What must a vehicle manufacturer report when it finds a safety defect? Answer in under 100 words. Cite only eCFR (www.ecfr.gov) sources.

Details / How it works

When a manufacturer determines that a defect in its vehicles or items of original or replacement equipment relates to motor vehicle safety — or that a noncompliance with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard exists — it must submit a Defect and Noncompliance Information Report to NHTSA under 49 CFR § 573.6. The initial report is due within 5 working days of that determination and must include, at minimum, the information specified in paragraphs (c)(1), (2), and (5). Remaining required information must follow within 5 working days after the manufacturer confirms its accuracy, and amendments to specified information must be submitted within 5 working days of new or corrected data.

Required content of the initial report (paragraphs (c)(1), (2), (5))

• (c)(1) Manufacturer's name — the full corporate or individual name of the fabricating manufacturer, plus any brand name or trademark owner spelled out. For imported vehicles/equipment, the U.S. agent designated under 49 U.S.C. § 30164(a) must also be identified.
• (c)(2) Identification of the affected population — including the manufacturer's basis for determining the recall population and how recalled items differ from similar items not recalled. Passenger cars are identified by make, line, model year, and inclusive dates of manufacture; other vehicles by body style/type, inclusive dates, and attributes such as GVWR (trucks), displacement (motorcycles), or passenger capacity (buses). Equipment is identified by generic name, part number, size, function, brand/model, and dates of manufacture.
• (c)(5) Description of the defect or noncompliance — a brief summary plus a detailed description (with graphic aids) of the nature and physical location of the defect, together with an evaluation of the risk to motor vehicle safety consistent with 49 CFR § 577.5(f).

Timing thresholds

Exceptions & edge cases

• Exemption by the Administrator. Under § 577.5, a manufacturer may be exempted by the NHTSA Administrator (pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 30118(d) or § 30120(h)) from the notification obligation, but § 573.6 reporting obligations remain.
• Controlling corporation. If the fabricating manufacturer is a corporation controlled by another corporation that assumes responsibility for compliance with 49 CFR Part 573, the name of the controlling corporation may be used in the report.
• Unknown component origin. If the reporting manufacturer does not know the country of origin of a defective component, it must identify the entity from which it was obtained and submit a supplemental report once origin is ascertained.
• Recall campaign number. When new information is submitted relative to a previously filed report, the manufacturer must reference the recall campaign number assigned by NHTSA.