Watchdog bans DPF deletion advert

Advertising Standards Authority rules that garages must clearly state the legal implications for drivers

Watchdog bans DPF deletion advert
Figures suggest that particulate pollution causes almost 29,000 deaths each year.

Garages advertising Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) removal services must clearly state that it is illegal to drive diesel cars with a removed DPF on public roads, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

It follows a complaint made to the ASA by Friends of the Earth about an online advert from a garage in Bristol which offered to remove DPFs.

The advert said: “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.”

A qualification was included at the bottom of the advert which stated: “*Our DPF removal service is sold for off-road use only”.

‘Misleading’

However, the ASA has concluded that this “was not sufficiently prominent to counter the overall impression that vehicles which had their DPF removed could be used on public roads” and banned the advert for misleading consumers.

Such adverts must make “immediately clear with sufficient prominence that it is illegal to drive such vehicles on a public road”, the watchdog adds.

It follows a reconfirmation by the Department for Transport (DfT) that it is developing “alternative methods of detecting the presence of particulate filters” for possible use in the MOT.

The ongoing research could see new methods of DPF detection introduced into the MOT as early as May 2017 when changes are to be made as part of a revised Roadworthiness Directive.

Do you advertise DPF removal services? Are you against such practices? Share your comments and concerns below.

12 Comments

  1. It is about time something was done about this issue. Very big problem in South Wales with companies removing DPF filters as they please with no regard for the customer come mot time and then the mot tester has to explain why the vehicle has failed.

    Reply
    • The other is issue is that it costs 100s of pounds to replace the dpf or clean it.

      Reply
    • Have you even read the article? The MOT tester has no way of knowing the inside of the DPF filter has been removed!!

      Reply
  2. It is about time something was done about this issue. Very big problem in South Wales with companies removing DPF filters as they please with no regard for the customer come mot time and then the mot tester has to explain why the vehicle has failed.

    Reply
    • The other is issue is that it costs 100s of pounds to replace the dpf or clean it.

      Reply
    • Have you even read the article? The MOT tester has no way of knowing the inside of the DPF filter has been removed!!

      Reply
  3. If their ad was misleading then where is the ban on the motor manufacturers ads that don’t even mention that such a device that can potentially cost over a grand to replace is even fitted to your car???

    Reply
  4. If their ad was misleading then where is the ban on the motor manufacturers ads that don’t even mention that such a device that can potentially cost over a grand to replace is even fitted to your car???

    Reply
  5. When buying a car with dpf it should be noted that all sales of these cars have to be explained to the customer on how to re-generate the dpf and how it works. if they are not told and this explained to them it will go into limp mode, and then it will cost a lot of money to put right, there should be a duty of care to tell buyers how it works and how to keep it clean.

    Reply
    • It’s all in the handbook that comes with the vehicles , the owners are the main problem as they don’t bother to read it

      Reply
  6. When buying a car with dpf it should be noted that all sales of these cars have to be explained to the customer on how to re-generate the dpf and how it works. if they are not told and this explained to them it will go into limp mode, and then it will cost a lot of money to put right, there should be a duty of care to tell buyers how it works and how to keep it clean.

    Reply
    • It’s all in the handbook that comes with the vehicles , the owners are the main problem as they don’t bother to read it

      Reply

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