Reporting of Information and Documents About Potential Defects; Defect and Noncompliance Reports

This document responds to some of the issues raised by petitions for reconsideration of some of the provisions of the final rule published on July 10, 2002, that implemented the early warning reporting provisions of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act. Under this rule, motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment manufacturers will be required to report information and to submit documents about customer satisfaction campaigns and other activities and events that may assist NHTSA to promptly identify defects related to motor vehicle safety. The issues responded to in this document primarily relate to field reports, one- time historical reports, and multiple "substantially similar" platforms. This document also clarifies several other provisions of the final rule. The agency's response to petitions for reconsideration of other provisions of the final rule will appear in a future notice.