SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board today announced that K&N Engineering Inc. has agreed to a settlement totaling $521,000 to resolve violations of the California Health and Safety Code related to the advertising and sales of illegal aftermarket performance parts in California.

Air Resources Board investigators discovered that K&N Engineering, based in Riverside, Calif., sold performance parts that had not received exemptions from California’s emissions control system anti-tampering laws. California law prohibits the advertising, sales or installation of parts that modify vehicle emissions control systems unless they are proven to not reduce their effectiveness. Manufacturers of aftermarket and performance parts must follow a process to receive an Executive Order exemption where they prove that the parts do not reduce the effectiveness of these systems.

“The backbone of California’s clean air efforts is maintaining the integrity of emissions control systems on the millions of vehicles that travel our highways each day,” said ARB Enforcement Chief Todd Sax. “We treat seriously any manufacturer’s failure to show that their performance products do not harm the emissions reductions capabilities built into all newer cars.”

This settlement covers the illegal marketing and sales of performance parts in California by K&N from mid-2010 to mid-2013. The settlement of $390,750 will be paid to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which supports efforts to decrease air pollution through education and the adoption of cleaner technologies. The remaining $130,250 of the settlement will be directed to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which administers a program to clean up school bus fleets throughout the state.

Modified vehicles that no longer meet California's emission requirements pose a significant health threat to California residents. They create higher amounts of smog-forming pollutants, which can lead to increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations and premature deaths for adults. They can also lead to more emergency room visits for children with asthma.