Consumer Information Regulations; Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards

This final rule amends the agency's consumer information regulations and the Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS) by rescinding the requirement that passenger car manufacturers provide general UTQGS information to purchasers and potential purchasers at the point of sale of new vehicles, requiring instead that such information be included in owners' manuals. In addition, this rule removes the requirement that manufacturers supply copies of UTQGS information to the agency, and removes a number of obsolete definitions. Finally, this rule amends the existing exclusion of tires with nominal rim diameters of 10-12 inches from the UTQGS to now exclude tires with nominal rim diameters of 12 inches or less. This action is being taken because the agency believes that elimination of the point-of-sale requirement will relieve a significant burden on vehicle manufacturers and dealers, yet will have little effect on consumers. The agency believes that UTQGS information is of little value to consumers at the point of sale of new vehicles because new vehicles are typically sold with tires selected by the manufacturer based on vehicle model, weight, and options. Further, consumers have shown little interest in UTQGS when shopping for or purchasing new vehicles. The agency believes that consumers will be better served by requiring such information to be included in owners' manuals for the future reference of those consumers when shopping for replacement tires.