Illegal Car Mods Warning

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Is that mod on your car illegal? Here's one lawyer's answer to what's legal and what's not when it comes to being creative with your car.

Modifying your car is one of the pleasures of car ownership. Whether your mods are for improved performance, such as upgrading the exhaust, intake, or suspension; giving it a better sound with an aftermarket audio system or an exhaust that makes your engine sound sportier and more aggressive; or some personalization to make your car unique with aesthetic mods like a custom paint jobs or new wheels, modifying your vehicle can be a satisfying experience.

However, it is easy to get carried away with a mod you may have seen in a movie or at a custom car show that seems like a good idea to try, but in the real world (or the township you reside in), such mods are considered a bad idea…if not outright illegal.

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Basic Reasons Making Some Car Mods a Bad Idea

Safety Concerns: At the top of this list, safety concerns are a good rule of thumb when considering a car modification. Ask yourself: "Will this mod make the vehicle less safe to drive or be a risk to the public?"

Warranty Voiding: Many car manufacturers void warranties if significant modifications are made to the engine or electrical systems.

Insurance Problems: Modifications can affect your car insurance. Some mods may increase your premiums, while others might make it harder to get coverage. Check with your agent before having a mod done to avoid voiding your policy in the case of a claim.

Resale Value: Excessive or highly personalized mods can make it difficult to sell the car and/or will more likely reduce its resale value rather than increase it.

Legal Issues: Many car modifications are illegal or restricted depending on the area in which you live and can result in fines and/or impounding of your vehicle.

Is My Car Mod Illegal?

As mentioned above, modifying your car does have potential drawbacks like attracting the attention of law enforcement resulting in legal trouble, insurance complications, and reduced safety or reliability.

That was the message in a recent episode of the Real Mechanic Stuff YouTube channel, in which the host introduced a lawyer to inform viewers which mods are legal and illegal in some jurisdictions.

The value of the video (aside from its humor) is that there are some surprising mods you would swear must be illegal but are not. The flip side is that there are common mods you see every day and think they must be legal...but are not.

Follow along with the host and guest and find out which mods are okay and not okay in the eyes of the law.

If you do not have time to watch the video, a summary of what is legal and what is not is provided immediately below the video for your convenience.

Real Lawyer Reacts to Illegal Car Mods

LEGAL AND ILLEGAL CAR MODS SUMMARY

Legal (usually):

  • Lowering Your Vehicle: Dropping the frame or altering the suspension to where your car is barely off the road (and with chamfered wheels for that cool look) is legal in most places. However, if LE sees your vehicle dragging and scraping the road, causing damage, you can be ticketed for lowering your ride too much. Some jurisdictions consider extreme lowering or lifting of a vehicle a safety violation and may ticket you for it.
  • Spinning Wheels or Adaptors: Even a Ben Hurr-style chariot spinner can be legal (in the sense there is no specific statute against it) depending on where you live, but it does open you up to a liability lawsuit if someone is injured. In addition, be forewarned that many places outlaw them, mostly because the visual effect can cause cars nearby to think you are moving and result in an accident.

Illegal (always):

  • Windshield Tinting: Special tinting wraps placed on the windshield are a safety hazard for the driver, for pedestrians, and for LE.
  • Muffler Whistle Tips: A piece of metal with a hole in the center welded near the end of the exhaust pipe creates an annoying whistling sound; So annoying that California created a specific law against having them on your car.
  • Intentional Exhaust Popping: Exhaust popping is simply getting excess fuel into your exhaust that, when ignited, will cause an explosion just like you've seen or heard old cars with timing problems backfire. While LE will not likely hand you a ticket for engine backfires, if it is intentional by using a timing controller (or, in older cars, slight distributor rotating to throw off the timing), you could be ticketed.
  • Flame Thrower Kit Mods: Two types: One type will throw out 6 to 24-inch flames from your exhaust, and the other type will throw larger 3-6 feet (or more) flames. In most places, this will be illegal, the least of which is because you will have to alter your exhaust system with a mod involving injecting fuel from your gas tank into the exhaust pipe, where it is lit by a spark plug installed in the exhaust as an igniter. The concern is you will seriously injure or burn someone to death with it.
  • Altering Someone Else's Car: As the guest lawyer stated, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes." Even putting a bumper sticker as a joke on someone's car is considered vandalism and will earn you a ticket, let alone doing anything without permission to a car that is not yours.
  • Hiding Your License Plates: Whether it is using a reflective cover on the plates to make it difficult to read the ID or a James Bond-style plate flipper, any obstructing modifications to a license plate are illegal everywhere.
  • Installing a fake catalytic converter: A straight pipe exhaust disguised as a catalytic converter (essentially a cat delete) to fool a car inspection. This is always illegal due to environmental regulations related to cars.
  • Making Your Car a Light Show: Modifying your car's taillight or brake lights to create a cool looking light show is asking for trouble on the road. Such light shows can be distracting to other drivers and if certain colors (like red or blue) reserved for emergency vehicles are used, it can lead to confusion. Wheel lights fall under this, as well as "Underglow neon lights" which are illegal in some areas for the same reasons.

A Final Note: If you're serious about modifying your car, check local laws, research the mod thoroughly, and be sure you have the tools and skillset to make the modification. The most trouble car owners get into with a mod are those in which they are attempting to tie into the electrical system. Today's cars have voltage-sensitive sensors that can trigger engine codes and affect how your car performs when the owners attempt to add on some aftermarket accessories.

For additional articles related to the things some car owners do to their cars, here are a few for your consideration:

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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