Auto Row Smog & Repair - Oakland (CA)

5 /5 Michell Thomas: Brought my car in sounding like a dying lawnmower — left sounding like a confident Prius on prom night. They gave her a tune-up and now she drives so smooth. Fast, fair, and didn’t try to upsell me. Highly recommend

5 /5 J N: Randomly stopped in for a smog check. They had an appointment about to show up but let me in anyway and they were all so unbelievably nice and professional. In the 20 minutes I was there so many people came in to drop off or pick up their cars and it was clear everyone was a regular who just loves these folks. It’s such a pleasant surprise to stumble across a wonderful auto shop like this.

5 /5 Alice Placinta: I’ve been bringing my 2007 Toyota Highlander to this shop for a while now, and every time, the service is nothing short of exceptional. A few months ago, I took my car in for a potential transmission issue, and I was blown away by how thorough Brian and his team were. They ran every possible test, had multiple mechanics check it out, and made sure there was absolutely nothing wrong before getting back to me. Most shops, when they hear “transmission issue,” see dollar signs, but not here. They charged me only for diagnostics and even did my oil change upon request. I truly felt like they had my best interests in mind, and that’s rare to find. Most recently, I noticed a lot of water leaking from my car before a long-distance trip to Southern California, and once again, Brian came through. Despite being busy and close to closing, he took my car in on short notice. As always, he was extremely knowledgeable and transparent, walking me through both the best and worst-case scenarios. What really stood out to me was the level of dedication Brian showed. He stayed late on a Saturday evening to inspect my car and get me a quote—well ahead of the Monday timeline he originally gave me. When he called, he broke the unfortunate news that the issue was with the water pump and timing belt. Although the repair wasn’t in my budget this time around, Brian went above and beyond by offering to have someone come in on a Sunday (when they’re normally closed) to get the work done so I could make my trip. Brian even left the car on the lift for me to see everything firsthand, and he patiently explained the issues while allowing me to take pictures for future reference. His willingness to help, honesty, and transparency have truly made him the most trustworthy mechanic I’ve found in the Bay Area. Although I wasn’t able to get my car fixed this time, I will 1000% be coming back, and I would recommend this shop—and Brian specifically—to all my friends and family. It’s rare to find a mechanic who genuinely cares about their customers, and I know for certain that anyone who comes here will get an honest diagnosis and be treated fairly. Thank you, Brian and team, for always going above and beyond!!

5 /5 Jason W: For 15 years! I have been trusting Brian(owner) with my cars. Waiting for my car so decided to leave a review today. Brian does a great job, honest estimates, reasonable prices, handles any issues promtly and proffesionaly. They are a busy shop, so plan on it. I can highly recommend Auto Row Smog to fix your car.

5 /5 Danny Martinez: 10/10 customer service; called that I needed a smog check and they told me to swing by in 20 minutes. Price was clear and service was fast.