How to modify and beautify your car to avoid failing the vehicle inspection?

What is car tuning?

Car tuning is the act of changing the appearance, structure, and performance of the car by adding or replacing parts that are different from the original manufacturer.

However, not all items changed on the car are useful or valid, so car owners must consider before modifying their cars.

What modifications are made to the car?

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued Circular 43/2023 dated December 29, 2023 amending and supplementing Circular 85/2014 regulating the renovation of road motor vehicles, creating many conveniences for people and businesses.

Accordingly, the renovation of road motor vehicles is loosened, with a clearer legal framework, convenient for people's needs of vehicle modification and beautification.

Circular 43/2023 clearly stipulates cases where motor vehicles have changes but are not considered as renovations. Specifically as follows:

Replace the front light cluster with a cluster that has been certified or declared to comply with the National Technical Regulation on optical characteristics of front lights of road motor vehicles, QCVN 35:2017/BGTVT without having to modify the vehicle's structure to ensure installation;

Replace the bulb in the front light cluster with another type of bulb with equivalent power consumption without having to intervene or change the structure of the light cluster;

Install additional separate fog lights;

Install, replace or remove the cover of the cargo compartment and luggage of the PICKUP car without changing the size of the cargo bed and the size of the vehicle;

Change the design of some details of the car body such as: front grille, spoiler;

Install additional windshield on the truck cabin roof, steps, exhaust pipe decoration, decorative belt to protect headlights and signal lights without changing the exterior size of the vehicle.

Change of passenger compartment door (excluding change of door position and size);

Changing some cargo container structures such as: sealing or changing the structure of the cargo container door; replacing flat sheet metal with corrugated sheet metal or vice versa; adding sheet metal to the roof frame of a covered vehicle without increasing the height of the cargo container (Hc) as prescribed in Appendix I issued with Circular No. 42/2014/TT-BGTVT; adding or removing a dust cover for the cargo container of a dump truck;

Changing the details and body parts is the vehicle manufacturer's option but does not change the vehicle's exterior dimensions, except for the cases specified in Article 6 of this Circular. Installation is carried out according to the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer or the vehicle manufacturer's legally authorized representative.

The above cases are still subject to technical safety and environmental protection inspection of road motor vehicles to be granted Inspection Certificates and Inspection Stamps.

In other cases of change, a design file for the modified motor vehicle must be prepared for appraisal by the Vietnam Register or the Department of Transport; if it meets the requirements, the design will be approved and a Certificate of appraisal of the design of the modified motor vehicle will be issued according to the prescribed form.