The EPA Is Targeting Aftermarket Car Modifications
March 3, 2024
The EPA has provided some clarification about certain items it considers defeat devices. In a memo issued on November 3, 2020 it says “tuners” which “change the ECU… might be an illegal aftermarket defeat device, the use or installation of which might constitute illegal tampering.”
In that same memo, the EPA does let everyone know that there’s no point during the life of a car when tampering with the many emissions-related devices as defined by the agency is okay. Even if you pull the engine or other equipment from a vehicle that’s been wrecked, you still have to play by the rules as defined by the EPA or else.
The agency proudly trots out recent examples of its and the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts. One involves fining Borla $1,022,500 in 2022 for the sin of manufacturing and selling aftermarket exhausts designed for the removal of catalytic converters.
Big names in the aftermarket world have been caught in this squeeze, like Summit Racing, which settled for $600,000 last summer. Parts iD was hit for $500,000 while Keystone Automotive, the owner of Warn and other off-road brands, incurred a $2.5 million penalty.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Mobile Sources & Air Compliance & Enforcement is combing through Facebook Marketplace for illegally modified vehicles for sale. Agents reportedly have contacted the owners and threated them with fines, even jail time. So if you think your modified car sitting in your garage can fly under the radar, the noose is tightening and it might only be a matter of time before you’re targeted in some sting.
https://theautowire.com/2024/03/03/t...modifications/