California Air Resources Board

The Los Angeles City Attorney Settles with Joe's Muffler on Behalf of ARB for $12,500

In a joint investigation conducted by Air Resources Board (ARB) and the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), it was discovered that Joe's Muffler and Brake, located in Los Angeles, was installing non-exempt aftermarket catalytic converters on OBDII equipped vehicles. A search of records was done at Joe's and it was found that in a six-month period, Joe's had installed 86 illegal converters on OBDII vehicles. BAR ran an undercover vehicle into Joe's with a defective converter and Joe's installed an illegal converter on this vehicle.

The case was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and in January 2004, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office (LACA) finalized the settlement with Joe's Muffler on behalf of ARB and the BAR. The owner of Joe's Muffler and Brake pled guilty to violation of seven counts of the California Vehicle Code Section 27156 and to violation of one count of Business and Professions Code Section 17500. The owner was ordered to pay fines of $9,600, and he must pay ARB $1,600 for investigative costs and BAR $1,300 for their costs. In addition, the consumers that can be contacted will be receiving restitution, and he will be on three years probation.

Return to 2004 Case Settlements