So says automotive reconditioning DPF Clean Team after a report in The Guardian that more than a thousand diesel vehicles were caught by the Government on the road without the essential DPF fitted.

The publication reports that not-for-profit organisation Clean Air in London says that tens of thousands and more likely hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles have been tampered with to circumvent MoT checks and save money.

Cameron Bryce, managing director of the firm, says that the only way to discourage people from illegally removing DPFs is to better enforce outlawing the practice and re-introduce spot checks, which were stopped in 2011. 

He commented: “Anyone who is advocating the illegal removal of DPFs, catalytic converters and silencer units is not only breaking the law but is misleading motorists too. It may seem a cheap and quick option, but it is costing them money in the long run. Not only is it invalidating their insurance, but it often damages other parts of the vehicle too. Removal of these components does not address some of the wider issues that have caused blockage, such as a faulty temperature or pressure sensor, faulty glow plugs or a failed exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve.” 

DPF Clean Team added that it is still coming across tradespeople who are offering DPF removal as a service and believes that the law regarding removal needs to be better enforced and taken more seriously. 

“While it’s good to see the government taking action against DPF removal, what we really need to see is the return of spot checks on the road, greater enforcement and a better system for MOT checks, rather than basic visual inspection. Motorists everywhere need to know there are options such as professional cleaning and aftermarket replacements, which are not only far more cost effective and legal, but can treat all the other issues surrounding DPF blockage that removal often fails to address,” Cameron Bryce concluded.