Search Results for keywords:"motor vehicle safety"

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the Department of Transportation, announced the denial of a petition to investigate a recall of Tesla vehicles over alleged sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). The petitioner, Mr. Brian Sparks, had claimed a defect caused these vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly, posing a safety risk. However, after extensive analysis of data from Tesla and crash incidents, NHTSA found that the cause of the alleged SUA incidents was most likely driver error, specifically pedal misapplication. The agency found no evidence of a defect in Tesla's motor, brake systems, or vehicle design that would justify a vehicle recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a final rule to amend safety standards for child restraint systems in vehicles. The goal is to improve the ease of use and effectiveness of lower and tether anchorages in cars, fulfilling the MAP-21 mandate. The new regulations include clearer labeling, standardized anchorage configurations, and improved testing tools to ensure child safety systems are more user-friendly. The rule includes a phased implementation starting in September 2028 to allow manufacturers time to incorporate these changes into vehicle designs.

Daimler Truck North America, LLC (DTNA) discovered that a 2022 Western Star truck does not meet certain safety standards for electronic stability control. They believe this is not a significant safety issue because the system is only turned off in off-road settings where it’s less effective. DTNA has requested that they not be penalized or required to notify owners about this noncompliance, as they argue that disabling the system is necessary for safe driving on uneven terrains. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received this petition and is considering DTNA’s request.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company discovered a labeling error on certain Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 tires, where the number of plies on the sidewall was marked incorrectly. Even though the tires were manufactured correctly and meet safety standards, they mislabeled the plies as "1" instead of "2." Goodyear filed a report and requested that this noncompliance be considered minor, arguing it poses no real safety risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received this petition and will consider comments from the public until February 3, 2021.

Mack Trucks, Inc., has discovered that certain Mack truck models from the 2017-2026 and 2017-2019 model years don't fully meet specific air brake safety standards. They have asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to determine that this issue doesn't significantly affect vehicle safety. Mack believes their trucks compensate well for the shortfall in the required air reservoir volume due to design features like higher air pressure and additional air dryers. The public has until April 23, 2025, to submit comments, and the agency will announce their decision in the future.

Mercedes-Benz discovered that some of their 2019-2020 model vehicles have brake warning lights that are slightly smaller than required by safety standards. After filing a report, they asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to decide if this issue is minor and doesn't affect safety. NHTSA agreed with Mercedes-Benz, stating that the smaller size of the warning lights doesn't significantly impact safety, as they are still visible and correctly convey their message. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz does not need to alert customers or fix the issue for free.

Mazda North American Operations submitted a petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claiming that a defect in Takata airbag inflators in some Mazda vehicles was inconsequential to safety. The defect involves propellant degradation that could lead to inflator ruptures and potentially cause injury. After reviewing the evidence and arguments presented, NHTSA denied Mazda's petition, stating that Mazda had not adequately demonstrated that the defect posed no significant risk to motor vehicle safety. Consequently, Mazda is required to notify vehicle owners and provide a remedy for the defect.

Michelin North America, Inc. (MNA) has identified that certain Uniroyal Laredo tires do not fully comply with safety labeling standards because they lack a DOT symbol and full or partial tire identification number (TIN) on one sidewall. MNA filed a report about this issue on November 3, 2023, and requested an exemption, arguing that this noncompliance does not significantly impact motor vehicle safety. The affected tires were still manufactured to meet all performance standards and have correct markings on the opposite side. MNA has proposed solutions, including accepting all such tires in future recalls and improving testing and training procedures to ensure future compliance.