Dealership hit with $75k fine after tricking customers by putting ‘defeat devices’ in cars – as they violated strict act

A CAR dealership has been hit with a massive $75,000 fine after it was revealed that they had been tampering with the emission controls on diesel vehicles.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the dealership had been installing and selling parts known as “defeat devices” on many of their cars from 2017 to 2019.

Google Maps

Getty

In the EPA’s complaint against APlus Auto, located in Windham, Maine , the agency states that they have identified 60 instances over the two years where the dealership had tampered with vehicles .

In November 2021, the EPA announced that the company, located 57 miles outside of Augusta, had officially ceased all sales and installation of the parts.

“It’s important that pollution control systems are not altered so they continue to work as intended,” EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro told MaineBiz at the time.

“This action sends a clear message that tampering with emission controls on vehicles will not be tolerated. To ensure that we all have access to clean air, it is critical that vehicle repair facilities and truck owners comply with the Clean Air Act.”

APlus Auto did not immediately respond to the U.S. Sun’s request for comment.

A lawyer representing the auto company later told the outlet said the company had taken responsibility for their actions.

“We had been negotiating with the EPA even prior to the filing of the complaint,” APlus Auto’s lawyer, Leonard Sharon, told the outlet via email.

“Since July both myself and attorney Stewart Cables, a nationally known specialist regarding EPA violations, have been negotiating with a team of experts from EPA.”

According to Sharon, both Andrew Coppersmith and Andrew Lane, who own the company, have been cooperating with the agency.

“The company will continue to operate and are well aware of their obligations to abide by all standards set by the EPA regarding their work,” Sharon stated.

The EPA’s reduced fine is reportedly because the car dealership had seen a reduction in sales caused by the then-rampant covid-19 virus.

According to the Clean Air Act , tampering with a vehicle’s emissions is in direct violation of the act as the tampering results in an excess of pollutants being released into the atmosphere.

The act also forbids the manufacturing, selling, offering for sale and installation of parts that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems.

While many cars are still dependent on oil, several car companies are transitioning over to electric cars in order to help protect the environment .

WHAT CAUSED THE EPA'S LAWSUIT

The Maine-based car dealership was levied with a massive fine after the EPA claimed that it was installing parts that violated The Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency claimed in November that APlus Auto had been violating the 1970 Clean Air Act by installing parts in several of their vehicles which reduced the effectiveness of emission control systems.

According to the EPA, they managed to document 60 instances between 2017 and 2019 where cars sold at the dealership had been tampered with.

In November, the agency demanded the company pay $75,000 to make up for the violations.

“It’s important that pollution control systems are not altered so they continue to work as intended,” EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro said at the time.

Szaro added that the actions taken “sends a clear message that tampering with emission controls on vehicles will not be tolerated. To ensure that we all have access to clean air, it is critical that vehicle repair facilities and truck owners comply with the Clean Air Act.”

Volkswagon has already made several steps in the direction of producing affordable EVs.

The best-selling German brand announced that they planning on switching to a fully electric line and will be mostly getting rid of their petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid cars.

Volkswagon revealed Sunday that they would be releasing one more fuel-based vehicle before making the switch.

According to Auto Express , the company plans to release the new T-Roc is set to be released in the UK in 2025.

The news of the vehicle comes months after VW had scrapped its entire range of performance EVs.

Despite the news, VW claimed that it still planned to give many of its older models the EV treatment.