All future tuner devices and tunes must be proven not to increase emissions above allowable levels
https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/
–>
by Brad Anderson
September 18, 2024 at 10:30
–> 
–>
- Cobb has manufactured and sold over 81,000 tuners for gas-powered vehicles to disable emissions controls or alter engine performance.
- The tuner also sold over 8,400 exhaust pipe upgrades that fall foul of the Clean Air Act.
- Cobb has been ordered to cease technical support for existing devices and deny future warranty claims.
There’s a very good chance you’ve heard of Cobb Tuning. For many years, the company has been marketing and selling ECU tunes and other performance upgrades for a dizzying array of vehicles, particularly Subarus. It claims its ‘Accessport’ device “is the world’s best selling, most flexible, and easiest to use ECU upgrade solution.” Turns out, Cobb’s been selling emissions ‘defeat devices’ that violate the Clean Air Act.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice have announced they’ve reached a settlement with the tuner to pay a civil penalty of $2.914 million for products it sells that bypass, defeat, or render emissions control systems inoperative. The only reason Cobb hasn’t been fined more is that it showed an inability to pay for a larger penalty amount.
Read: North Carolina Shop Fined $10M For Selling Diesel Emissions Defeat Devices
The EPA has revealed that since 2015, Cobb manufactured and sold over 81,000 tuners for gasoline-powered vehicles that change the computer programming inside a vehicle to disable emissions controls or alter engine performance. It also sold more than 8,400 exhaust pipes that either contained fewer three-way catalysts than the OEM systems or replaced these cats with aftermarket ones that were not as effective. Cobb’s systems work with BMW, Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, and VW models, among others.
A consent decree will force the Texas-based company to pay $2.914 million in four installments, plus interest, over three years. It’s claimed the firm’s systems resulted in increased emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants. The company must stop selling these devices and can only continue to sell tuners and tunes that have undergone an engineering evaluation and have been proven not to increase emissions above allowable levels.
It’s bad news for owners of vehicles with Cobb tunes, too. The company must force updates to end-users to remove emissions defeat features, cease providing technical support, and deny all warranty claims for any defeat devices. All Cobb employees must destroy any defeat devices they have.
Both the EPA and DOJ have come after several US-based tuners over the past year, but this is the most high-profile case involving defeat devices for gas-powered vehicles and not diesel trucks.
