Spare Parts: Sales

The Department is committed to ensuring that vehicles meet relevant safety, environmental and construction standards, which are periodically updated. These have been important in reducing air and noise pollution from vehicles and improving vehicle safety.

Vehicle owners have relative freedom to modify their vehicles, subject to ongoing compliance with relevant standards. This includes stringent standards, known as type approval, which apply to aftermarket parts being placed on the market. Compliance is monitored by the Department’s Market Surveillance Unit based in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Current and past market surveillance activity includes targeted investigation of both illegal vehicle modifications in respect of exhaust replacement and of type approval and markings of aftermarket pollution control devices and silencers; part of the exhaust system. Prosecutions will be taken where there is sufficient evidence to do so.