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Tuning firm fined for fitting illegal exhausts

A car tuning company in the UK has been fined over £7k for advertising and fitting exhaust systems that make vehicles illegal for road use.

The Market Surveillance Unit of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) commissioned AET Motorsport in Wakefield
to fit an aftermarket exhaust system to a Ford Fiesta ST.

It found that a link pipe had been fitted in place of the catalytic converter – an immediate MOT failure – while the ECU remap retarded the ignition and caused higher than normal fuel flow off-throttle, generating the ‘pop bang’ effect. This increased the Fiesta’s drive-by noise emissions to 77dB, 2dB over the legal limit.

The DVSA said that AET Motorsport also failed to provide any warnings that the modifications were unsuitable for road use.

Christopher Dormand, head of the Market Surveillance Unit, said: “DVSA’s Market Surveillance Unit ensures vehicles, vehicle parts and vehicle accessories sold in the UK meet required specifications and are safe for people to buy.

“This investigation shows DVSA takes this activity seriously and we will continue to take strong action on offenders.”