Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection

Our requirements for advanced air bags are being phased in during two stages, the first of which extends over a three-year period from September 1, 2003 to August 31, 2006. The phase-in provides special requirements for limited line manufacturers. These manufacturers are excluded from the first two years of the phase-in but must achieve 100 percent compliance for the third year, i.e., the production year beginning September 1, 2005. To address problems faced by Porsche, we are issuing this interim final rule revising the phase- in for limited line manufacturers so that 95 percent of a manufacturer's vehicles must comply with the advanced air bag requirements during this one-year period instead of 100 percent.