Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Mon–Fri
Station type
Test & Repair
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Closed
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless
What to expect at Cardenas Auto Repair
Cardenas Auto Repair is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test & Repair smog station in Escondido, so it can run the inspection and, if your car fails, diagnose and fix it in the same shop. It is not STAR certified, so if your DMV renewal notice says "STAR Station Required" you will need a different station.
Walk-ins are welcome. Most smog checks take 15 to 30 minutes, and most visits are closer to 20.
What to bring
Your registration or DMV renewal notice
It says whether the car needs a STAR station.
The car, with the check engine light off
On a 2000-or-newer car, a lit check engine light fails the test on its own.
A way to pay
The $8.25 state certificate is paid on top of the test when the car passes, unless the station's price or coupon includes it.
What if I fail?
- Cardenas Auto Repair can diagnose and repair the problem in the same shop, then retest the car.
- Each station sets its own retest price, so ask before the first test.
- BAR's Consumer Assistance Program pays up to $1,450 toward emissions repairs for income-eligible owners.
2121 E Valley Pkwy Ste B, Escondido, CA 92027
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 6 PM
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Closed
Also listed on
Other stations near Cardenas Auto Repair
Nearby cities in San Diego County
Questions about Cardenas Auto Repair
Cardenas Auto Repair is open Monday 8 AM to 6 PM; Tuesday 8 AM to 6 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 6 PM; Thursday 8 AM to 6 PM; Friday 8 AM to 6 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Cardenas Auto Repair accepts Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless.
Google lists the following accessibility features at Cardenas Auto Repair: wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible parking, wheelchair accessible restroom.
Cardenas Auto Repair has held a BAR smog license since 2020. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Cardenas Auto Repair has not published a price on SmogCheckDeals. The Bureau of Automotive Repair puts the statewide average at $69.16 as of August 2026, about $65 for a 2000-or-newer vehicle and $73 for 1999-or-older, plus the $8.25 certificate fee. Call (760) 796-7551 for a quote.
Cardenas Auto Repair does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (760) 796-7551 to check the wait.
Staff at Cardenas Auto Repair speak English.
The closest alternatives in Escondido are Apex Smog (0.7 mi) and Eds Heavy Mobile Repair (0.8 mi). Both are listed further up this page with their ratings and hours.
How we get this data: BAR licenses and STAR status, Google hours and ratings, coupons published by the station.
Verify this station’s license and STAR standing at bar.ca.gov.
Own this shop? Add photos
BAR field office: San Diego • Licensed since 2020