Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 120 / Thursday, June 21, 2018 / Notices 28909 

None of the injury allegations and 

only one of the incidents severe enough 

to require collision repairs involved a 

vehicle that had been remedied under 

the recall and that crash was reported as 

a minor parking lot collision resulting in 

$1,100 of front end damage. NHTSA’s 

analysis of crash and injury allegations 

indicates that Ford’s recall remedy 

appears to have been effective in 

mitigating the safety hazards associated 

with loss of power steering assist while 

driving in the subject vehicles. 

3.3 Analysis: Summary 

The Petitioner references the similar 

experience of others as identified in 

complaints to NHTSA and through 

various websites and online forums in 

support of the position that Ford’s 

remedy was not adequate. The 

Petitioner’s claim is serious and the 

frustration Petitioner experienced is 

understood by NHTSA. However, the 

defect identified by Ford was ‘‘[l]oss of 

power steering assist while driving’’ 

caused by a particular defect in the 

torque sensor and not, as Petitioner 

understands it, by any EPAS 

malfunction requiring replacement of 

the steering column or torque sensor, 

under any operating condition, 

regardless of cause. NHTSA’s research 

and knowledge on this subject supports 

Ford’s conclusion that the safety risk is 

limited to the loss of power steering 

assist while driving. 

In contrast, a driver who does not 

have power steering assist when starting 

the vehicle will know that immediately, 

as it will be difficult to turn the steering 

wheel at low speeds, and will be 

prepared to compensate for it while 

driving (or may choose not to drive). 

Ford’s software update remedy, as 

explained in Ford’s DIRs, ‘‘changes the 

torque sensor fault strategy and will no 

longer remove power steering assist 

during an ignition cycle for a single 

torque sensor fault. Additionally, the 

software update will provide audible 

and visual warnings to the driver in the 

unlikely event that a torque sensor fault 

is detected.’’ 

Because Ford’s change in fault logic 

prevents the loss of power steering 

assist while the vehicle is in operation 

(if there is only one fault), the safety 

risk, i.e. the loss of power steering assist 

while driving, is addressed. Instead, the 

vehicle will turn off the power steering 

assist when the vehicle is turned off (or, 

as Ford puts it, after that ‘‘ignition 

cycle’’). Thus, the safety risk of losing 

power steering assist while driving has 

been resolved. Further, the addition of 

visual and audio warnings to the driver 

in the event a torque sensor fault is 

detected alerts the driver to the need for 

service to the EPAS system prior to a 

loss of power steering assist and to the 

need for additional effort required to 

maneuver the vehicle if power steering 

assist is removed by the system before 

service repairs are performed. Thus, 

Ford’s software update remedy does 

address the safety risk identified, which 

is the loss of power steering assist while 

driving, and without warning. 

This is not to say that the Petitioner 

may not have good reason to be 

displeased with the result. 

Approximately two months after 

receiving Ford’s recall repair, 

Petitioner’s vehicle suffered the problem 

that two months earlier would have 

entitled her to a remedy that instead 

would cost her approximately $1,000 to 

obtain. This is certainly cause for 

frustration. However, NHTSA’s 

authority over vehicle manufacturers is 

limited to issues related to safety. In this 

instance, Ford’s software update remedy 

removed the safety risk of a driver 

losing power steering assist, without 

warning, while operating the vehicle. 

Because the nature of the complaint 

does not allow NHTSA to grant the 

petition, we will only briefly address 

the other factors set out in the 

regulations. On those points the agency 

notes that while the alleged breach of 

the obligation to remedy is serious, 

there is no factual breach in this 

instance and that NHTSA does not have 

any ability to resolve the problem 

because the problem is outside the 

agency’s authority to enforce automotive 

safety. Further, the existence of similar 

complaints, both in online forums (as 

noted by the Petitioner) and in NHTSA’s 

databases searched in reference to this 

petition, does not support granting this 

petition because, again, there is no 

factual breach. Additionally, given the 

circumstances here, a hearing is not 

necessary to evaluate the alleged 

problem. Therefore, NHTSA has 

decided a hearing should not be held. 

4.0 Conclusion 

The Petitioner alleges facts that 

understandably have caused frustration 

surrounding the repair and operation of 

her vehicle covered by NHTSA Recall 

No. 14V–284. However, the issues 

raised in the petition do not warrant a 

public hearing because the remedy Ford 

provided addresses the safety risk posed 

by loss of power steering assist. That 

safety risk arises from the unexpected 

change in steering effort the driver may 

experience while driving. Since Ford’s 

remedy resolves the safety risk over 

which NHTSA has legal authority, 

NHTSA has decided not to hold a 

hearing on whether Ford has reasonably 

met the remedy requirements of the 

Safety Act. 

For the reasons set forth above, 

NHTSA hereby denies Defect Petition 

DP15–001. 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30120(e); 49 CFR part 

557; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 

and 501.8. 

Jeffrey M. Giuseppe, 

Associate Administrator for Enforcement. 

[FR Doc. 2018–13307 Filed 6–20–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND 

SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION 

Notice of Open Public Meetings 

AGENCY: U.S.-China Economic and 

Security Review Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meetings. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of 

meetings of the U.S.-China Economic 

and Security Review Commission to 

review and edit drafts of the 2018 

Annual Report to Congress. The 

Commission is mandated by Congress to 

investigate, assess, and report to 

Congress annually on the ‘‘the national 

security implications of the economic 

relationship between the United States 

and the People’s Republic of China.’’ 

Pursuant to this mandate, the 

Commission will hold public meetings 

to review and edit drafts of the 2018 

Annual Report to Congress. 

DATES: The meetings are scheduled for 

Thursday, July 12, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. 

to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, July 13, 2018, from 

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, August 

2, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 

Friday, August 3, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. 

to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, September 6, 

2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 

Friday, September 7, 2018, from 9:00 

a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, October 4, 

2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 

Friday, October 5, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. 

to 5:00 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: 444 North Capitol Street 

NW, Room 231, Washington, DC 20001. 

Public seating is limited and will be 

available on a ‘‘first-come, first-served’’ 

basis. Reservations are not required to 

attend the meetings. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any 

member of the public seeking further 

information concerning these meetings 

should contact Kerry Sutherland, 444 

North Capitol Street NW, Suite 602, 

Washington, DC 20001; telephone: 202– 

624–1454, or via email at ksutherland@

uscc.gov. Reservations are not required 

to attend the meetings. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
28910 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 120 / Thursday, June 21, 2018 / Notices 

Purpose of Meeting: Pursuant to the 

Commission’s mandate, members of the 

Commission will meet to review and 

edit drafts of the 2018 Annual Report to 

Congress. 

The Commission is subject to the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) with the enactment of the 

Science, State, Justice, Commerce and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 

2006 that was signed into law on 

November 22, 2005 (Pub. L. 109–108). 

In accordance with FACA, the 

Commission’s meetings to make 

decisions concerning the substance and 

recommendations of its 2018 Annual 

Report to Congress are open to the 

public. 

Topics To Be Discussed: The 

Commission will consider draft report 

sections addressing some or all of the 

following topics: 

• U.S.-China Economics and Trade 

Relations, including: Year in Review: 

Economics Trade; U.S.-China Economic 

Challenges; and China’s Agricultural 

Policies: Trade, Investment, Safety, and 

Innovation. 

• U.S.-China Security Relations, including: 

Year in Review: Security and Foreign Affairs; 

and China’s Military Modernization. 

• China and the World, including: Belt and 

Road Initiative; China’s Relations with U.S. 

Allies; China and Taiwan; China and Hong 

Kong; and China and North Korea 

Contingencies. 

• China’s High Tech Development, 

including: Next Generation Connectivity. 

Required Accessibility Statement: 

These meetings will be open to the 

public. The Commission may recess the 

meetings to address administrative 

issues in closed session. 

The Commission will also recess the 

meetings around noon for a lunch break. 

At the beginning of the lunch break, the 

Chairman will announce what time the 

meetings will reconvene. 

Authority: Congress created the U.S.- 

China Economic and Security Review 

Commission in 2000 in the National 

Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 106– 

398), as amended by Division P of the 

Consolidated Appropriations 

Resolution, 2003 (Pub. L. 108–7), as 

amended by Pub. L. 109–108 (November 

22, 2005), as amended by Pub. L. 113– 

291 (December 19, 2014). 

Dated: June 18, 2018. 

Daniel W. Peck, 

Executive Director, U.S.-China Economic and 

Security Review Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2018–13354 Filed 6–20–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 1137–00–P 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1