The UK ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) has banned an advert by a Bristol based garage Avon Tuning advertising misleading (and illegal) DPF removal services. 

The advert as seen on the Avon Tuning website claims that their DPF removal service is a “cost effective” way of resolving DPF issues whilst also offering increased performance, Increased efficiency (MPG), Less turbo lag and Reduced maintenance costs.

In the December 2016 ruling, the ASA concluded on that this “was not sufficiently prominent to counter the overall impression that vehicles which had their DPF removed could be used on public roads”. The advert was therefore banned for misleading UK motorists.

The complaint, raised by Friends of the Earth claimed that their advert was misleading UK motorists reading “The only MOT regulation regarding the DPF is a simple visual inspection. As long as the DPF still appears to be fitted, the vehicle will pass the MOT visual inspection. Therefore we only remove the internal core, leaving the outer casing in place. The vehicle will appear to have a DPF fitted and will appear unmodified.” This has since been amended by Avon tuning.

Rather disappointingly, Avon can still advertise and carry out these services however the ASA have ruled that future adverts for DPF removal must make “immediately clear with sufficient prominence that it is illegal to drive such vehicles on a public road”. Avon Tuning will still be able to carry out the services even though it tampering with a vehicles emissions is illegal under UK law. 

Avon Tuning are still advertising this service with a revised statement reading, “Our DPF Removal service is sold for off-road use only. Removal of a DPF will almost invariably make your vehicle illegal for use on a public road. This is not legal advice and if you are unsure if this applies to your vehicle, please seek further advice.”

A spokesman for the Department for Transport (DfT) said: “The government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. Changes to the MOT test were implemented in 2014 to ensure that particulate filters are fitted where necessary and if not then the vehicle would fail the test. Alternative methods of detecting the removal or effectiveness of particulate filters are under development and we are examining their suitability for use in an MOT. Further research is required to ensure potential methods accurately determine a pass or fail.”

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Make no mistake that Avon Tuning isn’t alone in offering these illegal Diesel particulate removal services. A whole industry has grown up around this illegal and environmentally harmful service. We strongly suggest that you do not have your DPF removed in this manner.

We foresee that 2017 will usher in a way of detecting the removal of DPFs, leaving those who opted for the service with some mighty high bills and hopefully strong fines. 

You can view the ruling on the ASA website here – https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2016/12/Avon-Tuning-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_356800.aspx#.WGufsBuLSUk

Click for more on DPF removal and DPF cleaning

We won’t link to Avon Tuning’s page but Google will help you.

For more information on DPFs you might also like to check out the following pages