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In Québec, lots of drivers customize their vehicles with special mechanical and body parts. "Tuning" is really catching on, and there are two main types.

The first type of tuning involves cosmetic improvements to customize the vehicle and make it stand out from the original model. The second type of tuning boosts the performance of the vehicle.

Almost any part of a vehicle can be modified, as long as the modifications meet the Highway Safety Code and do not reduce the vehicle's stability and braking capacity.

In fall 2002, a Working Committee was created to produce a reference guide outlining police powers with regard to checks on modified vehicles. The committee included several partners, including the Association des directeurs de police du Québec, the Sûreté du Québec, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, which agreed on an interpretation of the Highway Safety Code to determine what kinds of modifications are legal and what kinds are not.

Below we describe a few different types of modifications. Check the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec website to learn more.

Examples of permitted modifications

• Changing wheel size; the outside diameter of the tires must be comparable to the original diameter.
• Adding a stylized skirt.
• Installing a solidly fixed aerofoil, so long as it is not wider than the vehicle and does not obstruct the lights.
• Changing the seats, so long as they are firmly attached to the rails or original anchors.
• Changing the muffler or any other component of the exhaust system: the exhaust system must be solidly attached, not leak and be designed for on-road use; it must not be noisier than the original.
• Increasing the engine's power output.
• Changing the bumper shell: the part of the bumper designed to absorb energy in the event of impact may not be removed nor modified.
• Placing a strip no more than 15 cm wide that shades the top of the windshield. Below the strip, however, no material that shades or darkens the windshield glass is allowed.

Examples of prohibited modifications

• Remove or deactivate an airbag.
• Tint the driver and passenger side windows so that less than 70% of light gets through from outside. If the vehicle manufacturer has tinted the windows, any tinting done subsequently must when combined with the original still allow 70% of light to pass through.
• Apply a reflective material on a window so as to turn it into a mirror.
• Modify the windshield wipers to reduce the surface area they originally covered.
• Alter or remove a seat belt or its anchor from the original installation.
• Change the colour of lights or reflectors substituting a colour other than those allowed under the Highway Safety Code.
• Reduce the brightness of lights or reflectors by adding darkening or opaque material.
• Install tires not designed for road use, such as race car tires or oversized ones that jut out from the vehicle's fender.
• Reduce braking capability by installing hand-drilled disks, for instance, or using non-standard components.
• Using springs that have been shortened, bundled or overheated. It is also prohibited to have a suspension that is too rigid, an insufficient wheelbase, tires that touch a vehicle component or any part of the vehicle body that touches the road surface in a normal driving situation.

To find out more

See the Modified or Hand-Crafted Vehicles page on the SAAQ website.