Mission Valley Chevron

Doesn’t California have laws against price gouging? On 11÷17÷15, 10:30 am, I paid $ 3.60/gal for 14.5 gals of regular at this Chevron station. Fifteen minutes later, I drove past a Shell station close to my work on Rosecrans, and it was $ 2.85/gal for regular. That’s a difference of $ 0.75 per gallon. I understand that gasoline prices vary among stations and location, but paying over $ 10.00 more than I should have is highway robbery.

DON’T patronize this place for anything other than fuel (and even THAT is way overpriced!).
Saw their «Oil Change Special $ 24.99» sign (which used to be $ 19.99 up until about 6 months ago). I pulled in to get the oil change and immediately the price the guy put on the form was $ 31.99. He said, «Your car needs 6 or maybe 8 quarts of oil». I asked, «are you sure, because I’m pretty sure it’s only 5.». He says he’s positive it’s at least six, and if it’s not he’ll do it for free. Well, I downloaded the PDF of the owner’s manual for my car while he was doing the oil change. Turns out, it WAS 5 quarts. Then he didn’t want to honor the «Free» offer– or even reduce the price back to the advertised $ 24.99 price. Needless to say, I was pretty upset, but I didn’t want to create a ‘scene’ there.
Actually, this is the second time I’ve been tricked by this place. I took a different car there about a year ago and was initially going to be overcharged for the «special» oil that the car needed. I protested and he backed down. After I left there some trouble lights came on the dash and it was several months before I had them reset. I thought I’d give them the benefit of the doubt this time, but my reservations were confirmed. These guys are shifty!
I’m contacting the BBB regarding this place. Be very careful what you’re billed for at this place. Do your homework about what parts/​labor really need to be done in your particular case before agreeing to any repairs.

I had to visit this property on a Saturday night after the wonderful KGB skyshow 39 this year. (Got a flat tire at the restaurant parking lot after the show, and of course the spare was low on pressure).
Drive in I find that they have their tire air system working and it does not need coins to make it work (SCORE!) Already a ⁵⁄₅ just for their customer care.
Fill up my tires and go inside to see if they have a tire gage… the had them for sale at a price I couldn’t believe ONLY $ 1.99 each… that’s MUCH less then even at Harbor Freight or Auto Zone. Buy one and THANK the guy behind the counter (Family to the store is my guess) for having the air on and free.
Felt guilty about not buying more but they didn’t have any ice cream that my wife or daughter were interested in.
THANK YOU Mission Valley Chevron for remaining an old school type shop with free air and a smile even for those who use it late at night.

This gas station has a mid-​sized convenient store but no car wash. However, it does have a small auto service shop. I cannot judge the customer service since I did not go in. According to Gas Buddy, it is a high price to pay compared to other gas stations in the area. It is a busy location located at the mission valley exit/​entrance to the 8 freeway near Texas Street. Getting in and out can be rough depending what way you are trying to get in from or even out of and the layout is average compared to other Chevrons. Overall, though this Chevron station is located in a nice area and is relatively safe anytime of day, I would avoid it if you can manage to go to a different station because the prices here are just way to high compared to the average in the area.

This place was aweaome to get a amog check. Price was the best around. We had a problem a another smog check place so took a chance at this place. The mechanic was very friendly and got us in and out in less than a half an hour and had a nice screened in table and chairs to wait in. Highly recommend.

Mike the mechanic today stayed over an hour past the time she was scheduled to leave to replace my alternator. My car died around the corner and i was able to coast into this station. He changed the alternator (after the 3^rd alternator because the ones that he called for weren’t up to his high standards).
He made a bad situation good on a Saturday afternoon. He went out of his way to make sure my car was fixed.
I will bring my car to him any day!
You are the best.
Thank you for your compassion.

i have been hesitant to get my smog checked so I waited until the very last minute hoping I could find someplace close and fairly inexpensive. I called the day before and even though they were closed, the clerk told me I did not need to make an appointment and I could come by the next day. I got there before they had even opened, hoping I would not have to wait long. I was out of there in less than 20 minutes, and the technician was super professional and helpful. The price was very reasonable (advertised price plus certificate fee) and it was a great experience. They even have a little tented waiting area for you to sit while your car gets checked. I would definitely come back again.

I was worried about doing my first smog check and was researching for places the night before for the best price. I passed by Mission Valley Chevron and it’s 26.50 smog check and saw it was empty so I pulled in. Turned out to be $ 40 with paperwork and labor fees but still the cheapest I’ve found!
They’re FAST. I was out of there in 15 min. Simple & easy!

Mike is by far the most honest Mechanic I have ever known. I drive all the way down to Mission Valley from North County just because he is the best. He changes my oil, and fixes any problems. I love mike. He is very nice and very reasonable.

Took my car here for a smog check. This place gets 5 starts for:
— prompt service. The lead mechanic called out the smog technician who was about to leave to come back and run the tests for me
— cheapest price. I called around 3 – 4 smog check stations in the area and this one was the cheapest one.
— friendly service. Friendly guys who right away asked how they could help and on on my way out told me not to worry about the ABS and VDC lights being on in the short term.

Color me ecstatic! I love Mike Munther! My radiator cracked on the way to work and I happened to be close to the station where I had previously had my oil changed. With my engine overheating and smoke pouring out of my hood I pull in, stop the car and wait for Mike to arrive. I am shaking… thinking my car is a gonner! Mike tested the radiator… found it was cracked. :-(He called around until he found an affordable radiator, gave me a totally fair estimate for labor and an oil change and after giving me a ride to work, had it ready the same day for me to pick up! The cherry on top was a full 2 year warranty on the radiator. Girls and Guys… I feel great recommending the kind hearted and fair service you will get at this Chevron!

My car was low on gas so I pulled in to this gas station and stopped at the first pump on the far left, since my gas tank is on the right.
After opening my door I stepped out, pulled out my wallet from my front right pocket, pulled out my credit card and slid it into the machine. It asked for my zip code which I provided and I pulled out the nozzle. It then asked me what type of gas I wanted.
I picked: 91.
I proceeded to stick the nozzle into the side of my car (after having removed the cap which I forgot to mention), and squeezed the handle to pour the gas in.
I locked it up so that I could go back into my car and let it run automatically.
After finding some napkins, I tossed it into the trash can near by. With about 17 gallons to go I decided I had time to clean my windshield.
I took the squeegee that was lying around nearby and scraped it across my car about 3 times.
I turned the squeegee over to the drying side and went back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.
After a few repeats I concluded my windshield was clean enough, and scraped it across one more time for good measure.
I put it back into its spot.
I was done filling up now, about 18.5 gallons in.
I removed the nozzle from my car and put it back. Did I want a receipt?
«No».
I walked around to the other side of my car, opened the door, took my seat and started the engine. I rolled my windows down since it was a warm day and went on my way.
All in all a perfect gas station experience.

update… passed smog again — thanks Mike! Not sure why my original post in 2010 is filtered «)

Mike the mechanic is fair, honest and kind and the only person I let touch my cars. I have been bringing my cars here for oil and tune-​ups for 5 years and nothing has ever gone wrong with my cars. I ask about services that would cost more money and he has told me on numerous occasions it was unnecessary when he easily could have taken me for a sucker and done the work. Occasionally my wife will bring the car to a «quick lube» oil place and he can always tell because of the cheap oil filters (or wrong one like last time) that they use.
I have referred friends here who were told they needed work done by other mechanics and he told them they did not need it and saved them a lot of time and money and did the simple fix that was all that was necessary.
He is a genuinely good person and I would (and do!) recommend him to everyone. I know the gas prices are a little high but Mike’s service is always the best deal around and if it’s not he will tell you.

Okay — today I update my review. Mike Kaju the mechanic just saved me almost $ 1000 of unnecessary repairs the Cadillac dealer told me I needed.
He’s the best — they rock!

This place is the worst gas station ever. It’s the closest one to my apartment, but it’s always incredibly busy. The lot that it’s in is insanely small, and it’s really hard to maneuver around it to find an open pump. People are like wild animals there. When there’s an open pump, it’s like a feeding frenzy. everyone speeds up to it, and nobody cares if they run over innocent animals. or children on the way. The prices are high, and the pumps are unreasonably slow.
Why do I even come here again? It’s out of necessity. They have a monopoly on the entire little area from Qualcomm Way all the way over to Mission Center Rd., where there is a Shell and a Mobil.

Munther «Mike» Kaju is honest, fair, generous, and kind. He’s more helpful than he has to be and wouldn’t let me pay for what I didn’t need!

This place was one of the worst gas station experiences I have ever had. The lot itself is really small making it difficult to move around. I waited for about 15 – 20 minutes before I was able to get gas. Once I was finally able to get gas, the credit card machine was malfunctioning, so I had to retry a couple of times. Once I finally got it working, the pump was so slow. Although it is really convenient and is on my home from work, I’d rather go out of my way to get gas, then to come back here.

This place was not very helpful at all. The clerk was not too interested in helping anyone out. I was ‘stranded’ here for about an hour because I had a flat tire and no lug wrench. I noticed the Chevron seemed to have a large-​size, probably fair-​service garage, so I asked the clerk if he had any tools. He simply replied, «Sorry. No tools; the garage is closed tonight,» as he pointed to the closed garage and continued to re-​stock the fridge. …Well DUH, it’s closed. I can see that. And I wouldn’t expect it to be open for service at midnight! But help a person out!
I’m never buying gas from this place. $ 3.49/gallon for regular unleaded?! No thanks! Especially since elsewhere is selling for thirty cents cheaper.
Other than that, it seems to be a hot spot come past 12:30am on a Wednesday morning. Loud music, deep bass, shiny cars, and questionable guys. Granted it’s ideally located just off the 8 West, but still… not so ideal for me.