A UK aftermarket car tuner has been fined for fitting a car with a ‘pop bang’ exhaust – the first such case of its kind that could lead to the equipment being banned entirely.
AET Motorsport Ltd based in Wakefield, was ordered to pay £7234, including costs, for fitting a Ford Fiesta with an illegal straight pipe exhaust – coupled with an ECU remap to allow higher fuel flow off-throttle – to create the ‘pop-bang’ effect.
This pushed the Fiesta’s noise levels to 2dB over (77dB) the legal limit. The installation of the new pipe meant the catalytic converter was removed – this increasing emissions and is an MOT fail.
An investigation from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) found that the firm was advertising illegal alterations to vehicles “likely to be used on the road”.
In sentencing, magistrates told the company that this case was a lesson that any business owner has an obligation to know what the law is.
The DVSA promised to keep up the hunt, stating in its case files: “We will continue to investigate defective or unsuitable vehicle parts being supplied during 2024.”
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