North America
North America
Motor Vehicle Component - DOT
The US Motor Vehicle Safety Certification Authority is the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), whose subordinate departments includes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Maritime Administration (MARAD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of the Attorney General (OST) and other departments.
The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US government agency responsible for implementing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and other laws related to motor vehicle safety. Under this authority, NHTSA publishes and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for motor vehicles and specific motor vehicle components. The enforcement regulations are listed in Article 49 of the CFR, Sections 500-599.
The purpose of the US Vehicle Safety Act is to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents. The Vehicle Safety Act requires that every FMVSS regulation must be enforceable, meet the safety requirements of motor vehicles, and must be stated in objective terms. On February 3, 1967, NHTSA issued a final version of the regulations to establish the first version of FMVSS.
The Vehicle Safety Act requires that regulated items of motor vehicle equipment manufactured for sale in the United States be certified to comply with all applicable FMVSS. Motor vehicle equipment items that are not subject to the FMVSS do not require certification. However, such items may be found (by either NHTSA or the manufacturer) to have a safety-related defect, and if so, the manufacturer will have an obligation to furnish owners of the equipment with notification of, and a remedy for, the defect, usually at no charge to the consumer.
Manufacturers may be subject to substantial civil penalties for failure to meet the requirements of the statutes and regulations that NHTSA administers. Currently, those penalties can be as high as $21,000 for each violation with a maximum civil penalty of $105,000,000 for a related series of violations. For example, the failure of a manufacturer to furnish notification of a noncompliance or defect to owners or to NHTSA may subject the fabricating manufacturer to substantial civil penalties. The penalties can be changed if the acts are updated.
Motor vehicle equipment items that are subject to the FMVSS are: Tires, Rims, Brake Hoses, Brake Fluid, Seat Belt Assemblies, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, Glazing (Automotive Glass and Plastics), Motorcycle Helmets, Child Restraint Systems (Child Safety Seats), Platform Lift Systems For The Mobility Impaired, Rear Impact Guards For Trailers, Triangular Reflective Warning Devices, Compressed Natural Gas Containers. ATIC provides one-stop testing and registration services for above all equipments.
The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US government agency responsible for implementing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and other laws related to motor vehicle safety. Under this authority, NHTSA publishes and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for motor vehicles and specific motor vehicle components. The enforcement regulations are listed in Article 49 of the CFR, Sections 500-599.
The purpose of the US Vehicle Safety Act is to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents. The Vehicle Safety Act requires that every FMVSS regulation must be enforceable, meet the safety requirements of motor vehicles, and must be stated in objective terms. On February 3, 1967, NHTSA issued a final version of the regulations to establish the first version of FMVSS.
The Vehicle Safety Act requires that regulated items of motor vehicle equipment manufactured for sale in the United States be certified to comply with all applicable FMVSS. Motor vehicle equipment items that are not subject to the FMVSS do not require certification. However, such items may be found (by either NHTSA or the manufacturer) to have a safety-related defect, and if so, the manufacturer will have an obligation to furnish owners of the equipment with notification of, and a remedy for, the defect, usually at no charge to the consumer.
Manufacturers may be subject to substantial civil penalties for failure to meet the requirements of the statutes and regulations that NHTSA administers. Currently, those penalties can be as high as $21,000 for each violation with a maximum civil penalty of $105,000,000 for a related series of violations. For example, the failure of a manufacturer to furnish notification of a noncompliance or defect to owners or to NHTSA may subject the fabricating manufacturer to substantial civil penalties. The penalties can be changed if the acts are updated.
Motor vehicle equipment items that are subject to the FMVSS are: Tires, Rims, Brake Hoses, Brake Fluid, Seat Belt Assemblies, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, Glazing (Automotive Glass and Plastics), Motorcycle Helmets, Child Restraint Systems (Child Safety Seats), Platform Lift Systems For The Mobility Impaired, Rear Impact Guards For Trailers, Triangular Reflective Warning Devices, Compressed Natural Gas Containers. ATIC provides one-stop testing and registration services for above all equipments.
General Steps
Designate Agent
Foreign manufacture shall designate a Permanent Resident of the United States as its Agent for Service of Process to ensure that NHTSA is able to serve the manufacturer’s agent with administrative or judicial notice or process.
Submit Registration
ATIC will support the manufacture submit designation information, identifying information and a description of the products. Any changes of the manufacturer's information need to be re-registered within 30 days to ensure that the registration information is timely, accurate and complete.
Testing
ATIC will support the manufacture make a testing plan according to FMVSS, SAE, etc. standards and conduct testing or witness testing in manufacture or 3rd party lab, make sure all testing and reporting process comply with relevant acts and standards.
Mass Production
ATIC support manufacture to inscribe certification mark or label on the equipment or vehicle in a prescribed location. Manufacture shall ensure mass production are fully compliant with federal regulations and keep quality records, test reports, registration records, etc. as required for at least 5 years.
Other Key Points
The US Motor Vehicle Safety Certification Authority is the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), whose subordinate departments include Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Maritime Administration ( MARAD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of the Attorney General (OST), etc.
The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US government agency responsible for implementing and implementing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and other laws related to motor vehicle safety. Under this authority, NHTSA publishes and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for motor vehicles and specific motor vehicle components. Execution regulations are listed in Article 49 of the CFR, Sections 500-599
The purpose of the US Vehicle Safety Act is to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents. The Vehicle Safety Act requires that each FMVSS regulation must be enforceable, meet the safety requirements of the motor vehicle, and must be stated in objective terms.
On February 3, 1967, NHTSA issued final regulations to establish the first version of FMVSS
According to US Federal Regulation 49 CFR Part 551, all manufacturers, component assemblers or importers of motor vehicles and components are required to designate a permanent resident of the United States as their agent before supplying motor vehicles and components to the United States. This agent can be a US citizen or a US domestic company that will participate in all liaison with DOT during the compliance application process.
ATIC also provides agent service to manufactures who produce superior quality products and intended to commercialize their products in United States.
FMVSS (except tires) applicable motor vehicle manufacturers and auto parts manufacturers must submit confirmations identifying manufacturers and products to NHTSA no later than 30 days from the start of production and within 30 days of any change in business information (49 CFR Part 566 Manufacturer Identification), the manufacturer must notify NHTSA and ensure that its registration record is up to date, accurate and complete.
Motor Vehicle
Motor vehicles are defined by statute as vehicles that are driven or drawn by mechanical power and manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, or highways.
In regulating the manufacture of motor vehicles, NHTSA has established the type classifications as Passenger Cars, Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicle (MPVs), Trucks, Bus, Motorcycles, Trailer, Low-speed Vehicle, and Pole Trailer.
Vehicles such as race cars, dirt bikes, or all-terrain vehicles that are not primarily manufactured for on-road use do not qualify as motor vehicles and are therefore not regulated by NHTSA. Instead, such vehicles may be regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Motor Vehicle Equipment
The Vehicle Safety Act defines motor vehicle equipment as:
The Vehicle Safety Act defines motor vehicle equipment as:
- Any system, part, or component of a motor vehicle as originally manufactured;
- Any similar part or component manufactured or sold for replacement or improvement of a system, part, or component, or as an accessory or addition to a motor vehicle; or
- Any device or an article of apparel (except medicine or eyeglasses prescribed by a licensed practitioner) that is not a system, part, or component of a motor vehicle and is manufactured, sold, delivered, offered, or intended to be used only to safeguard motor vehicles and highway users against risk of accident, injury, or death.
The North American Parts Compliance Program (ECP) promoted by AMECA (The Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc.) is a centralized, voluntary, one-stop process. It is a procedure for informing the government, industry and the general public that motor vehicle safety components have been tested in AMECA authorized laboratories and that they meet relevant standards. Products with an AMECA certificate will be more easily procured by North American buyers and users.
ATIC offers more than 60 automotive components AMECA certification including Automotive Lamps, Brake Hoses, Rearview Mirrors, Automotive Safety Glazing and Friction Materials, etc.
Motor vehicle equipment that is subject to an FMVSS must, as originally manufactured, conform to the standard and be so certified. In most instances, certification of compliance with the applicable FMVSS for regulated items of motor vehicle equipment is evidenced by the symbol “DOT” either inscribed on the equipment in a prescribed location, or placed on the outside of the container in which the equipment is shipped.
Along with a marking that indicates certification of compliance with an applicable FMVSS, the fabricating manufacturer of certain regulated equipment items such as brake hoses, glazing (automotive glass and plastics), and tires must label its products with code marks or identification numbers assigned to the manufacturer by NHTSA. NHTSA assigns an identification number to a manufacturer of tires or glazing (automotive glass and plastics) and accepts the designation of a brake hose manufacturer after the manufacturer submits an application to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Manufacturer Portal. To avoid a delay in the issuance of NHTSA assigned code marks or identification numbers, it is wise to comply with the requirements to designate a U.S. resident as agent for service of process if the fabricating manufacturer is not located in the United States.
This is accomplished by submitting the appropriate form to the NHTSA Office of Chief Counsel.
Requirements for certification markings on equipment items are found in the individual standards that apply to those items, as published in 49 CFR Part 571. For example, FMVSS No. 205 requires a glazing manufacturer to certify its glazing by adding to the marks required by section 7 of ANSI/SAE Z26.1–1996, in letters and numerals of the same size, the symbol “DOT” and a manufacturer's code mark that NHTSA assigned to the glazing manufacturer.
In order to prevent overloading of the tires, the manufacturer is required to install a permanent tire sign at the designated location of the car.
The US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS110 has specific requirements for tire selection to prevent overloading of the tires. The FMVSS 110 regulations apply to motor vehicles with a quality of ≤4.5 tons, but not for motorcycles, low-speed vehicles, and incomplete vehicle.
In order to prevent the tire from being overloaded, the manufacturer is required to install a permanent tire sign (Tire Placard) at the designated position of the car. This tire sign needs to provide tire load information to the user, including the number of passengers and the weight of the vehicle.
Notwithstanding its certification of a product, a manufacturer may subsequently determine that a noncompliance with an FMVSS or a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle equipment item it has produced. Manufacturers have a duty to notify NHTSA if they learn the vehicle or equipment contains a defect and in good faith they decide that the defect is related to motor vehicle safety, or in good faith they decide that the vehicle or equipment does not comply with an applicable FMVSS. The manufacturer must notify NHTSA within five working days after determining the existence of a noncompliance or a safety-related defect. Alternately, NHTSA may determine the existence of a noncompliance or a safety-related defect in a particular motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment item and order the responsible manufacturer to recall the product.
Regardless of whether the noncompliance with an FMVSS or a safety-related defect is determined to exist by the manufacturer or by NHTSA, the manufacturer must provide owners and dealers of the affected products with notification of the noncompliance or defect and must remedy the noncompliance or defect, usually without charge. The notification and remedy process is commonly referred to as a “safety recall campaign” or more simply as a “recall”. NHTSA monitors the remedy program to ensure its successful completion. The agency is not authorized to expend its funds on recalls. The expense of notifying owners and providing a remedy must be borne by the fabricating manufacturer and/or importer of the products found to contain the noncompliance or defect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations require manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment to retain claims, complaints, reports, and other records concerning alleged and proven defects and malfunctions that may be related to motor vehicle safety for a period of five calendar years from the date on which they were generated or acquired by the manufacturer.
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Motor Vehicle Equipments and FMVSS
| No. | Products | Standards |
| 1 | Tires |
FMVSS109, FMVSS110, FMVSS117,
FMVSS119, FMVSS120
FMVSS129, FMVSS139 |
| 2 | Rims | FMVSS110, FMVSS120 |
| 3 | Brake Fluid | FMVSS116 |
| 4 | Brake Hoses | FMVSS106 |
| 5 | Seat Belt Assemblies | FMVSS209 |
| 6 | Glazing (Automotive Glass and Plastics) | FMVSS205 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Helmets | FMVSS218 |
| 8 | Child Restraint Systems (Child Safety Seats) | FMVSS213 |
| 9 | Platform Lift Systems For The Mobility Impaired | FMVSS404 |
| 10 | Rear Impact Guards For Trailers | FMVSS223 |
| 11 | Triangular Reflective Warning Devices | FMVSS125 |
| 12 | Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment | FMVSS108 |
| 13 | Compressed Natural Gas Containers | FMVSS304 |
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