OMG! (read: Oh My GretaThunberg) This was bound to happen. At a time when the world is moving towards creating a cleaner and greener environment, Diesel Brothers were breaking rules left and right by tampering with the emission equipment on a trucks without giving a damn about the repercussions. Wait, you know who Diesel Brothers are, right?

For the uninitiated, there’s a reality show on Discovery Channel that goes by the name “Diesel Brothers” wherein a trio of mechanics build and sell diesel trucks. While building them, however, the ‘brothers’ were removing the pollution control equipment from the trucks to bypass emission controls. As it turns out, a lawsuit was filed against them to tune of over two million dollars, and now, they are in deep, deep sh*t.

Why Were the Diesel Brothers Sued?

The lawsuit was filed by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment against the three pollution-fanatics from the show - David Sparks, Joshua Stuart, and Keaton Hoskins. The lawsuit was filed back in 2017 and they have been on Diesel Brothers’ ass since then. The UPHE even purchased a modified truck from them and sent it to EPA for testing.

The plaintiff pointed out that the trio was clearly violating the Clean Air Act and that it was even happening on Television. The defendants pled guilty to the suit against them, but argued that most of the trucks were sold out of Utah, so this isn’t a Utah problem.

How Much Do the Diesel Brothers Have to Pay?

The Diesel Brothers were fined $851,451 for the “crime” they’ve been committing - violating the clean-air act.> The Diesel Brothers argued that they earn merely $1,500 on every truck they sell. What about TV rights, guys? Court records show that David Sparks alone was paid $482,000 by Discovery from 2016 through 2018. He is also building a 7,500 square-foot house for himself. Not to mention, Diesel Brothers own many other corporate entities, plus a helicopter and two airplanes. The Judge didn’t rule in their favor, and in fact, directed the defendants to also pay the plaintiff’s legal fees – about $1.2 million – along with the fine. So, that adds up to around $2 million for polluting the air for years together now. Was it worth it?

Does the Diesel Brother's Lawsuits Create a Case for Other Entities to Be Sued?

This should serve as a big notice to all the other companies out there doing the same. As Car and Driver reported, a company called H&S Mini Maxx DPF delete tuner "gives you the ability to remove all emission components and sensors without setting diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) or a check-engine light." They don’t just give you the books; they also teach you how to cheat on the exams without getting caught.

A Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), is one of the “devices” they remove in their builds. According to Sparks, the DPF gets clogged after driving the truck for 20,000 or 30,000 miles. It takes anywhere between $5,000 to 10,000 dollar to fix it. “Whereas to bypass that, you’re 500 to 1,000 bucks,”. “The vehicle runs better and gets better mileage, creating more power—that’s why people are interested in taking those off.” he said.

Someone asked a question on DieselTruckProducts.com - Will my truck pass emissions with a DPF delete tuner? The blog responded by saying, “If your state requires a visual inspection (California & New York) and you have removed the DPF, CAT or EGR you will NOT pass. All other states; it's suggested that you run the tuner on the lowest power level while testing. If your truck is in good mechanical condition, 99% of the time you will pass.” Aren’t these guys scared of the law?

Final Thoughts

It’s quite baffling that a well-reputed channel was endorsing such a show. Now, it needs to be seen if Discovery will cut ties with these guys, or will the trio turn into green-saints and continue doing their thing without breaking the law. What are your thoughts about this whole incident? Share them with us in the comments section below.