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Industry warns of ‘defeat devices’ and low‑cost counterfeit converters; BAR urged to coordinate with EPA and customs
Summary
Manufacturers told BAR the market is flooded with O2‑sensor spacers and cheaply made aftermarket catalytic converters sold online; presenters urged BAR to press EPA, customs and online retailers for enforcement and said these devices make inspections harder and undercut legitimate producers.
Kevin Brown of the Manufacturers of Emission Control Association told the Bureau of Automotive Repair advisory group that two separate market threats are reducing legitimate after‑market converter sales and complicating in‑use enforcement.
Brown described oxygen‑sensor extenders and spacers — marketed under many names — that physically remove the sensor from full exhaust flow or alter the exhaust path so the sensor reports artificially low emissions. “That’s the way these devices work. And they are a defeat device. They are not a legitimate fix for vehicles,” he said, describing small internal catalyst elements with far less precious metal than legitimate converters. He said the parts can be bought online for a few dollars and are widely available — sometimes through large national retailers’ third‑party listings.
Brown also described an apparent fraud pattern in which non‑compliant catalysts are fitted or the original converter core is removed and replaced with a low‑value insert wrapped inside the OE shell; one member’s teardown showed a wrapped catalyst worth under $50 sold as a roughly $800 repair. He said those practices both defraud consumers and remove high‑value OE cores from the reverse‑supply chain.
Advisory members asked whether BAR will change smog inspection protocols (for example, lifting vehicles, removing underbody covers, or clarifying how 'visible' components must be) to detect spacers and cheap converters. Kevin Brown recommended a national enforcement approach: have EPA deem the extenders defeat devices, coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop imports, and pressure online marketplaces to remove listings. BAR staff said the bureau is studying regulatory analogues (counterfeit‑airbag work) and will discuss options with CARB and federal partners.
Public commenter Jerry, a longtime instructor, urged adding a specific oxygen‑sensor category to BAR’s inspection software to prompt technicians to look for extenders and recommended reminders to watch for welded or altered converter shells. BAR staff said they will take the training and OIS/UI suggestions under advisement.
