San Carlos Service

I saw their coupon for a smog check in a newspaper and thought I would check them out. The owner was friendly and the time he said it would be done, was correct. Smog check and the certificate came to be about $ 35.

Ben and team are the best! My family has been going to him for years, and he just fixed up my Honda Accord after it had an issue with its ignition coils. Ben is quick, communicates well, and charges fair prices for his services. i would highly recommend Ben to anyone– you will be in good hands!

Visited San Carlos Service for a SMOG check yesterday.
Called them in the AM, Ben was cordial and super helpful. He ran the SMOG the same evening without an appointment, and even extended the discount coupon that was published by the workshop in the local newspaper (which I did not have!!).
Remember this is a STAR certified SMOG shop and not just any average SMOG station!
Amazing service, very polite and cordial people!
I would certainly recommend San Carlos Service to my friends!

called them on a saturday for a last minute smog check. told me to come down, gave me a great deal and had it taken care of in under 30 minutes. very professional.

Quick, efficient, and friendly… also a great deal coupon used from sm daily journal.

I recommend San Carlos Service for a number of reasons. The most important reasons are: the service is timely (even when I drop off the car without an appointment); prices are reasonable and fair; and Ben and his staff are always friendly and helpful. Ben is a very empathetic and caring man. For example, when I was in the hospital, my daughter received a free oil change. The group at San Carlos Service provides dependable and reasonably priced service.

I am getting ready to take my car in for an oil change and I couldn’t recall what time Ben opens. I was surprised to see less than 5 stars so I read the reviews. I am not sure if Stella was having a PMS day or is twisting the facts. I have been going to San Carlos Service for years. Ben and his team have been very knowledgable and fair. Part of the reason I hold off on buying a new car is because I know that Ben and his crew take such good care of me and will not try to rip me off. As a single woman, that’s saying a lot.

Been here twice. Once a couple years ago, and today for something else. Ben (the owner) was very honest and friendly. I’ll be taking my car back to him for service in the future.

We have been using San Carlos Service as our primary mechanic for five years — 3 vehicles all Fords (father-​in-​law is former Ford). What compels me to write is that this is a quality garage and they deserve (albeit delayed) a shout-​out.
There are two aspects that stand out beyond the quality of their work and friendly service. Both are related to integrity: (1) When they can’t or shouldn’t be hired to fix something they say so, and (2) when a job is beyond their scope of support, excellent referrals are provided.

I refer to San Carlos Service as «my mechanic» to friends & family. I have taken both of my cars, a 1992 Ford Explorer XLT and 1997 Acura Integra GS-​R, there several times over the past few years. Ben, the owner, is usually the person who answers the phone and handles customer service. My Explorer is almost 20 years old now, and I simply want to keep it running. Ben understands this and is able to work with me to identify and prioritize repairs based on my preferences (i.e. it doesn’t have to run like a clock, it just has to run safely). After working on my brake pads/​rotors, air conditioning, clutch, wheel bearings, power steering, and tracking down a mysterious fluid leak, I know I can trust Ben’s word and work. There are a couple of issues that we are keeping an eye on because the fix would be very expensive and Ben knows I’m tight on money with a young family to feed on my single income.
Ben is such a great guy that today, when I called about bringing in the Explorer for some air conditioning work, I mentioned that my brake lights stopped working yesterday. Ben quickly ran down the systems I could check on my own as he knows I am interested in doing my own repairs if possible. With his encouragement and a copy of the shop manual I got off ebay, I was able to repair my brake light switch all by myself.
On another occasion, my heater was malfunctioning because the fan would only blow on high, but not on low or medium. The Integra was already in the shop getting some clutch work done, and I mentioned the blower problem to Ben. Ben printed out a circuit diagram, handed it to me, and said that I should take a look at the blower switch behind the glove box. He even told me how to test the switch with a multi-​meter! At home I tested the switch, confirmed it was broken, bought a new switch at the local auto parts store, and installed it myself. Problem fixed.
Finally, Ben repaired my A/​C system including installing a new compressor and new coolant back in December. He told me at the time that if I find the A/​C not blowing cold enough in July/​August to bring the Explorer back. I brought it back because it wasn’t blowing cold enough in August, and sure enough, Ben took care of it right away. There was no charge. A/​C works great now.
San Carlos Service is busy enough that it normally takes 1 – 2 days for them to see my car.

An update — this is ridiculous that when people write positive reviews about this business, another Unilocaler says it is suspicious — and immediately has them flagged. Someone needs to get a life besides Unilocal.
Just because one person had a bad experience, doesn’t mean that everyone’s is bad; otherwise this place wouldn’t be in business.
I do not write about all my experiences at different companies (because I don’t have this much time on my hands). However, I will write about a business that I have patronized for over 8 years with receipts to show for it; especially when someone else is making disparaging comments about people who have has good experiences there.
This is why Unilocal is a joke — if someone doesn’t pay Unilocal to be a sponsor, they will take all the good reviews and filter them.

A long-​time Unilocal consumer, I’ve never written a review before but was compelled to do so after reading Stella B’s scathing entry. I simply had to say how wholeheartedly I disagree. I’ve been taking my cars to San Carlos Service for almost 10 years now and will continue to do so, recommending them to anyone who will listen (in fact, my 2003 BMW is there now).
I first met Ben & his team when my ’94 Acura threw a rod late one Friday night coming home from a company function. The tow truck driver (near Palo Alto) recommended Ben so I had the car towed to his shop. This repair usually requires a new engine, but Ben brought my car back from the brink, quickly & for the lowest cost possible. From that moment on he has been my mechanic, handling all repairs large & small, and not once has he tried to upsell or overcharge me. He even found me a new emblem when someone stole mine off the Beemer.
Currently I’m dealing with a significant electrical issue with the BMW which has caused a chain of issues. Ben has a network of mechanics with whom he trades services & expertise — such as Bimmer, a local body shop and a transmission specialist; and this network has been hugely valuable for my current car issues. I experience the same professionalism, fair pricing & VIP treatment I get from San Carlos Service when sent there by Ben.
If it sounds like this review has been written by a friend, it’s because Ben and his team treat their clients like friends and neighbors. They provide a level of customer service usually only found in small towns. They’ve always gone the extra mile to work around my crazy schedule, help me with pick-​ups & drop offs, and I’ve repeatedly seen them work with customers on payment plans (even first-​hand) when necessary.
I wish all service providers were this respectful, capable and reliable!

Ben writes: «In response to this review, all I can say is I’m at a loss. In my recent memory we have had no complaints or dissatisfied customers that would match this persons description.»
_​_​_​_​
Of course you do not remember, but I can promise you that it happened. I would not go out of my way to target a business that did nothing wrong.
And now all of a sudden, Bens customers read his Unilocal reviews and feel the need to write about him? — and these reviews are first time reviews and all pretty much during the same week. A little suspicious… but all in all, I dont care what anyone writes… Unilocal is to write reviews, and that is what I did based on my experience. Im not a one time Unilocaler who came on here to defend or criticize a business like some of these other reviews.

Best smog shop in the Bay Area. I have an older grey market Mercedes that several other shops were unable to get into compliance. Ben diagnosed the problem and made the repair — and it didn’t cost me an arm or a leg. When I bought an older Toyota truck for my son, it also didn’t pass. Took it straight to Ben, and once again he diagnosed and repaired in a timely manner. His prices are very reasonable — you might think you will save a few bucks going to one of the «Smog Pro» type places, but Ben’s basic smog check is just as reasonable, and if there’s a problem he will be able to repair it, whereas you’re out of luck at the other places.

I walked in one afternoon and asked a few questions regarding a nagging engine light that keeps coming on. The owner of the shop, Ben, was so nice and helpful. I made an appoitment to have them repair the issue and the service there was top notch.
As a woman taking my vehicle into a mechanic in the past has sometimes been a stressful experience as often I have found they try to sell repairs to me that I know I don’t need. I never felt that way at San Carlos Service. Ben informed me everystep of the way on all possible costs and options.
Someone from the shop even phoned me a week later to ensure all was well with the repair. Now that is awesome customer service!!! Five star rating on the vehicle service and on customer care.

Great service! Made my smog test quick and painless. Staff is really friendly and the smog test was inexpensive compared to other service shops. I would highly recommend this place!

Brought my 1970 Ford Mustang into his shop a couple of months ago for a new starter and alt.(which i provided)…$ 390 later and a sore backside from «all the labor» I bring my car home and notice all the emblems are missing from my car. I call Ben and tell him what happened and his response was «it couldn’t be my guys that did it, because their all chevy guys» I don’t get an offer to pay for the missing parts even though they went missing while at his shop. Hell i didn’t even get an apology. I’m sure his shop is great at smogs (according to the other reviews) but i wouldn’t bring any of my cars there again.

Dropped by the shop to get a smog done but found it was closed. As luck would have it Ben showed up to get something before heading north to spend the day with family. This was extremely fortunate for me because he offered to delay his plans and take care of me. Good guy, very pleasant, had the job done in less than 20 minutes.

My Previa «failed» a smog test at another shop because the mechanic didn’t know much about the timing control on my engine and wrote it off as malfunctional. So he sent me over to San Carlos Service whose owner, Ben, is a friend of his, so that I could find out what was wrong with my van.
Ben was busy working on other cars when I got there, but he was nice enough to take a moment to look at my engine. In just a few seconds he determined that the other mechanic made an incorrect assumption about my vehicle timing. Ben called the other guy and let him know that there was nothing wrong with my van. After that, I went back and had no problems passing my smog test.
Though my experience at San Carlos Service was short, I would recommend the place to anybody needing auto repair. Ben proved to be knowledgeable, kind, and honest. He didn’t even charge me a cent for looking at my car! Most mechanics would try to nickel-​and-​dime you for any work they do. Ben seems like the kind of person who would do a good job because he genuinely cares about people.

We found San Carlos Service on their website at
. There was a coupon for a discounted smog check that we printed out, and brought in. While we were there, we told the owner (Ben) that our van also needed an oil change. No problem — he and his crew are fast, and get the job done right! Didn’t have to wait long, and our van is running like a champ. Best service on the Peninsula!