[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40602-40639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19899]



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Part III





Department of Transportation





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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration



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Denial of Petition for a Defect Investigation; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 145 / Tuesday, July 29, 1997 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Denial of Petition for a Defect Investigation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Denial of petition for a defect investigation.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a 
petition submitted to NHTSA under 49 U.S.C. 30162, requesting that the 
agency commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect 
related to motor vehicle safety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. John Hinch, Senior Engineering Advisor, Office of Defects 
Investigation, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. 
Telephone: (202) 366-5195.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By letter dated December 23, 1996, David 
Pittle, of Consumers Union of United States, Inc. (CU), petitioned 
NHTSA to investigate the alleged propensity of model year (MY) 1995-
1996 Isuzu Trooper and 1996 Acura SLX sport utility vehicles (subject 
vehicles) to roll over during evasive maneuvering and to issue an order 
concerning the notification and remedy of an alleged safety-related 
defect in those vehicles.
    The petitioner alleges that the subject vehicles have an 
``unreasonable risk of rollover associated with emergency maneuvers.'' 
In support of this allegation the petitioner argues that: (1) Tests 
conducted at the petitioner's test facility indicate that the subject 
vehicles will tip up when driven through the CU ``short course,'' which 
is a portion of the testing used by CU to evaluate the vehicle's 
emergency handling rating; (2) Tests of 3 peer vehicles, conducted at 
the same time, showed that these vehicles (Toyota 4-Runner, Nissan 
Pathfinder, and Chevrolet Tahoe) had a distinctively different 
performance--they did not tip up when driven through the ``short 
course,'' (3) Computer simulation, conducted by independent experts 
retained by CU, indicates that the subject vehicles will tip up while 
driving through a course like the CU short course; and (4) Additional 
computer simulation indicates that the rollover propensity of the 
subject vehicles could be reduced by increasing the front roll 
stiffness, which could be accomplished by increasing the size of the 
front stabilizer bar.
    CU supplemented its petition with additional information on several 
occasions. Other relevant information was provided by Isuzu Motors 
America, Inc., and American Suzuki Motor Corporation.
    NHTSA has reviewed all information brought to its attention, 
conducted tests of the subject vehicles and peer vehicles, and reviewed 
crash data bases and Office of Defects Investigation's consumer 
complaint data base. The results of this review and analysis are 
published in a petition analysis report: ``Petition Analysis DP96-011: 
Petition for Defect Investigation Concerning the Rollover Propensity of 
MY 1995-96 Isuzu Trooper and 1996 Acura SLX Vehicles,'' June 1997. This 
report is published in its entirety as an appendix to this notice.
    For the reasons presented in the petition analysis report, there is 
no reasonable possibility that an order concerning the notification and 
remedy of a safety-related defect in the subject vehicles would be 
issued at the conclusion of an investigation. Therefore, in view of the 
need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best 
accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.

    Issued on: July 24, 1997.
Kenneth N. Weinstein,
Associate Administrator for Safety Assurance.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30162(a); delegations of authority at 49 
CFR 1.50 and 501.8

BILLING CODE 4910-59-M

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[FR Doc. 97-19899 Filed 7-24-97; 2:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-C