U.S. EPA and U.S. DOJ lodged a settlement and complaint with Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) on July 27, 2021. The complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, alleges that aFe manufactured and/or sold over 63,000 defeat devices that, when installed, defeat, disable or override EPA-approved emission controls and harm air quality. Under the terms of the settlement, aFe will pay a $250,000 penalty, which was based on its financial situation. The proposed settlement has been lodged in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A penalty of $125,115.28 was paid on 10/19/2022.