The landing happened around 7:30 p.m. after the pilot of a Beech G33 aircraft bound for John Wayne Airport reported the trouble.
The plane landed smoothly on the freeway, just south of the Del Mar Avenue offramp, according to the California Highway Patrol.
It was unclear how many people were on the plane, but no one onboard was injured, authorities said. No one on the freeway was injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident.