Templeton Smog had no problem charging me $80 for a failed smog test that was caused by a minor battery disconnection the weekend before my visit, which reset my monitors and lead to a failed check. I can tell they love collecting on such a situation. Sure, I wish I had code checked my own car to check for this problem and had thought it through. But alas, they caught me, charged $80, they win I lose, and I had to be back within two days (given my registration deadline and the lack of openings at other smog shops) where my car passed just fine. It sure would’ve been nice to see any gesture from them “ Hey car‘s been here for 15 minutes and we can tell it’s not going to pass so dude come back after you’ve driven your car more.” So be warned. Since they cannot be so considerate, I will not be back to Templeton Smog and will choose other shops that charge less in the first place and then have a little bit more grace for the customer experience.

Your Trusted T. from Templeton Smog & Service Center responded on 08/06/2026 10:06 AM

Believe what you want but we are absolutely not out to "gotcha" anyone. There is no way to tell if a vehicle will pass until the test is done. If the check engine light is on we will NOT run the test where a lot of other shops will. As I recall you do all your own repair work and are also aware that when you disconnect your battery it resets the vehicles computer. If you had mentioned the battery was disconnected we would have gladly checked the monitors before we tested it the first time. There is nothing different we could have done. Just because it didn't go you way doesn't mean we are inconsiderate. Sorry we couldn't make you happy Jeff. Good Luck!

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