Document ID: NHTSA-2011-0124-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Decision that Certain Nonconforming Motor Vehicles are Eligible for Importation
Posted Date: 2011-08-31T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 169 (Wednesday, August 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54290-54291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22234]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0124]

Decision That Certain Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Are Eligible 
for Importation

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

ACTION: Notice of decision by National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) that certain nonconforming motor vehicles are 
eligible for importation.

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SUMMARY: This document announces decisions by NHTSA that certain motor 
vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable 
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are eligible for 
importation into the United States because they are substantially 
similar to vehicles originally manufactured for sale in the United 
States and certified by their manufacturers as complying with the 
safety standards, and they are capable of being readily altered to 
conform to the standards or because they have safety features that 
comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all 
applicable FMVSS.

DATES: These decisions became effective on the dates specified in Annex 
A.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Stevens, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-5308).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not 
originally manufactured to conform to all applicable FMVSS shall be 
refused admission into the United States unless NHTSA has decided that 
the motor vehicle is substantially similar to a motor vehicle 
originally manufactured for importation into and/or sale in the United 
States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of the same model year as 
the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, and is capable of being 
readily altered to conform to all applicable FMVSS.
    Where there is no substantially similar U.S.-certified motor 
vehicle, 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B) permits a nonconforming motor vehicle 
to be admitted into the United States if its safety features comply 
with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all applicable 
FMVSS based on destructive test data or such other evidence as NHTSA 
decides to be adequate.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    NHTSA received petitions from registered importers to decide 
whether the vehicles listed in Annex A to this notice are eligible for 
importation into the United States. To afford an opportunity for public 
comment, NHTSA published notice of these petitions as specified in 
Annex A. The reader is referred to those notices for a thorough 
description of the petitions.
    Comments: Safe Ride News (Safe Ride), a Division of the Willapa Bay 
Company, Inc., submitted comments to petition dockets NHTSA-2011-0057, 
NHTSA-2011-0019, and NHTSA-2011-0061 expressing its concern that a 
nonconforming vehicle's ability to meet all safety requirements 
intended to protect child occupants (specifically those required by 
FMVSS Nos. 208 Occupant Crash Protection and 225 Child Restraint 
Anchorage Systems) be verified before the vehicle is released by a 
Registered Importer (RI). Safe Ride also questioned whether it is 
advisable for the agency to permit the importation of older vehicles 
that cannot be required to meet safety standards put into place after 
their date of manufacture.
    Addressing the first issue raised by Safe Rides, it is worth noting 
that under the agency's existing regulations, a nonconforming vehicle 
cannot be found eligible for importation unless it is shown to be 
capable of being modified to conform to all applicable FMVSS in effect 
on its date of manufacture. Moreover, such a vehicle cannot be released 
by an RI for the purpose of being licensed or registered for on-road 
use until the RI proves to NHTSA's satisfaction that the vehicle does 
in fact comply with all such standards. In instances where 
modifications are necessary to achieve compliance, the RI must provide 
descriptions of the modifications required along with documentary and 
photographic evidence that the modifications have been made. When 
modifications require components that are different from those 
installed in a substantially similar U.S.-certified version of a 
vehicle, proof that the substituted components will bring the vehicle 
into compliance with all applicable FMVSS are also necessary. With 
regard to the second issue raised by Safe Rides, the agency notes that 
it lacks authority to deny import eligibility to an older model vehicle 
on the basis that the vehicle could not be made to comply with FMVSS 
put into place after the vehicle's date of manufacture.
    No other substantive comments were received in response to the 
subject petitions.
    Based on its review of the information submitted by the 
petitioners, NHTSA has decided to grant the petitions.
    Vehicle Eligibility Number for Subject Vehicles: The importer of a 
vehicle admissible under any final decision must indicate on the form 
HS-7 accompanying entry the appropriate vehicle eligibility number 
indicating that the vehicle is eligible for entry. Vehicle eligibility 
numbers assigned to vehicles admissible under this decision are 
specified in Annex A.
    Final Decision: Accordingly, on the basis of the foregoing, NHTSA 
hereby decides that each motor vehicle listed in Annex A to this 
notice, which was not originally manufactured to comply with all 
applicable FMVSS, is either substantially similar to a motor vehicle 
manufactured for importation into and/or sale in the United States, and 
certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, as

[[Page 54291]]

specified in Annex A, and is capable of being readily altered to 
conform to all applicable FMVSS or has safety features that comply 
with, or is capable of being altered to comply with, all applicable 
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B) and (b)(1); 49 
CFR 593.8; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: August 24, 2011.
Claude H. Harris,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

Annex A--Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Decided To Be Eligible for 
Importation

1. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0061:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2007 Dodge Durango multipurpose passenger 
vehicles manufactured for the Mexican market.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 2007 Dodge Durango 
multipurpose passenger vehicles manufactured for the Mexican market.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 32391 (June 6, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-534 (effective date July 19, 2011).
2. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0055:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2007-2011 Suzuki GSX1300R Motorcycles.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles:
    2007-2011 Suzuki GSX1300R Motorcycles.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 30425 (May 25, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-533 (effective date July 11, 2011).
3. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0057:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS class passenger cars 
manufactured prior to September 1, 2006.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 2006 Mercedes-Benz 
CLS class passenger cars manufactured prior to September 1, 2006.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 30426 (May 25, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-532 (effective date July 7, 2011).
4. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0028:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2005-2006 Porsche Carrerra (997) passenger 
cars manufactured prior to September 1, 2006.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 2005-2006 Porsche 
Carrerra (997) passenger cars manufactured prior to September 1, 2006.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 14117 (March 15, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-531 (effective date April 26, 
2011).
5. Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0170:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2006 and 2007 Aston Martin Vantage 
passenger cars.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 2006 and 2007 Aston 
Martin Vantage passenger cars.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 6841 (February 8, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-530 (effective date March 23, 
2011).
6. Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0173:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1991 Rice Beaufort Double trailers.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 1991 Rice Beaufort 
Double trailers.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 75 FR 81711 (December 28, 2010).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-529 (effective date February 3, 
2011).
7. Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0161:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2010 Harley Davidson FL Series Motorcycles.
    Substantially Similar U.S. Certified Vehicles: 2010 Harley Davidson 
FL Series Motorcycles.
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 75 FR 74145 (November 30, 2010).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-528 (effective date January 28, 
2011).
8. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0062:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2008-2010 M&V GmbH Siegmar Fzb trailers.
    Because there are no substantially similar U.S.-certified version 
2008-2010 M&V GmbH Siegmar Fzb trailers, the petitioner sought import 
eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 32019 (June 2, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP-46 (effective date July 18, 2011).
9. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0019:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2005 Mercedes-Benz 350 CLS passenger cars.
    Because there are no substantially similar U.S.-certified version 
2005 Mercedes-Benz 350 CLS passenger cars, the petitioner sought import 
eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 28501 (May 17, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP-45 (effective date July 11, 2011).
10. Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0034:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R motorcycles.
    Because there are no substantially similar U.S.-certified version 
2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R motorcycles, the petitioner sought import 
eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 76 FR 14116 (March 15, 2011).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP-44 (effective date April 26, 2011).
11. Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0108:
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1989-1996 ALPINA B12 2-door Coupe model 
passenger cars.
    Because there are no substantially similar U.S.-certified version 
1989-1996 ALPINA B12 2-door Coupe model passenger cars, the petitioner 
sought import eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
    Notice of Petition:
    Published at: 75 FR 51164 (August 18, 2010).
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP-43 (effective date October 4, 
2010).

[FR Doc. 2011-22234 Filed 8-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P