SAN FRANCISCO (June 1, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that Allied Exhaust Systems, Inc., doing business as Team Allied Distribution, has agreed to pay a $1.1 million penalty under the Clean Air Act for illegally selling aftermarket emissions-control defeat devices to individuals throughout the U.S. Vehicles are a significant contributor to air pollution, and aftermarket defeat devices that disable emission controls lead to even higher levels of pollution. This settlement is part of EPA’s National Compliance Initiative, which focuses on stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of defeat devices on vehicles and engines.

Team Allied Distribution, based in Benicia, Calif., sold more than 4,500 parts or components that bypass, defeat, or render inoperative motor vehicles’ technology developed by the original equipment manufacturer to reduce emissions.

“Aftermarket defeat devices violate U.S. law and exacerbate harmful air pollution, with negative consequences for public health” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is committed to enforce the law against businesses involved in these illegal and damaging practices.”

The practice of tampering with diesel and gasoline powered vehicles by installing defeat devices can enable large emissions of NOx and particulate matter, both of which contribute to serious health problems in the United States. These include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Respiratory issues disproportionately affect families, especially children, living in underserved communities overburdened by pollution.

To address this, EPA has developed a National Compliance Initiative that focuses on stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of defeat devices on vehicles and engines.

Learn more about the National Compliance Initiative: Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines.

If you suspect someone is manufacturing, selling or installing illegal defeat devices, or is tampering with emissions controls, tell the EPA by emailing tampering@epa.gov.

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