Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Mon–Sat
Station type
Test & Repair
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 3 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Cash, Credit Card
What to expect at Cox Auto Service
Cox Auto Service is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test & Repair smog station in Vista, so it can run the inspection and, if your car fails, diagnose and fix it in the same shop. It is STAR certified, so it can test vehicles the DMV directs to a STAR station, including gross polluters.
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?
- Cox Auto Service 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.
1018 Service Place, Vista, CA 92084
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 3 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Also listed on
Other stations near Cox Auto Service
Ms Auto & Smog
1415 South Santa Fe Avenue
RC Auto & Smog
1410 S Santa Fe #b
Richards Automotive / AJ Smog And Automotive
707 South Santa Fe Ave.
Allens Auto
718 E Vista Way
North County Ford
450 W Vista Way
Nearby cities in San Diego County
Questions about Cox Auto Service
Cox Auto Service is open Monday 8 AM to 5:30 PM; Tuesday 8 AM to 5:30 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 5:30 PM; Thursday 8 AM to 5:30 PM; Friday 8 AM to 5:30 PM; Saturday 8 AM to 3 PM. Closed Sunday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Cox Auto Service accepts Cash, Credit Card.
Cox Auto Service has held a BAR smog license since 2012. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Cox Auto Service 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) 643-9111 for a quote.
Cox Auto Service does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (760) 643-9111 to check the wait.
Staff at Cox Auto Service speak English.
The closest alternatives in Vista are Ms Auto & Smog (0.3 mi) and RC Auto & Smog (0.3 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 2012