A Utah truck owner's attempt to fix his emissions test failure by swapping computer modules has landed him in a bureaucratic nightmare.
Now his Cummins diesel has been sitting in the driveway for over three months with no legal way to drive it.
In a video with more than 42,000 views, Jarek Vetriderz (@jarek_vetriderz) explains how his 2024 Ram truck with a 24-valve Cummins diesel went from a reliable tow vehicle to an undriveable lawn ornament thanks to Utah's emissions regulations.
"Hi. I'm Jared. That's my 24-valve Cummins, and I can't drive it because the state of Utah DMV has revoked my registration," he says.
The trouble started when Vetriderz swapped his truck from an automatic transmission to a manual. Initially, he didn't replace the powertrain control module and engine control module at the same time. When he went for his emissions test the following year, he failed due to diagnostic trouble codes related to the automatic transmission.
"I was like, oh, well, that's only showing up because I didn't swap my computers when I did my swap from an automatic to a manual," Vetriderz says.
He obtained the correct computer modules for a manual transmission and swapped them out. With no more diagnostic trouble codes, he retested and passed his emissions with no problem.
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Why Was His Registration Revoked?
Four months after passing emissions, Vetriderz received a letter stating his registration had been revoked due to emissions issues since the serial numbers for the engine control module and powertrain control module had been swapped.
"I kinda laughed to myself, and I was like, well, yeah. Of course, it's swapped. I had to do that to pass the emissions because you failed me before," he says.
Vetriderz then learned that it's illegal for owners to swap their own computer modules because they're considered emissions-compliant devices.
"So I had not known that, but I was just trying to pass the emissions," he explains.
Jarek was required to take an emissions test at the health department, where they failed him for having swapped computer modules. To pass, he would need to go to a dealership and have them reflash the modules to the latest firmware, which would cost just under $1,000, money Vetriderz says he can't afford.
As a result, the truck has sat in his driveway for over three months.
No Loophole So Far
Jarek thought he found a workaround. He owns property in a different county where emissions aren't required, so he attempted to register the truck under that address. The DMV rejected this approach, telling him he still had to test at the health department.
"I don't think that's right. I mean, the county that I'm gonna try to register that thing in is there's not even emissions required," he says.
"I don't really drive this vehicle that much. The whole reason for swapping from an automatic to a manual was this is a tow vehicle. I tow my trailer with it. I have a different vehicle I commute to work with, and this vehicle maybe gets drove once every other month," he adds.
Vehicle Emissions Laws
Vetriderz’s situation involves emissions compliance at a time when vehicle emissions regulations are undergoing significant changes at the federal level.
According to NPR, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in July to revoke requirements that push automakers to build cleaner, more efficient vehicles.
Under the EPA's proposal, tailpipe rules about pollution that directly harm human health would remain in place, but all regulations related to cutting greenhouse gas emissions from cars would be removed.
Even with potential federal deregulation, state-level emissions requirements remain in effect. Computer modules like the ones Vetriderz swapped are considered emissions control devices under the Clean Air Act. Federal law prohibits tampering with emissions control systems, and many states enforce their own versions of these rules through their DMV and health department testing programs.
The catch-22 Vetriderz is in highlights the complexity of emissions compliance. While he successfully passed the emissions test after the swap, state authorities flagged the serial number change as potential tampering, even though the swap was done to achieve compliance.
How Do People Feel About Emissions Tests?
While many, if not most, people want to breathe clean air when they’re rolling down the highway or sitting at an intersection, they also don’t like emissions tests.
“Having to do emissions on a 2.5 decade old vehicle is criminal,” a top comment read.
“Government overreach.. and to think we revolted over a 3% tax on tea,” another added.
“Register it in another state. Then they won't even get the tax money,” a third suggested.
Motor1 reached out to Vetriderz for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll update this if he responds.
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