AA Smog Test Only

Remember to bring cash ONLY! Very quick and probably the cheapest around. Autos are $ 40 and SUVs $ 50. I have to disagree with one reviewer about Mr Lam’s interpersonal skills. He is a very nice and personable man.

He was quick and efficient. I was in and out in 20 minutes. And only $ 40 with the online coupon (which is the cheapest in Laguna Niguel).

GET A PHONE QUOTE FIRST!
Two stars are generous; and only for price. When I called around for prices, I was quoted some astronomical prices for smogging my 2007 BMW. This place was the cheapest — 4 years ago. When I arrived, the owner yelled at me and was very aggressive, as I didn’t know where to park due to all the spaces being full. He was trying to tell me to double park the other cars (which I would never normally do), but I couldn’t understand his English very well. When it came time for this years’ smog, I didn’t feel like getting quotes again, so I reluctantly returned. I called in the AM, told him my car and year, and was quoted $ 40.00. When I arrived in the afternoon, I was greeted with a bill for $ 50.00. I explained that I’d called in the AM and was quoted $ 40.00. He then asked me for cash, but I only had $ 22.00. I told him this was not communicated, but would pay him $ 22.00 and the balance on the card. He seemed angry, and begrudgingly took my card and charged me $ 40.00. I doubt I’ll return again.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, Mr. Nhuan Lam doesn’t possess the greatest interpersonal skills, but I, myself, deal with customers of all ethnicities and culture, and can understand when someone doesn’t act exactly like we’d expect them to.
Now, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Lam is Vietnamese. I’ve read a lot of articles pertaining to Vietnamese culture, and this has enabled me to understand that, generally speaking, they take time to warm up to strangers. But, when you transform from stranger into their friend, literally everything changes. They’re sweet, curious and welcoming.
I’ve been to Mr. Lam’s AA Smog shop more than once, and he’s become more friendly with me, even asking me about my car’s stereo and making small talk.
However, at the end of the day, what matters to me most is a smog test that’s done quickly and at a fair price, where I don’t have to wait in line for 30 – 45 minutes.

Great and quick service. Inexpensive. No complaints! My smog check was done in 10 mins.

Ken was great to work with, and fast– it couldn’t have taken more than 10 minutes, and he sent the info on to the dmv automatically. A very good experience!

Based on the Unilocal reviews, I called and got a price before I arrived so there would be no surprises. When I arrived at his smog check station, the owner was nice and courteous. After filling out my paperwork, he sent me over to the car wash area to wait. The whole process was quick, easy, and at a good price. I would not hesitate recommending his service.

I called ahead to confirm his location (intersection of Crown Valley & Niguel Road),
gave owner my car details, told him I wanted all inclusive price, and was there 15 minutes later at which time he actually quotes his price which was fair & lower than other stations. He then tested and then was finished within 15 minutes & I was gone.
To me time is money ! On previous occasions (at other more visible & popular folksy locations) the wait time has streched to ONE hour and MORE while you wait and wait.
This test center cannot be seen from the street, so you might have a car ahead of you, but probably not, which means no wait, and thats for me ! I’ll take a slight communication problem to overcome anytime to avoid waiting for an indefinite time.

Had a perfectly fine experience. He smiled as he greeted me, gave me a price and I asked where I could get a cup of coffee. He pointed me to the car wash waiting area and said he’d be done in 15 minutes. In 15 minutes my nose was still in the book and he walked around to tell me it was ready. Cost for my Lexus 470 was exactly what he quoted: $ 58.25 ($ 50 + the certificate fee). He even ran to my car to bring me my water bottle I had left. Easy, breezy, and fast. I’ll go back.

Thankfully I read the Unilocal reviews before coming here so I was prepared for this gentleman’s somewhat rough demeanor. I called and made an appointment, and once I arrived the work was done promptly. He was not rude in the least, just somewhat quiet and not overly chatty. The price was reasonable, and while he ran the test my husband and I wandered over to the car wash at the front of the building to grab a couple of bottles of water and sit and wait. He told us to come back after 15 minutes, and when we did, my car was ready. He gave us the paperwork, we paid, said thank you and left. I would definitely go back here if needed. Don’t let the 2 stars scare you away, just don’t go in expecting to make a new friend. :)

I wish I could give ZERO Stars!!! This the the absolute worst business! If there are good reviews, perhaps they reflect a previous owner. I went there In Dec. 2013 and then today, Feb. 2014, and the barely-​English speaking man loudly YELLED at me both times! My car failed in Dec., so I had it fixed. I brought it back for a re-​test. As soon as he saw me he started yelling that it was going to fail again… OK, whatever. It has to pass now, I thought. When I went to pay, the yelling got worse, and he was screaming something like, «I TOLD YOU LAST TIME»!!! What he told me, I don’t know. I was starting to fear for my safety. He left my car sitting in his lot, windows rolled down, key in car… not good. Please go to the CHEVRON station across the street… it’s always been good. I only went to this guy because I didn’t need an appt… now I see why!!!

Really impressed with Ken! He was very helpful and quick in his service. He also offered the discounted price, even though I didn’t know about it. I would definitely come back here again! Highly recommend!!!

Here are three tips for making this place work for you (worked for me at least):
1) Carefully read the terms of the coupon/​discount. You’ll see that vehicles older than 2000, more than 4 cylinders, and SUV/​trucks are all an additional fee. In addition, you’ll see that a certificate fee is NOT included. Finally, you’ll see that it is cash only. From what I understand, if you use a card there is an additional $ 3 fee.
2) Get there early. Because so many people have found the coupon/​discount, this is a popular place to get your smog check. I arrived 5 minutes before they opened in the morning and was out the door within 20 minutes.
3) Bring cash. As stated above, there is an additional $ 3 fee if you use a card.
Good luck.

The shop is behind the 76 gas station, in the same lot.
After reading the bad reviews below, I know going in to be very polite to the Smog Test guy. You know, I want my $ 25 off coupon to be used. So I called in advance and he quoted me the price for my 1994 Nissan Altima, which has an extra charge cuz it is an old car. Other places were going to charge my car $ 70+ which is way too expensive for me. I went to the shop, waited for my turn, I was very nice to the gentlemen and always smiled to show in good faith how appreciative I am for him doing this way past closing. He even offered to help me find another smog cap cuz I was going to fail. He charged me the normal price of what he charges everyone, so I showed the cash first and then gave him the $ 25 off coupon, and he applied to coupon to my car.
Which totaled to be only $ 47 cash, which includes the certificate, smog test and the extra test for older cars.
Like I said before, I was really appreciative and so he was really nice to me. Definitely will go to him again.

I always go here. The other negative reviews are well founded, but one can successfully deal with this establishment if one gets a quotation that includes all of the little things one could be charged for. First of all, forget the cuopon. Get the price in advance. Make sure the following items are included.
1. Smog test
2. Certificate
3. Taxes
4. Credit card fees
Make sure the quote is for everything with no extras. The small Vietnamese owner is very fast and efficient and will honor his verbal agreement. He is also very proud so just accept his word and the price he puts on the work order that you have to sign before he does the test.
I always get a lower price from him than I can get anywhere else. I have a truck and the lowest out the door price I could find was 58 $. I told him he was further away, but I’d drive if he did it for 50.
He did, I did, I’m very happy. Another bonus is that he never seems to be busy, maybe I’m just lucky.
Update 7−29−15 I just took my truck there again for star service and got the lowest phone quote 50 $ complete including credit card, passed, took 15 minutes, no waiting, I love it

I called this place to make sure they could smog check a 2012 Jeep Wrangler because ez smog couldn’t do it. They assured me they could. He messed with it for 30 minutes and the nsaid sorry I cant do it. It would not shift out of first gear. The Jeep dealer said this is because they were shutting off the traction control improperly. What a big waste of time even after I called ahead to check.

I called for a quote without saying I had a coupon from the web site. I brought my car over, and the smog test was done within 15 minutes. When I handed the man my $ 20 coupon, he told me the price quoted was already discounted, and he would not accept the coupon. The price he had quoted me was competitive, so I told the man my only issue was that he didn’t tell me on the phone the price was already discounted. As long as you know to ask about the coupon, you can expect a decent service for a fair price.

Here’s a little Unilocal justice for everyone who’s ever been screwed over at this establishment.
The shop itself is behind a 76 gas station and car wash, which makes parking a little bit difficult sometimes, and a bit hard to find. But there are ample signs, so you’ll know where you’re going.
I tried getting a price quote by calling, but kept getting hung up on whenever I mentioned I had a coupon.
The man who runs the shop is very rude, very Asian, and a hard-​ass. The online coupons are only redeemable when you pay in CASH, which means I had to go and pull money out of the ATM in the 76 station. The coupons are also misleading because it is not $ 34.95, it is $ 44.99 for Trucks/​Vans/​and SUV’s a detail that is not mentioned on the coupon. Not to mention the certificate comes out to $ 8.25. When I tried to tell him that there was no indication of the upcharge fees, he got flustered and grabbed the coupon out of my hand, tore it, and told me that I could go somewhere else.
This was aggravating, but I’ve learned that the best way to deal with this type of prick, is be humble and kiss ass.
I told the man, that I wasn’t prepared for this, and didn’t have enough money. He told me that I can go get money at the ATM. I argued that he has a Visa and Mastercard sign on his window, but was informed that there is a $ 3 charge for using credit cards. I asked him if he could do it for $ 34.95 (instead of the $ 44.99) and then I’d just tip him really well. I also told him I was in a hurry (not really, it was raining and I didn’t want to stand around for that long).
He was pretty reluctant, but agreed when I showed him the cash I had (about $ 50), and said he’d have it done in 20 minutes.
20 minutes later, he gives me the keys to the car, my receipt for $ 43.20 (including the certificate), and just stuck out his hand for the money. (again, rude and barely professional) I counted out $ 43.20 to the penny, and handed it to him. He then got angry and told me that I had promised him a tip. I acted surprised and totally apologetic, and responded «Oh, of course. I forgot, I’m so sorry.» I then grabbed a stick of gum from my glovebox and handed it to him. «It’s double-​mint.» I smiled and drove off.

2 stars just because it got the job done.
No waiting area, I asked if there was a place to wait and he said no. So basically your standing outside with the sun directly at you!
I was also charged an extra $ 3 to use my credit card!
I can say I won’t go back to this place.

Friendly, efficient owner and staffers here. Truly an «in-​and-​out» smog test and certificate provider. VERY fast service. Clean shop and nice people. Recommend!