Smog checkers used device to keep smog-spewing cars on the road: LAT
A group of 12 Californians is facing criminal charges after state officials say they found a way to cheat the smog check system.
Hossam “Sam” Hemdan of Hawthorne began selling devices known as “OBDNators” in 2015, allowing cars to pass smog tests that they would otherwise fail, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The devices cost around $18,000 — early versions sold for $9,500 — but with that technology, smog shop operators could charge $120 to $300, when an ordinary smog check is usually only about $50, the Times reports.
Federal officials filed charges and arrested 12 people on Thursday, though one group text of device operators to which investigators gained access included 35 people.
While the number of cars that illegally passed smog checks is not known, some studies suggest it could be large.
“In 2023, only 7% of the 10.7 million cars that went to smog check stations failed their tests,” the Times reports. “But random roadside tests carried out by the Bureau of Automotive Repair posted a failure rate of 13.5%.”
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