Customizing trucks has never been the same since “Diesel Brothers” debuted on TV in 2016. With a wide variety of diesel-powered trucks and a talented group of friends, “Diesel Brothers” did a great job of giving motorheads everything they wanted from a show, including big, powerful all-terrain vehicles, and lots of funny experiments and gags.
Nevertheless, not everyone was happy to see what the “Diesel Brothers” did for a living, resulting in a long and drawn-out legal battle against them that still causes some confusion among his fans to this day.
So what was the lawsuit against “Diesel Brothers” about? Who else was involved and how did the case affect the show and its stars? Stay here to know everything!
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What was the lawsuit about?
Even before they hit TV in 2016, “Diesel Brothers” hosts Dave Sparks and David Kiley were already known on the internet for their fantastic truck adaptations on their popular YouTube channel. Nevertheless, not everyone warmed to them in the same way, including an organization called Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), which sued Sparks and his associates for violating the Clean Air Act through their company Sparks Motors.
The trouble started in 2016, when the UPHE bought a $43,000 Ford F-250 truck and tested its smoke emissions. find that the truck emits 36 times more pollutants than a regular truck, in addition to removing the equipment needed for diesel emission control. They filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against those in charge of the companies behind “Diesel Brothers” to prevent them from selling trucks with these modified systems.
Some of the arguments cited in the lawsuit included the fact that Sparks, Kiley and associates had encouraged others to follow in their footsteps through their TV shows and social media. As well as the UPHE argued that the trucks modified by the company were “disease-causing machines” as Utah’s air pollution was considered a public health problem.
What has it achieved?
After the lawsuit filed against them in 2016, the “Diesel Brothers” faced a long and hard legal battle that finally came to an end in 2021.
Some of the highlights of the case include a 2018 court order that prevented them from modifying the diesel control systems on the cars modified by Sparks Motors. The order was granted regardless of David Sparks’ claims that his trucks were intended for off-road conditions, as these regulations applied to all types of vehicles, despite their intended use.
As the case progressed, the Sparks Motors defense did not deny that the vehicles modified by the company had modified emission systems, but argued that the vehicles were primarily sold to customers outside of Utah. Court reports also show that the company offered to repair the emissions control systems of the cars already sold, along with trying to avoid a hefty fine on the grounds that their earnings were not as huge as thought
Nevertheless, the judge determined that Sparks and his associates had earned more than $400,000 from their TV show “Diesel Brothers” alone, without including any income from their business activities. In the end, all companies behind “Diesel Brothers” were fined $848,000, and paid an additional $800,000 in court costs to UPHE.
Are their companies still operating?
Knowing all the legal troubles that the stars of “Diesel Brothers” have gone through in recent years, the question of how much they have affected their business and lives is quite common.
Dave “Heavy D” Sparks and David “Diesel Dave” Kiley are the owners of several businesses that are still running despite the difficulties. For starters, their main company Sparks Motors is up and running as seen on their social media. While it’s unclear to what extent they were affected by the hefty fine and legal fees they had to pay after losing their emissions control case, it’s clear they’re still big fans of customizing trucks. In late 2022, the company moved to a new and apparently larger location, its eighth since the company opened.
On the other hand, the couple’s online business, Diesel Sellerz, is also up and running. While the social media accounts haven’t been updated since 2021, the marketplace’s website is frequently updated with the latest models available for purchase. However, the clothing brand “Diesel Brothers” Diesel Power Brand has seemingly moved to the Sparks Motors website on top of stopping their giveaway system by announcing the latter in November 2022.
What happened to their YouTube channel?
Long before Heavy D and Diesel Dave hit TV on their Discovery Channel show “Diesel Brothers,” the pair were already known for their truck-focused social media content.
Joking between friends and demonstrating full and detailed truck customization processes, the two Daves have turned their DieselSellerz and Sparks Motors YouTube channels into the perfect platforms to promote their business and also inspire other Diesel fans who either want to take their next steps follow their dreams. Word got around and sooner or later both friends were featured on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”, which inevitably caught the attention of Discovery producers.
That being said, Heavy D and Diesel Dave’s debut on TV also marked the end of an era for their YouTube channel, as DieselSellerz stopped sharing videos in March 2016. At the time, the pair focused on sharing content on the Sparks Motors channels and on their then-newly created Heavy DSparkswhich to this day is approaching the three million subscriber mark.
Today, both diesel enthusiasts are active on different platforms, on which they are not limited to customizing trucks and personal vlogs, but also to provide assistance to communities and people in need.
Has the show been cancelled?
All their hard work has led to this moment…
Watch a new one #Diesel Brothers tonight at 10 p.m. ET @Discovery. pic.twitter.com/nyTGBObN6a
— Diesel Brothers (@DieselBrosTV) December 28, 2022
It’s been a wild and long ride for “Diesel Brothers”, but all great things must come to an end. After seven years and more than 50 aired episodes, “Diesel Brothers” was it announced to air its 8th and final season in December 2022.
This cancellation comes after the show was off the air for several months, with the final episode of its 7th season airing in 2020. Despite fan speculation pointing to the legal issues faced by Dave Sparks and David Kiley as reasons for the cancellation, it is unclear what exactly led to the end of “Diesel Brothers”.
So what’s in store for Heavy D and Diesel Dave? Both men are still actively working in their businesses, while also creating content for their social media platforms, but other than that, it’s unclear if they have any plans to return to TV, or if it means the end of that chapter of their lives.
All in all, between the high price they had to pay in their lost legal battle against an environmental group, and the subsequent cancellation of “Diesel Brothers”, this isn’t the end for Dave Sparks and Diesel Dave, as surely great things are yet to come them.
