Watchdog bans DPF deletion advert

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

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.