Cobb Tuning Fined For EPA Infractions

The EPA called out Cobb’s sale of “defeat devices” that allowed buyers to bypass some emissions restrictions on their cars in a lawsuit back in 2022.

These largely consisted of Cobb’s popular Accessport ECU flash tools and some aftermarket exhausts. Cobb has just announced it has entered a settlement agreement with the agency, paying a fine totaling $2,914,000. The popular aftermarket parts company will also have to conform to rules set forth by the EPA. Among them include stipulations like removing and deleting features from tuning software, as well as forcing updates to end-users to remove them, and more. The full list of stipulations can be found below:

• Remove any delete features from its custom tuning software and, to the extent possible, force updates to end-users to remove the delete features;
• Destroy any defeat devices remaining in its possession;
• Cease providing technical support for any defeat device products;
• Deny all warranty claims for any defeat device products;
• Instruct authorized dealers to no longer provide technical support or honor warranty claims pertaining to any defeat device products;
• Revise all marketing materials to strike any information relating to replacing, defeating, bypassing, or rendering inoperative any emission control;
• Not sell or transfer any intellectual property associated with any defeat device products;
• Revise all marketing materials to strike any information relating to replacing, defeating, bypassing, or rendering inoperative any emission control;
• Notify authorized dealers and known customers of any defeat device products of the settlement using specified language that informs the authorized dealers and known customers that the products at issue violate the Clean Air Act;
• Notify Cobb Tuning’s officers and employees of the Clean Air Act prohibitions using specified language which explains the Clean Air Act’s defeat device prohibition;
• Request that Cobb Tuning’s employees forfeit any aftermarket defeat devices in their possession and require that its officers forfeit, permanently delete and uninstall, and destroy any aftermarket defeat devices in their possession;
• Require Cobb Tuning to offer to buy back any defeat devices possessed by Cobb Tuning’s employees, which Cobb Tuning must then destroy;
• Conduct a Clean Air Act compliance training for Cobb Tuning’s officers, employees, contractors, and consultants

In its announcement, Cobb stated the company’s full product lineup is compliant with the EPA, calling the settlement announcement “a formality.” The company’s release states that the changes required by the EPA have “been made for some time.” 

Current Cobb products also won’t be affected, so if you’ve recently purchased anything from the brand, fret not.

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