National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance
REGISTERED IMPORTER NEWSLETTER No. 10
December 20, 1996
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FORFEITURE OF BOND
Failure to bring vehicles into conformity and to submit complete conformity statements can result in forfeiture of the DOT bond. Recently a bonding company paid over $159,000. PETITIONS To import a nonconforming vehicle there must be an eligibility number for that year, make, and model or the vehicle must be petitioned. If the manufacturer identifies the modifications required to bring the vehicle into compliance, it will make the petition process easy but will not eliminate the need for the vehicle to go through the petition process. VCP PETITIONS - When a vehicle is petitioned on the basis that it is capable of being modified - no substantially similar U.S. vehicle, test data must be submitted to demonstrate that the vehicle complies or will comply after modifications are made. Certifications to some equipment standards can be passed through: i.e. if brake hose is marked DOT, it is not necessary to test the hose to determine that it complies. You may use the hose manufacturer's certification that it complies. SUBMISSION OF Vehicles must be brought into conformity and conformity packages must be submitted within 120 days of import. An RI failing to submit conformity statements within this time frame may be subject to fines. If a conformity package is not submitted because a vehicle imported under Box 3 is exported, proof of export must be submitted to this office. Do not save conformity statements and submit them in large quantities. This disrupts normal processing and impairs our ability to process them quickly. Bond releases for packages submitted in this manner will be given a lower priority. VEHICLE TYPE The type of vehicle is required on all conformity statements. Vehicle types are defined at 49 CFR 571.3. The vehicle types defined in this section are the only vehicle types that should be used. A pickup truck is not a recognized vehicle type. The vehicle should be identified as a truck. The vehicle type may be found on the manufacturer's certification label found on the vehicle (Canadian) or the comparison vehicle for a petitioned vehicle. Some standards apply to passenger cars and other standards apply to vehicles other than passenger cars, be sure you are addressing the correct standard. An MPV (Dodge Caravan) would have to comply with FMVSS 120 but it would not have to comply with FMVSS 110 which only applies to passenger cars. RECALLS When checking with a manufacturer to see if an imported vehicle is the subject of a recall, be sure to check to make sure that your vehicle is in the data base being checked. For some manufacturers this will be on a different screen. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE Most of the requirements for FMVSS 112, "Headlight Concealment Devices", have been transferred to FMVSS 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment". This action removed FMVSS 112 effective Oct 24, 1996. A revised Statement of Conformity is attached to reflect this change. INTERNET WEBSITE The address of our site on the web has changed. To get information on recalls or eligibility lists, etc. it is best to start at our home page which remains the same. NEW FEES This is reminder that the new registration and import fees went into effect for vehicles imported after October 1. Registration New register importer - $501 Renewal application - $332 Petition Substantially similar - $199 Capable of being modified - $721 Importation of a vehicle covered by a petition or agency initiative - $134 Bond processing cost - $5.15 A Revised Conformity Statement was enclosed with the mailing and is available from George Entwistle, 202-366-5306. REFERENCE INFORMATION FMVSSs 101- Controls and Displays (Inspection) 102- Transmission Shift Lever Sequences, etc. (Inspection) 103- Windshield Defrosting and Defogging 104- Windshield Wiping and Washing 105- Hydraulic Brake System 106- Brake Hoses 107- Reflecting Surfaces (Inspection) CANCELED, May 6, 1996 108- Lamps, etc. 109- Passenger Car (PC) New Pneumatic Tires 110- PC Tire Selection and Rims 111- Rearview Mirrors 112- Headlamp Concealment Devices REMOVED Oct 24, 1996 REQUIREMENTS TRANSFERRED TO FMVSS 108 113- Hood Latch Systems (Inspection) 114- Theft Protection (Inspection) |
115- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (Inspection) REMOVED July 8, 1996; REQUIREMENTS TRANSFERRED TO P565 116- Hydraulic Brake Fluids 117- Retreaded Pneumatic Tires (Inspection) 118- Power-Operated Window Systems 119- Truck/Bus New Pneumatic Tires 120- Truck/Bus Tire Selection & Rims 121- Air Brake Systems 122- Motorcycle Brake Systems 123- Motorcycle Controls and Displays (Inspection) 124- Accelerator Control Systems 125- Warning Devices 126- Truck-Camper Loading 129- Pass. Car New Non-Pneumatic Tires 131- School Bus Pedestrian Safety Devices 135- Pass. Car Brake Systems 201- Occupant Protection in Interior Impact 202- Head Restraints 203- Impact Protection for the Driver from Steering Control 204- Steering Control Rearward Displacement 205- Glazing Materials (Inspection) 206- Door Locks and Door Retention Components 207- Seating Systems 208- Occupant Crash Protection 209- Seat Belt Assemblies 210- Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages 211- Wheel Nuts, Wheel Discs, and Hub Caps (Inspection) CANCELED, June 5, 1996 212- Windshield Mounting 213- Child Restraint Systems 214- Side Impact Protection 216- Roof Crush Resistance 217- Bus Window Retention and Release 218- Motorcycle Helmets 219- Windshield Zone Intrusion 223- Rear Impact Guards 224- Rear Impact Protection 301- Fuel System Integrity 302- Flammability of Interior Materials 303- Fuel System Integrity of CNG Vehicles 304- CNG Fuel Container Integrity REGULATIONS P541- Theft Prevention Standard P565- VIN Content Requirements P566- Manufacturer Identification P567- Certification Regulation P568- Vehicles Manufactured in Two or More Stages P569- Regrooved Tires P570- Vehicle in Use Inspection Standards P572- Anthropomorphic Test Dummy P572B, 50th Percentile Male (Hybrid II) P572C, 3-year Old Child P572D, 6-month Old Infant P572E, Hybrid III Test Dummy P572F, Side Impact Dummy (SID) 50th Percentile Male P572I, 6-year Old Child P572J, 9-month Old Child P572K, Newborn Infant P573- Defect and Noncompliance Reports P574- Tire Identification P575.103- Truck-Camper Loading P575.104- Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQG) P577- Defect and Noncompliance Notification P579- Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility P581- Bumper Standard P583- Automotive Parts Content Labeling P585- Automatic Restraint Phase-In Reporting Requirements P586- Side Impact Phase-In Reporting Requirements P587- Side Impact Moving Deformable Barrier P588- Child Restraint Systems Recordkeeping Requirements P589- Upper Interior Component Head Impact Protection Phase-in Reporting Requirements P590- Motor Vehicle Emission Inspections P591- Importation of Vehicles and Equipment Subject to FMVSS P592- Registered Importers P593- Determination for Eligibility for Importation of Vehicles P594- Registered Importer Fee Schedule All questions concerning this newsletter should be directed to George Entwistle, 202-366-5306. |