Prohibited and Restricted Items

Never allowed

• Catalytic converters, whole or in pieces, and their precious-metal contents. Several states restrict who can buy and sell used converters (for example, California allows only licensed dismantlers and certain businesses to sell them), and federal law is moving the same way. Sell them to a licensed recycler with your title.
• Airbag modules, airbag inflators, and seat belt pretensioners or other pyrotechnic devices. Many states prohibit selling deployed, counterfeit, nonfunctional or recalled airbags, and shipping them is regulated as hazardous material. Steering wheels, seats and dashboards must have their airbags removed and the listing must say so.
• Parts from any vehicle that is stolen, that you do not own or have the right to sell, or that is under a lien or legal hold.
• VIN plates, VIN stickers and tags, federal certification labels, titles, registrations, license plates, inspection stickers, and any item with a VIN or part identification number removed, altered or covered. Federal law makes trafficking in these a crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 511 and 2321).
• Emissions “delete” or “defeat” parts: anything sold to remove, bypass or disable emissions controls, including delete pipes and kits, tuners or software that defeat emissions, and EGR or DPF blocking plates. Selling them violates the federal Clean Air Act.
• Odometer rollback devices, or instrument clusters altered to show a different mileage.
• Counterfeit or replica parts sold as genuine, and parts that infringe a trademark or patent.
• Whole vehicles. The Site is for parts. (Whole vehicles may appear in Spotted, but are sold on the original site.)
• Weapons, drugs and anything else that is illegal to sell where you or the buyer are.

Allowed with conditions

• Engine computers, key fobs, immobilizers and other programmable modules: allowed, but must be listed with the donor VIN and part number and may need programming. Never sell or offer to “clone” or bypass security on a vehicle you don’t own.
• Instrument clusters: allowed with the donor vehicle’s actual mileage disclosed.
• Batteries, including 12-volt, hybrid and EV high-voltage packs: local pickup only unless you can ship them under federal hazardous-materials rules and your carrier’s requirements.
• A/C compressors and lines: must be shipped without refrigerant. Do not ship refrigerant.
• Fuel tanks, pumps and lines: drained, purged and capped.
• Safety-related parts such as brakes, steering, suspension, wheels and structural parts: allowed, but must be described accurately, with any damage or wear disclosed.
• Parts subject to an open safety recall: disclose the recall in the listing. We may remove parts under a recall that makes them unsafe to install.

Reporting

If you see a listing that breaks these rules, or think a part is stolen, use the report link on the listing or contact us. If you believe a crime has been committed, also contact your local police.