As any vehicle owner in the state of California knows, you have to take your vehicle for a smog check whenever its registration is due. Smog inspection, often called an emissions inspection in other states, is the process of measuring how many pollutants your vehicle puts into the environment. It’s a law in California due to the amount of pollution in the state. And as a result of it being the law, there are many shops all over the state that cater to these inspections. So, how can you tell which is a good shop to take your vehicle to?
Look for Reviews
First and foremost, you’ll want to look for online reviews of a shop you’re considering. Like any business, reviews are important to auto repair shops because they are directly indicative of the shop’s service. Those businesses with poor reviews (3 stars or less) likely have issues with their service or how they treat customers. You’ll want to avoid these businesses and only look for 5-star reviewed shops in the area.
You can find reviews for a shop you’re interested by looking on Google, Bing, Facebook or Yelp. Any of these sites will inform you how the shop handles business and the smog check process.
Look for State Seals of Approval
Any shop that provides smog inspections in Sacramento will have an official seal of approval from the state. This is needed to show the shop is compliant with state laws and can administer the inspection for you. Without an official stamp of approval from the state, you can’t be sure if the smog inspection is legitimate.
Any shop that offers smog inspections should have something exhibited in its lobby. In most cases, this information will be located near the shop’s business license.
Go To A State Approved Shop
In addition to seeing an official seal of approval from California, you can also find approved shops from the DMV. DMV websites in California will provide information for you on where you can take your vehicle to be smogged. If it’s listed on the state’s site, you can bet that it is an approved shop.
Ask for References
If you’re still unsure about a shop that you are planning to take your car to, why not ask existing customers? If you have been referred to a shop by a friend or family member, ask them how their experience was. Was it easy to get the vehicle smog check completed and submitted to the DMV? Did the DMV successfully accept the results of the smog inspection? You may also ask the shop manager for references as well. However, given that most auto repair shops see hundreds of customers a week, it might be difficult for hte manager to find a reference for you.
What to Do If Your Vehicle Fails
Now that we know how to find a shop, what happens if the smog inspection fails? When the inspection fails, it simply means your vehicle is emitting too many pollutants into the air. The shop that performs the smog inspection will provide you with a list of what needs to be fixed and usually an estimate to fix it for you. If you prefer to fix issues yourself, the shop will hold onto the inspection and complete another inspection for you once repairs are made.
