R103 Type Approval

UK Catalytic Converter Legislation

13th August 2009

We’re ready, are you?

The date has now officially been confirmed by the Department of Transport, for the replacement of catalytic converters to be Type Approved on vehicles registered after 1^st March 2001.

From this date it will be illegal to supply or install non-approved replacement catalytic converters to cars and light commercial vehicles first registered after 1st March 2001.

This represents a change from the originally intended critical date of 1st January 2001 in order to aid identification by simply applying to all “Y” plated vehicles onwards.

Contravention of the new law, by supplying a non-approved cat for such a vehicle can result in a fine of £5,000. The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) will enforce the new legislation and will purchase replacement catalytic converters in order to check that they are correctly Type Approved.

Why the change in law?

Vehicle manufacturers have fitted catalytic converters to all petrol cars since 1993. Since then, the replacement market for CATs has grown rapidly. Now the first wave of CATs designed to meet more recent and stringent emissions standards is starting to fail.

A CAT is a higher value item than an exhaust, but the difference in quality between a type-approved one and one which will cause problems is huge. Now that the new law has been passed, new replacement CATs intended for cars and light vans first used on or after

March 1st 2001 need to be type-approved in order to be legal. The law is based on EU legislation to improve air quality, so everyone needs to be clued-up on this now.

So the message is simple, avoid a £5000 fine by making sure you fit Type Approved Catalytic Converters on all vehicles registered on or after the 1^st March 2001, from the 13^th August 2009.

R103 Type Approval

We’re ready, are you?

The date has now officially been confirmed by the Department of Transport, for the replacement of catalytic converters to be Type Approved on vehicles registered after 1st March 2001.

Why the change in law?

So the message is simple, avoid a £5000 fine by making sure you fit Type Approved Catalytic Converters on all vehicles registered on or after the 1st March 2001, from the 13th August 2009.

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The date has now officially been confirmed by the Department of Transport, for the replacement of catalytic converters to be Type Approved on vehicles registered after 1^st March 2001.

So the message is simple, avoid a £5000 fine by making sure you fit Type Approved Catalytic Converters on all vehicles registered on or after the 1^st March 2001, from the 13^th August 2009.