Smog Bros. approaching 10-year anniversary in Fallbrook

The fact Smog Bros. is approaching its 10-year anniversary of doing business in Fallbrook tells you owners Moe El Farra and Josue Gonzalez are doing something right besides making sure vehicles aren’t polluting the air and harming the environment.

El Farra and Gonzalez are longtime Fallbrook residents and longtime friends who opened Smog Bros. in 2007. They have amassed a loyal following through the years by providing quality customer service.

Gonzalez is very blunt in describing his business philosophy.

“Treat people with respect and try not to be that jerk that everybody talks about,” said Gonzalez. “In this town, word of mouth is the best form of advertisement.”

Gonzalez admits that dealing with the public can be trying at times, especially when someone is disappointed and upset that their vehicle failed the smog test.

“We occasionally get cussed out,” said Gonzalez, who does his best to explain to the customer why their vehicle didn’t pass. “With all the new rule changes by the state – and they’re still changing – it can be really hard to explain to customers why there is a certain test, or why you can’t do this or that.”

El Farra knows taking your car in for a smog check isn’t on anyone’s favorite-things-to-do list, but he wants people to understand its importance.

“You go to some countries and you can’t even walk down the street because the air is so bad,” said El Farra. “It’s actually a great program. It’s helped a lot. It does make a big impact getting bad cars off the road.”

Gonzalez said the best thing you can do to prepare your vehicle for a smog test is to drive it regularly.

“Drive it, drive it, drive it, and keep up on the maintenance,” said Gonzalez. “Oil change is the biggest impact on the vehicle. Cars that have extremely low mileage tend to have a lot harder time passing and a lot more problems because they’re not made to sit around forever.”

Smog Bros. is a “test only” center that performs smog checks on all types of vehicles, including recreational and gross polluters. Located at 418 W. Aviation Rd, the shop is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Appointments can be made by calling (760) 731-7558.

“I have no idea why, but Monday is always the busiest day,” said El Farro. “Lunch time is also busy.”

Customers can relax in an air-conditioned waiting room while their vehicle is being tested at Smog Bros., which is also a designated U-Haul rental center.

In California, vehicles are required to be smog checked every two years. Gonzalez said he enjoys his biennial visits with customers.

“It’s actually a really fun job,” said Gonzalez. “When you get those good customers and those days when everyone is on the same page and you just kind of shoot the bull, the day goes by very fast.”

Smog Bros. is currently offering Village News readers a $10 discount on a smog check – look for the coupon in the paper. For more information about Smog Bros., visit www.smogbros.com.