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EPA Orders End to Sudden DEF-Related Limp Modes in 2027 Heavy-Duty Trucks

The agency invoked Clean Air Act authority to demand manufacturer data within 30 days to assess DEF system failures.

Overview

  • New guidance directs manufacturers to engineer model-year 2027 and later heavy-duty trucks to avoid abrupt power loss when diesel exhaust fluid is depleted.
  • Under Section 208(a), the EPA is requiring the top 14 on-road and nonroad diesel makers to submit warranty, failure-rate, and repair data for model years 2016, 2019, and 2023 within 30 days or face potential penalties.
  • The agency is preparing a proposal to reconsider the 2022 Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle NOx rule as it evaluates whether derates remain necessary for compliance.
  • Earlier guidance from August 2025 set staged responses for MY2027 trucks, including extended warning and mild derate periods before any stringent speed governors take effect.
  • Separate guidance affirms that owners may repair DEF systems on farm and other nonroad diesel equipment under the Clean Air Act.