National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

General Motors, LLC (GM), has determined that the seat belt assemblies in certain model year (MY) 2017-2018 Chevrolet Silverado heavy duty and GMC Sierra heavy duty motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, Seat Belt Assemblies. GM filed a noncompliance report dated September 14, 2017, and later amended it on September 22, 2017. GM also petitioned NHTSA on October 6, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the denial of GM's petition.

Daimler Coaches North America, LLC (DCNA), a subsidiary of Daimler AG, has determined that certain model year (MY) 2012-2019 Setra S407 and MY 2009-2020 Setra S417 buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. DCNA filed a noncompliance report dated July 16, 2020. DCNA subsequently petitioned NHTSA on August 4, 2020, and later amended it on October 1, 2020, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces receipt of DCNA's petition.

In accordance with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), this document proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, ``Child restraint systems,'' by updating the standard seat assembly on which child restraint systems (CRSs) are tested to determine their compliance with the standard's dynamic performance requirements. This NPRM proposes other amendments to modernize FMVSS No. 213, including a lessening of restrictions in some of the standard's owner registration and labeling requirements, to give manufacturers more flexibility in communicating with today's parents for the purposes of increasing owner registrations for recall notification purposes and increasing the correct use of CRSs, respectively. NHTSA is also proposing ways to streamline the Agency's use of test dummies to assess restraint performance, including simplifying the standard's compliance tests to make them more reflective of the real-world use of CRSs today. The purpose of these and other proposals is to modernize the seat assembly and other aspects of FMVSS No. 213, to help ensure the continued effectiveness of CRSs in current and future vehicles.

NHTSA is proposing to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection,'' to update the child restraint systems (CRSs) listed in Appendix A-1 of the standard. NHTSA uses the CRSs in Appendix A-1 to test the performance of advanced air bag suppression and low risk deployment systems in either suppressing or deploying the air bag in a low-risk manner in the presence of a CRS. The proposed amendments would ensure that the CRSs used by NHTSA to test advanced air bags are representative of the current CRS fleet, and would make it easier for vehicle manufacturers and test laboratories to acquire CRSs for testing purposes.

Mercedes-Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, (collectively, ``Mercedes-Benz'') have determined that certain model year (MY) 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, Power-operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems. Mercedes-Benz filed a noncompliance report dated May 11, 2020, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on June 3, 2020, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces receipt of Mercedes-Benz's petition.

This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition submitted on April 10, 2020, by Mr. Surjit Singh to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). The petition requests that the Agency investigate Model Year 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 vehicles for alleged premature rear brake line corrosion failure. NHTSA opened Defect Petition DP20-004 to evaluate the petitioner's request. After reviewing the information provided by the petitioner and available NHTSA complaint and Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data, NHTSA has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue further action at this time. Accordingly, the Agency has denied the petition.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. has determined that certain model year (MY) 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Porsche filed a noncompliance report dated July 24, 2019. Porsche subsequently petitioned NHTSA on August 20, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of Porsche's petition for inconsequential noncompliance.

NHTSA is issuing this notification to aid manufacturers in understanding what type of information must be submitted when petitioning for an exemption from NHTSA's Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard under agency rules.

This interim final rule responds to an ``emergency petition'' submitted by the Alliance of Automotive Innovation (Alliance) regarding the phase-in and compliance requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141 (FMVSS 141), ``Minimum sound for hybrid and electric vehicles.'' The petition details the challenges manufacturers have encountered in complying with FMVSS 141 due to disruptions in the supply chain caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. The petition requests three changes to the phase-in and compliance requirements of FMVSS 141. After considering the concerns raised in the petition, NHTSA has decided to grant the petition, in part, by electing to defer the phase-in and compliance dates by six months. NHTSA is denying the request for an alternative performance option during the phase-in period.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on May 21, 2019 (84 FR 23154). NHTSA received 7 public comments. A summary of the comments and the changes NHTSA made in response to those comments is provided below.

NHTSA has received almost identical petitions from 13 final- stage manufacturers of ``entertainer-type motorcoaches,'' seeking temporary exemption from a shoulder belt requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection,'' for side-facing seats on motorcoaches. The petitioners seek to install Type 1 seat belts (lap belt only) at side-facing seating positions, instead of Type 2 seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) required by FMVSS No. 208. Each petitioner states that, absent the requested exemption, it will otherwise be unable to sell a vehicle whose overall level of safety or impact protection is at least equal to that of a nonexempted vehicle. NHTSA is publishing this document to notify the public of the receipt of the petitions and to request comment on them, in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions.

This document grants in full four manufacturers' petitions for exemption for four model lines from the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard) beginning in model year (MY) 2021. The manufacturers, vehicle lines, and model years are as follows: Ford Motor Company (Ford) for its Bronco Sport vehicle line beginning in MY 2021; Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC (Jaguar Land Rover) for its Jaguar I-Pace vehicle line beginning in MY 2021; American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) for its HR-V vehicle line beginning in MY 2021; and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) for its ID.4 vehicle line beginning in MY 2021.

Maserati North America, Inc., (MNA) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2014-2020 Maserati Quattroporte, MY 2014-2020 Maserati Ghibli, and MY 2017-2020 Maserati Levante motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems, FMVSS No.138, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, FMVSS No. 202a, Head restraints, and FMVSS No. 210, Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages. MNA filed a noncompliance report dated February 14, 2020. MNA subsequently petitioned NHTSA on March 6, 2020, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces receipt of MNA's petition.

NHTSA invites public comments about its intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new collection of information. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the OMB. Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document describes an Information Collection Request (ICR) for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

Weldon, a Division of Akron Brass Company, has determined that certain LED backup lamps do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Weldon filed a noncompliance report dated November 7, 2018, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on November 30, 2018, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces receipt of Weldon's petition.

FCA US LLC (f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC) ``FCA'' has determined that certain model year (MY) 2004-2020 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo motor vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. FCA filed a noncompliance report dated November 15, 2019, and later amended it on December 9, 2019. FAC US subsequently petitioned NHTSA on December 9, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of FCA's petition.

This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on April 30, 2020, entitled ``The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks.'' That document promulgated final standards for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and carbon dioxide emissions for passenger cars and light trucks (collectively, light-duty vehicles) to be manufactured in model years 2021-2026.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks public comment about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's approval on the reinstatement of a previously approved information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information concerning vehicle safety features for consumer information purposes for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval (OMB Control number 2127-0629).

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2012-2016 Hyundai Accent motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection. Hyundai filed a noncompliance report dated December 12, 2016. Hyundai also petitioned NHTSA on December 16, 2016, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of Hyundai's petition.

Toyota Motor North America, Inc., (Toyota) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2013-2019 Lexus motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Toyota filed a noncompliance report dated May 30, 2019. Toyota subsequently petitioned NHTSA on June 21, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of Toyota's petition.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen), has determined that certain MY 2017-2019 Audi A3 motor vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. Volkswagen filed a noncompliance report dated February 18, 2019, and later amended it on September 13, 2019. Volkswagen subsequently petitioned NHTSA on February 20, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of Volkswagen's petition.

This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition, DP19-003, submitted by Mr. Kevin O'Brien to the Administrator of NHTSA (the ``Agency'') by a letter dated August 12, 2019. The petition requests that the agency initiate a safety defect investigation into an alleged ``excessive stalling problem'' experienced by operators of 2019 Model Year (MY) Volkswagen GTI, Jetta GLI, and Golf GTI manual transmission vehicles (the ``subject vehicles'') ``as the vehicles slow to a stop or prepare to make a turn across traffic with the clutch pressed in and the car in neutral.'' After conducting a technical review of: (1) Consumer complaints submitted by the petitioner; (2) consumer complaint information in NHTSA's databases; and (3) information provided by Volkswagen in response to our information requests regarding vehicle stalling and complaints received by Volkswagen, NHTSA's Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has concluded that it is unlikely that additional investigation would result in a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists. As a result, no further investigation of the issue raised by the petition is warranted and the agency, accordingly, has denied the petition.

Michelin North America, Inc. (MNA), has determined that certain BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 replacement tires do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139, New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles. MNA filed a noncompliance report dated November 13, 2018, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on December 10, 2018, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces the grant of MNA's petition.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear), has determined that certain Kelly Armorsteel KDM 1 commercial truck tires do not comply with Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) No. 119, New Pneumatic Tires for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) and Motorcycles. Goodyear filed a noncompliance report dated November 26, 2019, and petitioned NHTSA on November 25, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of Goodyear's petition.

FCA US LLC (f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC) ``FCA US'' has determined that certain model year (MY) 2017-2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/ Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 Kilograms (10,000 Pounds) or Less. FCA US filed a noncompliance report dated June 6, 2019. FCA US subsequently petitioned NHTSA on June 28, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of FCA US's petition.