A motorist has been charged by New South Wales Police on multiple counts relating to their unroadworthy vehicle after being pulled over in a modified Toyota 86.

    On Monday December 23, Auburn Highway Patrol officers observed “most of what was a Toyota 86” driving through Sydney Olympic Park, missing its front bumper and bonnet, and with wider-than-stock guards and mismatching wheels.

    The Toyota was pulled over and officers checked its South Australian registration – based on the rear number plate, as the front was missing – when it was discovered it had been issued two major grounding defect notices, both of which were still in effect.

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    Police officers also discovered the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine had been fitted with a turbocharger, however it had not been compiled and certified.

    The driver of the Toyota 86 was issued with penalty notices in relation to using a vehicle in contravention of a major defect; carrying out non-complying modifications to a registered light vehicle; using a modified vehicle on the road without a compliance certificate; and using a Class A vehicle with a number plate not correctly fixed.

    New South Wales Police have been cracking down on modified vehicles recently, with Operation Dissent currently targeting illegal mods on cars with alleged links to street racing and anti-social driving in the Illawarra region.

    MORE: Police continue modified car crackdown with almost two dozen defects

    Jordan Mulach

    Born and raised in Canberra, Jordan has worked as a full-time automotive journalist since 2021, being one of the most-published automotive news writers in Australia before joining CarExpert in 2024.

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