Document ID: NHTSA-2013-0144-0002
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petitions for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance: Ford Motor Co.
Posted Date: 2014-06-19T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 118 (Thursday, June 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35226-35227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14287]

[[Page 35226]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2013-0144; Notice 1]

Ford Motor Company, Receipt of Petition for Decision of 
Inconsequential Noncompliance

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

ACTION: Receipt of Petition.

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SUMMARY: Ford Motor Company, (Ford) has determined that certain model 
year (MY) 2014 Ford Focus passenger cars do not fully comply with 
paragraph S3.1.4.1(a) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 
No. 102, Transmission Shift Position Sequence, Starter Interlock, and 
Transmission Braking Effect. Ford has filed an appropriate report dated 
November 25, 2013 pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance 
Responsibility and Reports.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is July 21, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written data, 
views, and arguments on this petition. Comments must refer to the 
docket and notice number cited at the beginning of this notice and be 
submitted by any of the following methods:
     Mail: Send comments by mail addressed to: U.S. Department 
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Deliver: Deliver comments by hand to: U.S. Department 
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. The 
Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except 
Federal Holidays.
     Electronically: Submit comments electronically by: logging 
onto the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Web site at http://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Comments may also be faxed to (202) 493-2251.
    Comments must be written in the English language, and be no greater 
than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to the length of 
necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are submitted in 
hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are provided. If you wish 
to receive confirmation that your comments were received, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the comments. Note that 
all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
    Documents submitted to a docket may be viewed by anyone at the 
address and times given above. The documents may also be viewed on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by following the online 
instructions for accessing the dockets. DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement is available for review in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477-78).
    The petition, supporting materials, and all comments received 
before the close of business on the closing date indicated below will 
be filed and will be considered. All comments and supporting materials 
received after the closing date will also be filed and will be 
considered to the extent possible. When the petition is granted or 
denied, notice of the decision will be published in the Federal 
Register pursuant to the authority indicated below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    I. Ford's Petition: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h) 
(see implementing rule at 49 CFR part 556), Ford submitted a petition 
for an exemption from the notification and remedy requirements of 49 
U.S.C. Chapter 301 on the basis that this noncompliance is 
inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.
    This notice of receipt of Ford's petition is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
other exercise of judgment concerning the merits of the petition.
    II. Vehicles Involved: Affected are approximately 43,699 MY 2014 
Ford Focus passenger cars manufactured from August 2, 2013 through 
September 27, 2013, at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, 
Michigan.
    III. Noncompliance: Ford explains that the noncompliance is that 
after the vehicle has been started under certain non-typical conditions 
the subject vehicles do not fully meet the requirements of paragraph 
S3.1.4.1(a) of FMVSS No. 102 because the transmission shift position 
indicator (PRNDx) does not display transmission shift position sequence 
and position, i.e., Park, until after the shifter release button is 
depressed.
    IV. Rule Text: Paragraph S3.1.4.1 of FMVSS No. 102 requires in 
pertinent part:

    S3.1.4.1 Except as specified in S3.1.4.3, if the transmission 
shift position sequence includes a park position, identification of 
shift positions, including the positions in relation to each other 
and the position selected, shall be displayed in view of the driver 
whenever any of the following exist:
    (a) The ignition is in a position where the transmission can be 
shifted; or . . .

    V. Summary of Ford's Analyses:
    Ford stated that no other Ford vehicles are affected by this 
condition, and it is not aware of any owner complaints, accidents, or 
injuries related to this condition. In Ford's judgment, the condition 
does not present a risk to motor vehicle safety, for the following 
reasons:
    (1) This concern condition can only occur after a non-typical key-
on sequence and only when the transmission is in Park, thus not 
presenting a risk to motor vehicle safety.
    (2) As soon as the transmission shift lever release button is 
depressed (required for shifting to any non-Park position), the PRNDx 
will illuminate, allowing the customer to select the desired gear.
    (3) Under normal usage, the PRNDx illuminates as intended. For 
example, when the driver or passenger open a door and enter the car, 
the cluster will wake up from sleep mode and the concern condition will 
not occur.
    (4) If the vehicle is left in any gear other than Park, the cluster 
will not go into sleep mode, this concern condition will not occur, and 
the PRNDx will illuminate as intended.
    (5) All of the other requirements of FMVSS No. 102 are fully 
satisfied.
    Ford has additionally informed NHTSA that it has corrected the 
noncompliance so that all future production vehicles will comply with 
FMVSS No. 102.
    In summation, Ford believes that the described noncompliance of the 
subject vehicles is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety, and that 
its petition, to exempt Ford from providing recall notification of 
noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30118 and remedying the recall 
noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30120 should be granted.
    NHTSA notes that the statutory provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to file petitions for a 
determination of inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to exempt manufacturers 
only from the duties found in sections 30118 and 30120, respectively, 
to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of a defect or noncompliance 
and to remedy the defect or noncompliance. Therefore, any decision on 
this petition only applies to the subject vehicles that Ford no longer 
controlled at the time it determined that the noncompliance existed. 
However,

[[Page 35227]]

any decision on this petition does not relieve Ford distributors and 
dealers of the prohibitions on the sale, offer for sale, or 
introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of 
the noncompliant vehicles under their control after Ford notified them 
that the subject noncompliance existed.

    Authority: (49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120: delegations of authority at 
49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8)

Jeffrey M. Giuseppe,
Acting Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2014-14287 Filed 6-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P