shop is always busy. Good news is he’s quick and has a fast turnaround!

I was lucky enough to stumble upon Universal Smog and Repair and meet Jack, the owner, over a decade ago when no one seemed to be able to fix my car, but still wanted to charge me a bunch of money.
Jack immediately diagnosed the problem, fixed it, and got my car up to standard to pass the smog test. He’s honest and competent. I have been taking my cars to him for over 14 years and wouldn’t take them anywhere else. I’ve also recommended many friends to him and they’ve had similar positive experiences.

If you ever need any car repairs done. Go here! Jack is an Amazing guy. He will charge almost nothing for labor and works fast! Honest! Grab lunch at Toni’s or the Habit and your car is done! Smog! Breaks! You name it!

I used to take my car there all the time… I used to refer everyone I know to Jack! one day i brought in my car with what I thought was break problems– they sounded like they were grinding. But I am not a mechanic. Jack told me that it wasn’t my breaks and he didn’t hear anything wrong with the car-​remeber the sound was very loud– finally about 1 week later I took the car back and come to find out Jack says it WAS the breaks– Needless to say I wasn’t happy and I told Jack– He said he only checked on side of the and not the other-​UMMMM OK– anyway Jack went off on me saying it wasnt his fault! Refused to take my payment– told me to leave and never come back. At the end of the day… the 8 years I dealt with Jack he was honest and a good mechanic! I don’t like the way I was talked to or treated and I will not go back there! Maybe he is just one of those men that think women are beneath him… LOL what can you do… Sorry Jack your in America now!
May God Bless you always and may your business always prosper!

Jack is fantastic. Very pleasant and very to the point no bs when it comes to what your car needs or doesn’t need. I’ve referred a number of friends to him and they’ve all called me to thank me afterwards. This is really the only shop I trust.

Only place I bring my ride!!! Jack Is the very best! Made appt. was in And out! Been coming here for years. I know an honest job has been done. And I don’t miss my 300% markup from the dealer!

I went here solely on the previous Unilocal recommendations. I got a smog check done for $ 45 and was out in about 20 minutes… Jack is old school and has integrity. In addition to the smog check, he also fixed my burnt out turn signal, cleared my check engine light and filled my tires up to the proper pressure… for FREE! I will definitely be going back here!

I don’t know if Jack is a good mechanic, if he’s honest or reliable, because Jack turned me away, and he wasn’t nice about it. I asked if someone could take a look at my car, and he just said no.
Not «Sorry, we’re too busy;» not «Please can you come back;» not «Please can you call and schedule an appointment.»
Just no.
I felt like an idiot standing there, I thought it was a joke. He was serious.
Good for Jack for being so busy he doesn’t have to bother with new customers.
Don’t bother with Jack.

Quick and affordable smog check. Owner made process very easy (first time I’ve done one).
I would definitely return.

Jack is the real deal people!
Nice, caring and above all fair person.
Got in to have my Smog, I was looking around on Unilocal and saw the good reviews.
Jack told me on the phone to come in and accept me the second I got there, he made sure to check the car around and was very informative about the test.
The smog past positively and he also fixed my loose/​missing screws on my hood without even asking as an extra good deed.
I have been around and was fooled few times during my life by mechanics, trust me when I tell you, Jack is one of the good guys.
I couldn’t help my self from showing my appreciation and leave a good feedback as well.
Best of luck and thank you for the service.
AW

Excellent service here at this smog station. Most places are out to rape your pockets charging you close to 60 bucks if not more (and don’t let your check engine light be on)! This place is more focused on getting you in and out in a quick and convenient way! Juan was quick to hook up the machine to my car and get the ball rolling! One thing I really like about this place is if your check engine light is in fact on, they won’t charge you for the diagnostic if you get the work done with them. Most places charge 85 bucks just for the diagnostic in addition to whatever work you need done, and then you still need to pay an additional 60 for the dang smog! Great service, excellent attitudes, clean mechanics who know what they are doing! Try them and I’m certain you will have a similar experience!

Can I give less than 1 star? I’ve taken my car here before but am done. It seems Jack’s at the point where he doesn’t care about his customers and is willing to just blow them off.
Here’s my recent experience… Dropped my car off on a Friday with an oil leak.
Called him Saturday morning and he hadn’t gotten to it yet. Got a call from him later saying he couldn’t do the work at all that day and that we’d have to figure it all out Monday — come pick the car up. He said I needed new gaskets and a new radiator couldn’t get a hold of the parts. Couldn’t even give me a ballpark of what it would cost to fix. Really?
He said he’d call me first thing Monday; never heard from him. Called Monday at 11:30am and was told he needed about a half hour. I called back and he wasn’t there. I tried a couple hours later and got him. He said he still hadn’t looked up the parts — needed more time. Still really frustrated, I agreed to call back. Then I tried calling literally 6 – 7 times, and they just didn’t answer the phone. 6 – 7 times!
Tuesday, still no response. I called the muffler shop next to him and asked them to walk over my number and give him a message that I’d been trying to call with my number. I still never got a call back. I wasn’t hostile or difficult during any of this (But probably should have been).
The worst part is, I kinda had a similar experience the last time I tried to get repairs done. I was giving him another chance because he’s convenient (I live across the street). I’ve been very patient and nice about it, but this is ridiculous. I’m done with him. I see the great reviews and that’s the way service used to be. Now I’m done.
F this guy!