Roush Saleen accused of illegally modifying cars

[s351rspeedster]

....an article in the Orange County newspaper this morning. The scan quality was terrible of the newspaper and I couldn't find it online so I retyped it in word format:

Irvine firm accused of illegally modifying cars

Automaker pays settlement without admitting wrongdoing.

An Irvine auto manufacturer has agreed to pay $700,000 after being accused by state air-quality officials of making illegal modifications to car engines to boost their performance.
Saleen, Inc., agreed to the settlement of an administrative action by the state Air Resources Board that might otherwise have led to a lawsuit. But company officials did not admit wrongdoing, said Saleen’s attorney, Jock Marlo.
The state board accused the company of modifying new cars in 2004 and 2005 to increase the cars’ performance, some by using nitrous oxide.
The modified cars were no longer certified by the state, but were sold for use or registration within the state anyway, the Air Resources Board contended.
The company modified 127 cars, 38 of which are being recalled, Air Resources Board officials said.

 

[saleenster]

intresting

 

[JLM]

Robert:

Did the story indicate which model was involved? The Focus was the only car they promoted as having/being Nitrous ready.

Larry
97-0183

 

[s351rspeedster]

Robert:

Did the story indicate which model was involved? The Focus was the only car they promoted as having/being Nitrous ready.

Larry
97-0183

Larry,
The article doesn't mention what model vehicle it is referring too. The article is on page 2 of the Local section of today's newspaper. The last paragraph mentioned that 127 cars were modified, which I'll bet was the number of Focus that were built between 2004 and 2005. I didn't even think about the N20 until you just mentioned it. I was wondering why it mentioned nitrous oxide as I know they never used a NOS system on the mustangs.....

 

[K'Dash]

The Saleen nitrous system is not CARB legal. That is why they got hit.

 

[SVT Saleen]

If this is indeed related to the N2O Focii, then I don't understand wherein lies the violation. From all that I know about the nitrous systems installed by Saleen to their S121 Focus models, they never actually hooked up the solenoids nor filled the bottle therefore the nitrous system was inoperable as produced & delivered to the dealer. It was expressly stated that it was the final customer's responsibility to complete the system installation by hooking up the solenoids & filling the bottle.

This smells to me like yet another of those self-serving technicalities created out of whole cloth by the poltroons in Sacramento in an attempt to shake down businesses for allegedly violating CARB regulations. Considering this was settled for $700K confirms that all the state wanted was the $$$.

 

[marcus95]

uh huh

ok, here. It has to be the Focus.

 

[s351rspeedster]

ok, here. It has to be the Focus.

......Marcus,
Thanks for posting the digital picture of the article, your alright in my book!

 

[deezbluballz]

As far as I knew it wasn't functional till you completed the install. Something you had to wire up. I went with a 2004 SVT back in the day, Saleen N2O was a pricey thing. So how come they got in trouble, if it wasn't hooked up completely?

 

[JLM]

A few more details from CARB -



Release 07-34
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2007
Leo Kay
(916) 322-2990
Karen Caesar (626) 575-6728
www.arb.ca.gov


Air Resources Board Announces $700,000 settlement with
Saleen, Inc., for sale of uncertified cars
SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board recently reached a $700,000 settlement with auto manufacturer Saleen, Inc., of Irvine, Calif., for selling vehicles not certified to California regulations, which can affect tailpipe emissions and negatively impact air quality.

"We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent to others who may be planning to profit by selling uncertified vehicles," said Lynn Terry, ARB acting executive officer. "California vehicles are designed to be the cleanest in the nation. Tampering with emission control systems to enhance speed and performance can increase smog-forming emissions, which is especially harmful in areas such as Southern California where smog continues to exceed state and federal air quality standards."

During 2004 and 2005, Saleen acquired new motor vehicles (defined as having an odometer reading of 7,500 miles or less), modified and later sold them for use or registration in California, despite the fact that due to those modifications, they were no longer certified.

During its investigation, Air Resources Board staff found three Ford vehicle models modified by Saleen without ARB certification. The vehicles in violation are the 2004 and 2005 N2O, based on the Ford Focus, which was modified to be able to use nitrous oxide to boost performance; the 2004 and 2005 S121, also based on the Ford Focus; and the 2005 S281, based on the Ford Mustang. More than 100 vehicles were affected.

Under the terms of the settlement, to sell or use the N2O models in California, Saleen is required to recall and reconfigure them to a certified condition; that recall is currently underway. The other models were ultimately certified for use in California.

To protect yourself, the Air Resources Board suggests that vehicle purchasers verify the legality of any vehicle modifications, especially those that claim to improve performance or fuel economy. To assist consumers, the ARB maintains a webpage dedicated to aftermarket parts and modification information. There is also a toll-free assistance line at 800 242-4450.

All monies are being paid to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which was established to mitigate various sources of pollution through education and the advancement and use of cleaner technology. This fund uses compliance settlement fees to support various pollution-related research projects and related programs. The Legislature controls the use of the Air Pollution Control Fund through the annual Budget Act.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.


Interesting they referred to both the 2004 & 2005 N2O cars and the 2005 S-281.

Larry
97-0183

 

[marcus95]

Thanks Larry for sharing.


Yea, do you remember that "ringer" S281 N/A that one of the magazines took to the smog check staion while the press car was in their posession?

It is directly related to that "mistake".