Mazda Motor Corporation, Receipt of Petition for Determination of Inconsequentiality of Takata's Defect Information Report Filing Under NHTSA Campaign Number 17E-034 for PSDI-5 Desiccated Driver Air Bag Inflators and Decision Denying Request for Deferral of Determination |
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Topics: Mazda, Takata
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Stephen P. Wood
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
16 November 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53558-53561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24833]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2017-0092; Notice 1]
Mazda Motor Corporation, Receipt of Petition for Determination of
Inconsequentiality of Takata's Defect Information Report Filing Under
NHTSA Campaign Number 17E-034 for PSDI-5 Desiccated Driver Air Bag
Inflators and Decision Denying Request for Deferral of Determination
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition; notice of receipt of request for
deferral and of decision denying request for deferral.
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SUMMARY: On July 10, 2017, Takata Corporation (``Takata'') filed a
defect information report (``DIR'') in which it determined that a
safety-related defect exists in certain phase-stabilized ammonium
nitrate (``PSAN'') driver-side airbag inflators that it manufactured
with a calcium sulfate desiccant, including inflators that it supplied
to Ford Motor Company (``Ford''), Mazda North American Operations
(``Mazda''), and Nissan North America Inc. (``Nissan'') for use in
certain vehicles. Mazda's vehicles identified by Takata's DIR were
designed by Ford and were built on the same platform and using the same
airbag inflators as the affected Ford vehicles. Mazda has petitioned
the Agency--in part through a purported joint petition with Ford (see
DOCKET NO. NHTSA-2017-0093)--for a decision that because analysis of
inflators installed in certain Ford vehicles does not demonstrate
propellant-tablet density degradation or increased inflation pressure,
and because there are design differences between the inflators
installed in Ford and Mazda vehicles and an inflator variant installed
in Nissan vehicles, the equipment defect determined to exist by Takata
is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety in the Mazda
vehicles affected by Takata's DIR. Mazda requests relief from its
notification and remedy obligations under the National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and its applicable regulations, and
further requests that the Agency defer a decision on the petition until
March 31, 2018 to allow Ford to complete certain analysis and testing.
DATES: The closing date for comments is December 18, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written data,
views, and arguments regarding this petition for inconsequentiality.
Comments must refer to the docket and notice number cited in the title
of this notice and be submitted by one of the following methods:
Internet: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Facsimile: (202) 493-2251.
You may call the Docket at (202) 366-9324.
Note that all comments received will be posted without change to
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided. Thus, submitting such information makes it public. You may
wish to read the Privacy Act notice, which can be viewed by clicking on
the ``Privacy and Security Notice'' link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov. DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement is available
for review in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477-78).
The petition, supporting materials, and all comments received
before the close of business on the closing date indicated above will
be filed in the docket and will be considered. Comments and supporting
materials received after the closing date will also be filed and will
be considered to the extent possible. When the petition is granted or
denied, notice of the decision will also be published in the Federal
Register pursuant to the authority indicated at the end of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For legal issues: Stephen Hench, Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC-
100, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 366-5263).
For general information regarding NHTSA's investigation into Takata
airbag inflator ruptures and the related recalls, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/recall-spotlight/takata-air-bags.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 53559]]
I. Background
On November 3, 2015, NHTSA issued, and Takata agreed to, a Consent
Order setting forth penalties, requirements, and performance
obligations in connection with Takata's alleged failure to fully comply
with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 as
amended and recodified (the ``Safety Act''), 49 U.S.C. 30101, et seq.,
and its applicable regulations. Under the Consent Order, Takata is
required to test its phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (``PSAN'')
inflators that contain a desiccant (a drying agent) in cooperation with
vehicle manufacturers ``to determine the service life and safety of
such inflators and to determine whether, and to what extent, these
inflator types suffer from a defect condition, regardless of whether it
is the same or similar to the conditions at issue'' in the Defect
Information Reports (``DIRs'') Takata had filed for its non-desiccated
PSAN inflators. Consent Order ] 28.
In February 2016, NHTSA requested Ford's assistance in evaluating
Takata calcium-sulfate desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators,
to which Ford agreed.\1\ In June 2016, Ford and Takata began a field-
recovery program to evaluate Takata calcium-sulfate desiccated PSDI-5
driver-side airbag inflators that were original equipment in MY 2007-
2008 Ford Ranger vehicles in Florida, Michigan, and Arizona. See also
Recall No. 17E-034.\2\ Nissan also initiated a similar field-recovery
program for its Versa vehicles in March 2016. Recall No. 17V-449. By
January 2017, a very limited number of samples from Ford were available
and tested. Recall No. 17E-034. In March 2017, Takata and Ford met to
review the field data collected from the inflators returned by Ford and
Nissan. Recall No. 17E-034. Between March and June 2017, additional
Ford inflators were subjected to live dissection, which included
chemical and dimensional propellant analyses, and ballistic testing.
Recall No. 17E-034. Also in June, Takata reviewed with Ford and NHTSA
field-return data from Ford inflators. Recall No. 17E-034. Ford then
met with NHTSA on July 6, 2017 to discuss the data collected to date,
as well as an expansion plan for evaluating Takata calcium-sulfate
desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators.
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\1\ Mazda has relied upon the Ford testing information because
Mazda's vehicles identified by Takata's DIR were designed by Ford
and were built on the same platform and using the same airbag
inflators as the affected Ford vehicles.
\2\ Later, under Paragraph 43 of the Third Amendment to the
Coordinated Remedy Order (``ACRO''), NHTSA ordered each vehicle
manufacturer ``with any vehicle in its fleet equipped with a
desiccated PSAN Takata inflator'' (and not using or planning to use
such an inflator as a final remedy) to develop a written plan
describing ``plans to confirm the safety and/or service life'' of
desiccated PSAN Takata inflators used in its fleet. ACRO ] 43. Such
plans were to include coordination with Takata for parts recovery
from fleet vehicles, testing, and anticipated/future plans ``to
develop or expand recovery and testing protocols of the desiccated
PSAN inflators.'' Id.
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Takata has analyzed over 400 such inflators from the Ford program--
as well as 895 such inflators from the Nissan program. See Recall No.
17V-449. After a review of field-return data, on July 10, 2017, Takata,
determining a safety-related defect exists, filed a DIR for calcium-
sulfate desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators that were
produced from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2012 and installed as
original equipment on certain motor vehicles manufactured by Ford (the
``covered Ford inflators''), as well as calcium-sulfate desiccated
PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators for those same years of production
installed as original equipment on motor vehicles manufactured by
Nissan (the ``covered Nissan inflators'') and Mazda (the ``covered
Mazda inflators'') (collectively, the ``covered inflators''). Recall
No. 17E-034.
Takata's DIR filing triggered Mazda's obligation to file a DIR for
its affected vehicles. See 49 CFR part 573; November 3, 2015
Coordinated Remedy Order ]] 45-46.\3\ Mazda filed a corresponding DIR,
informing NHTSA it intended to file a petition for inconsequentiality.
Mazda Motor Corporation Petition for Determination of
Inconsequentiality of Takata's Defect Information Report filing under
NHTSA Campaign Number 17E-034 for PSDI-5 Desiccated Driver Air Bag
Inflators (dated August 17, 2016) \4\ (``Petition'') (enclosing ``Mazda
submission copy of Part 573''). Mazda then petitioned the Agency, under
49 CFR part 556, via letter including an enclosed purported ``joint
petition'' with Ford,\5\ for a decision that the equipment defect
determined to exist by Takata is inconsequential as it relates to motor
vehicle safety in the Mazda vehicles affected by Takata's DIR, and also
requested NHTSA allow Ford until March 31, 2018 to complete an
``expanded inflator field study, aging assessment, and testing on
additional samples'' before NHTSA makes a decision on the Petition. Id.
at 1. Mazda sent its Petition via UPS on August 17, 2017, scheduled to
arrive the following day via next-day air. However, because the
Petition was incorrectly addressed, NHTSA did not receive this copy of
the Petition until August 23, 2017. NHTSA did, however, receive a copy
via email on August 22, 2017.
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\3\ Under 49 CFR 573.5(a), a vehicle manufacturer is responsible
for any safety-related defect determined to exist in any item of
original equipment. See also 49 U.S.C. 30102(b)(1)(C).
\4\ Mazda appears to have inadvertently dated its letter August
17, 2016, instead of August 17, 2017.
\5\ Ford also submitted a petition to the Agency, with a cover
letter dated August 16, 2017. This petition was not a ``joint
petition'' with Mazda. Ford's petition is separately under
consideration by the Agency.
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II. Timeliness
Under 49 CFR 556.4(c), Mazda was required to submit its Petition to
NHTSA no later than thirty days after Mazda determined a defect exists.
Mazda made the defect determination on July 18, 2017, which allowed it
until August 17, 2017 to submit a petition to the Agency. See Mazda's
enclosed DIR; 49 CFR 556.4(c). However, Mazda sent its Petition via UPS
on August 17, 2017, with the Petition scheduled to arrive the following
day. NHTSA first received Mazda's Petition via email on August 22,
2017--five days after it was due.
Despite this procedural flaw, and with the public interest in mind,
NHTSA acknowledges receipt of Mazda's Petition, is publishing the
relevant documents for public comment, and addresses Mazda's request
for the Agency to defer a decision on the Petition. NHTSA need not
decide herein whether the timing of Mazda's filing is fatal to its
Petition--that issue is preserved for decision at a later date.
III. Classes of Motor Vehicles Involved
Mazda's Petition involves 5,848 vehicles in which the covered Mazda
inflators were originally installed. Petition at 1. Those vehicles are
MY 2007-2009 B-Series pickup trucks, which Mazda explains were built on
the same platform and using the same airbag inflators as Ford MY 2007-
2011 Rangers. Id. Accordingly, Mazda states that although ``Takata has
not tested PSDI-5 inflators with calcium sulfate from Mazda vehicles,''
data from those Ford Rangers is representative of Mazda's MY 2007-2009
B-Series vehicles. Id.
IV. Summary of Mazda's Petition
In support of its Petition, Mazda largely refers NHTSA to the
``joint petition'' with Ford enclosed with Mazda's letter. Id. Mazda's
Petition also provides a brief, bullet-point summary of certain
arguments, including that data from Ford field-return parts does not
show a propellant tablet-density degradation seen in field-return parts
from Nissan; that pressure measurements in Ford inflator primary
chambers during ballistic testing were
[[Page 53560]]
within specification and there were no reports of pressure vessel
ruptures in PSDI-5 inflators the field; and that desiccant saturation
is not an indicator of propellant degradation. Id. at 2-3.
In the ``joint petition'' enclosed with Mazda's letter, Ford argues
that Takata's DIR does not determine the covered Ford inflators
``actually contain a defect at this time, or that they will develop one
over time,'' and that once Ford completes its engineering analysis (by
the end of March 2018), it will be able to supplement or amend its
Petition to ``allow the Agency to make a determination'' on its
Petition. See Enclosure at 10, 19. In the interim, Ford states that it
will continue to obtain permanent replacement driver-side airbag
inflators so that its continuing analysis will not affect the
availability of parts if a remedy is needed. Id.
Ford's position in the ``joint petition'' is that the defect is
inconsequential rests on two related arguments. First, in contrast to
testing data pertaining to the covered Nissan inflators, Ford contends
Takata's analysis of the covered Ford inflators does not show
propellant-tablet density degradation or increased inflation pressure.
Id. at 11. Takata has analyzed over 1,300 of its calcium-sulfate
desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators, which include
approximately 423 inflators from Ford Ranger vehicles \6\ and 895
inflators from Nissan Versa vehicles.\7\ Such analysis involved both
live inflator dissections and ballistic testing. Id. Ford asserts that
about 360 live dissections of inflators obtained as part of Ford's
field-recovery program demonstrate ``consistent inflator output
performance''--specifically, measurements of ignition-tablet
discoloration, generate density, and moisture content of certain
inflator constituents did not indicate a reduction-in-density trend.
Id. at 11-12. Ford further contends that these observations are
supported by 47 ballistic deployment tests that showed no inflator
exceeding the production primary-chamber pressure specifications. Id.
at 12-13. Ford also emphasizes that Takata has not observed pressure
vessel ruptures or pressure excursions on any desiccated PSDI-5
inflator, and that ``[t]he maximum primary chamber pressure that Takata
measured'' in covered Ford inflators was about 15 MPa lower than that
measured in a covered Nissan inflator (which exhibited primary chamber
pressure exceeding 60 MPa). Id. at 14.
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\6\ Twenty of these inflators were from salvage yards, however,
``where the conditions used to store the parts cannot be
determined.'' Id. at 11.
\7\ In its DIR, Nissan provides this 895 figure; in its
Petition, Ford attributes ``approximately 1,000'' covered inflators
to Nissan's program. Compare Recall 17V-449 with Petition at 11.
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Second, and relatedly, Ford contends ``[t]here are design
differences'' in the covered Ford inflators when compared to the
covered Nissan inflators, and that such differences may explain
differences observed between the two inflator variants during testing.
Id. In short, Ford cites its inflator variant as having ``fewer
potential moisture sources'' because the inflators contain only two,
foil-wrapped auto-ignition tablets (instead of three that are not foil-
wrapped), contain divider disk foil tape, and utilize certain EPDM
generate cushion material (instead of ceramic) that ``reduces generate
movement over time, maintains generate integrity, and leads to
consistent and predictable burn rates.'' Id. at 15-16 (providing
table).
The remainder of the ``joint petition'' enclosed with Mazda's
letter explains Ford's ``commit[ment] to further investigation of PSDI-
5 airbag inflators.'' See id. at 16-18. Because of this stated concern,
including about data pertaining to the covered Nissan inflators, ``Ford
is expanding the scope of the sampling and is involving leading
industry experts to assess any potential risks from desiccated PSDI-5
inflators in Ford products.'' Id. at 16. Ford outlines a two-pronged
plan for this expansion. First, Ford describes a parts-acquisition
program ``to gather approximately 6,000 desiccated PSDI-5 driver airbag
inflators'' from certain model year vehicles in areas with high
absolute humidity for what appears to be all vehicle lines in which the
covered inflators were originally installed.\8\ Id. at 17. And second,
Ford describes a continuation of inflator testing and engineering
analysis, which will engage third-party experts for independent
assessments. Id. at 17-18. The testing will include various engineering
analyses (comparisons of design within the PSDI-5 family, statistical
assessments, and ballistic modeling), inflator testing (CT scanning and
inflator disassembly), and propellant testing (moisture content,
closed-bomb burn rate, X-ray micro-computer tomography,
thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry analysis). Id.
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\8\ Ford's Petition explicitly lists six vehicle lines,
comprising all affected Ford models except for the Fusion. See
Petition at 17. However, one of the six vehicle lines is simply
listed as ``2006-2007 MY Ford.'' Presumably, this refers to certain
MY Ford Fusions.
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V. Request for Deferral of Determination
Mazda requests in its letter that, ``in conjunction with [its]
joint petition filing with'' Ford, NHTSA allow Mazda additional time
before deciding on its Petition--specifically, until March 31, 2018--so
Ford may ``complete its expanded inflator field study, aging
assessment, and testing on additional samples.'' Petition at 1. Mazda
also refers to ``Ford's commitment to further investigation of PSDI-5
inflators through additional parts acquisitions as well as continued
testing and engineering analysis.'' Id. at 3. Mazda does not make any
additional reference to its deferral request in its letter, but does
refer NHTSA to its enclosed ``joint'' petition'' with Ford, in which
Ford further discusses this deferral request (on its own behalf). See
id. Assuming, arguendo, that the explanation therein applies equally to
Mazda, NHTSA must deny Mazda's request for deferral.
In the ``joint petition,'' Ford makes the same request for a
deferral as Mazda, so that it (Ford) may ``complete its intensified and
expanded inflator field study, aging assessment, and testing on
additional samples and vehicle types to evaluate the performance of the
Takata desiccated PSDI-5 driver airbag inflators.'' See Enclosure at
19. In making this request, Ford appears to acknowledge the available
data may not yet be sufficient for the Agency to grant its petition.
Indeed, Ford notes that while its results to date are ``good news for
the safety'' of users of one of its six affected vehicle models--the
Ranger--``the results on the Nissan design inflators are of concern.''
Id.
The Agency recognizes Ford's plans to expand its investigation and
to secure a supply of remedy inflators for affected vehicles if it
becomes needed. See id. at 3, 10. However, 49 CFR 556.4(b)(5) provides
that an inconsequentiality petition must set forth all data, views, and
arguments supporting that petition, and Mazda (through Ford, arguendo)
does not adequately justify why this provision does not preclude
deferral here.
Specifically, NHTSA does not find the request for deferral
reasonable under the circumstances or supported by the testing and data
collected to date. Indeed, Ford does not provide an explanation for why
it has not already undertaken the expansive investigation it now
proposes, and Ford's past efforts to evaluate the safety of the covered
inflators do not support granting a deferral. NHTSA requested Ford's
assistance in evaluating Takata calcium-
[[Page 53561]]
sulfate desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag inflators in February
2016, and over seventeen months later only about 400 covered Ford
inflators have been tested. Moreover, the number of inflators tested
under Ford's program was less than half the number tested under
Nissan's program, and about seven percent of the approximately 6,000
inflators Ford now proposes to test in only about seven months.
It is difficult to reconcile Ford's ambitious plan with its prior
approach toward evaluating the safety of the covered inflators. Ford
has provided no compelling argument for the Agency to deviate from 49
CFR 556.4(b)(5).
For these reasons, NHTSA denies Mazda's request for a deferral of
NHTSA's decision on Mazda's Petition. The Agency will decide on Mazda's
Petition without consideration of Ford's planned additional efforts.
Nevertheless, NHTSA recognizes Ford's plans to further evaluate the
safety of Takata calcium-sulfate desiccated PSDI-5 driver-side airbag
inflators, and encourages Ford to move forward with those plans as
described--particularly given the concern about these inflators that
Ford has expressed.
Accordingly, NHTSA hereby gives notice of its receipt of Mazda
Motor Corporation Petition for a Determination of Inconsequentiality of
Takata's Defect Information Report filing under NHTSA Campaign Number
17E-034 for PSDI-5 Desiccated Driver Air Bag Inflators. And it is
hereby ordered that:
1. The period for public comment on Mazda's Petition shall run from
the publication of this decision through December 18, 2017; and
2. Mazda's request for a deferral of NHTSA's decision on its
Petition, so that Ford may complete its intensified and expanded
inflator field study, aging assessment, and testing on additional
samples, is denied.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30101, et seq., 30118, 30120(h), 30162,
30166(b)(1), 30166(g)(1); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95(a);
49 CFR parts 556, 573, 577.
Issued: November 9, 2017.
Stephen P. Wood,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2017-24833 Filed 11-15-17; 8:45 am]
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