[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27921-27925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13064]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 575

[Docket No. 99-5697]
RIN 2127-AG67


Consumer Information Regulations; Uniform Tire Quality Grading 
Standards

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule amends the agency's consumer information 
regulations and the Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS) by 
rescinding the requirement that passenger car manufacturers provide 
general UTQGS information to purchasers and potential purchasers at the 
point of sale of new vehicles, requiring instead that such information 
be included in owners' manuals. In addition, this rule removes the 
requirement that manufacturers supply copies of UTQGS information to 
the agency, and removes a number of obsolete definitions. Finally, this 
rule amends the existing exclusion of tires with nominal rim diameters 
of 10-12 inches from the UTQGS to now exclude tires with nominal rim 
diameters of 12 inches or less.
    This action is being taken because the agency believes that 
elimination of the point-of-sale requirement will relieve a significant 
burden on vehicle manufacturers and dealers, yet will have little 
effect on consumers. The agency believes that UTQGS information is of 
little value to consumers at the point of sale of new vehicles because 
new vehicles are typically sold with tires selected by the manufacturer 
based on vehicle model, weight, and options. Further, consumers have 
shown little interest in UTQGS when shopping for or purchasing new 
vehicles. The agency believes that consumers will be better served by 
requiring such information to be included in owners' manuals for the 
future reference of those consumers when shopping for replacement 
tires.

DATES: Effective date: The amendments in this final rule are effective 
September 1, 1999. Compliance date: Optional early compliance is 
permitted beginning on the date of publication of this final rule in 
the Federal Register.
    Petitions for reconsideration of this final rule must be received 
by NHTSA not later than July 8, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Petitions for reconsideration should be submitted to the 
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 
Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    For technical issues: Mr. P. L. Moore, Safety Standards Engineer, 
Office of Planning and Consumer Programs, Office of Safety Performance 
Standards, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-5222.
    For legal issues: Mr. Walter K. Myers, Attorney-Advisor, Office of 
the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 
Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 366-2992.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Section 30123(e) of Title 49, U.S. Code, requires the Secretary of 
Transportation to prescribe a uniform quality grading system for motor 
vehicle tires to help consumers make an informed choice when purchasing 
tires. NHTSA implemented this statutory mandate by issuing the UTQGS at 
49 CFR 575.104, applicable to new passenger car tires. The UTQGS 
require passenger car and tire manufacturers and tire brand name owners 
to provide consumers with tire grading information with respect to the 
tires' relative performance in treadwear, traction, and temperature 
resistance characteristics. Excluded from the UTQGS are deep-tread, 
winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary-use spare tires, tires 
with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches, and limited production 
tires as described in 49 CFR 575.104(c)(2).
    Section 575.6(a) of Title 49, CFR, requires that at the time a 
motor vehicle is delivered to the first purchaser for purposes other 
than resale, the vehicle manufacturer must provide, in writing and in 
the English language, the information specified in Secs. 575.103 and 
575.104 that is applicable to that vehicle and its tires. The 
information required for tires is specified in Sec. 575.104(d)(1)(iii), 
which requires vehicle manufacturers to list all possible grades for 
traction and temperature resistance and restate verbatim the 
explanation of each of the 3 performance areas. The information must 
also contain a statement referring the reader to the tire sidewall for 
the specific grades of the tires with which the vehicle is equipped. 
Section 575.6(c) requires each vehicle manufacturer, brand name owner 
of tires, and manufacturer of tires for which there is no brand name 
owner to provide the information specified in subpart B of Part 575 to 
prospective purchasers at each location at which its vehicles or tires 
are offered for sale.

B. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

    The agency received a petition for rulemaking from the Association 
of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) to rescind the UTQGS 
requirements on motor vehicle manufacturers. In response to that 
petition, the agency published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) 
on May 21, 1998. The NPRM proposed:
    (1) To amend Sec. 575.6(a)(1) by requiring vehicle manufacturers to 
include the UTQGS information prescribed in Sec. 575.104, Figure 2, 
Part II, in each vehicle's owner's manual rather than requiring them to 
provide UTQGS information to purchasers and prospective purchasers at 
the point of sale of new vehicles. This action would delete the 
requirement that manufacturers provide UTQGS information at the point 
of sale, but would instead make that information available to vehicle 
purchasers in their owners' manuals;
    (2) To amend Sec. 575.104(c)(1) to exclude tires with nominal rim 
diameters of 12 inches or less, rather than tires with nominal rim 
diameters of 10-12 inches. This change would eliminate any ambiguity 
about grading tires smaller than 10 inches;
    (3) To delete the definition of ``brake power unit,'' ``lightly 
loaded vehicle weight,'' ``maximum loaded vehicle weight,'' and 
``maximum sustained vehicle speed'' from Sec. 575.2(c) because they are 
no longer pertinent to part 575; and
    (4) To revise Example 2 in Sec. 575.6(a)(1) to reflect the changes 
made in that section.
    In addition to the above proposals, NHTSA requested comments on a 
series of 7 questions soliciting comments on

[[Page 27922]]

such issues as the extent to which consumers and potential consumers 
consider the UTQGS information provided by vehicle manufacturers at the 
point of sale of new vehicles, what quantities and what costs are 
incurred in providing UTQGS information at the point of sale, how much 
lead time would be required to include UTQGS information in owners' 
manuals, and what costs or other problems would be incurred by 
requiring that manufacturers provide the UTQGS ratings for the specific 
tires mounted on each vehicle.

C. Comments on the NPRM.

    NHTSA received comments from Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. 
(Mercedes), Volkswagen of North America, Inc. (VW), AIAM, and the 
American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) in response to the 
NPRM. The comments are summarized as follows:
    (1) Delete Requirement for UTQGS Information at Point of Sale of 
New Vehicles. The commenters unanimously supported the proposal to 
delete the requirement that motor vehicle manufacturers provide UTQGS 
information to purchasers and prospective purchasers at the point of 
sale of new vehicles. All agreed that purchasers and prospective 
purchasers rarely ask for UTQGS information at that point. They argued 
that, in any case, UTQGS information is of no value at that point 
because tires are not an item of choice for vehicle purchasers. They 
asserted, therefore, that such information is irrelevant for purchasers 
and prospective purchasers of vehicles, but should be provided at the 
place where replacement tires are being considered.
    (2) Require UTQGS Information in Owner's Manuals. Only Mercedes 
expressed support for the proposal to include the UTQGS information in 
owner's manuals, saying that such information ``located in the owners' 
manual would assist owners who would like to purchase replacement tires 
at any of a number of aftermarket establishments.''
    The others uniformly opposed including UTQGS information in owners' 
manuals. VW stated that it has been voluntarily including UTQGS 
information in its owners' manuals. However, VW and AIAM agreed that 
that is not essential because the UTQGS information will be available 
anyway when consumers consider the purchase of replacement tires. AAMA 
stated that its members voluntarily provide UTQGS information in 
owners' manuals but, given the lack of consumer interest in this 
information at the time of new vehicle purchase, AAMA does not believe 
that providing UTQGS information in owners' manuals is justified. AAMA 
argued that UTQGS information may be a factor in the purchase of 
replacement tires, therefore such information should be provided where 
replacement tires are offered for sale. AAMA noted that UTQGS 
information changes periodically, such as when the AA traction rating 
was established by the final rule of September 9, 1996 (61 FR 47437). 
Therefore, maintaining UTQGS information at retail tire outlets would 
provide up-to-date information to consumers rather than leaving them to 
rely on possibly obsolete information that was current at the time 
their owners' manuals were printed.
    (3) UTQGS Information for Individual Vehicles. As stated above, 
NHTSA posed a series of questions in the NPRM, the 7th of which read:

    What would be the costs and/or other problems for passenger car 
manufacturers to provide, in leaflet form or in the owner's manual, 
the UTQGS ratings for the specific tires provided on each individual 
vehicle?

    All commenters opposed this suggestion, although to varying 
degrees. Mercedes stated that because the type of tires with which a 
vehicle is originally equipped will likely change during the life of 
the vehicle, information on the original tires would be irrelevant. In 
addition, owners may erroneously assume that the original tire type is 
the only type of tire appropriate for the vehicle. VW asserted that 
tires installed at the assembly plant can be different, depending on 
the driveline configuration, options, and tire availability. VW, AIAM 
and AAMA argued that such a requirement would be extremely burdensome 
and impose unnecessary costs without providing any benefit to consumers 
considering purchase of a new vehicle.
    (4) Providing UTQGS Information to NHTSA. VW, AIAM, and AAMA 
opposed the proposal to retain the requirement that vehicle and tire 
manufacturers provide UTQGS information to NHTSA not less than 30 days 
prior to availability of the product to consumers. VW, AIAM, and AAMA 
argued that such information would merely be a verbatim restatement of 
the information in Figure 2, Part II of Sec. 575.104 and therefore a 
needless burden on manufacturers. AAMA further stated that this 
requirement is becoming increasingly difficult to administer because of 
the staggering of new model introductions which necessitates multiple 
submission of the same information.
    (5) Location of UTQGS Ratings. AIAM opposed the agency's proposal 
to require that the UTQGS information in the owner's manual include a 
statement that the grades for the tires on the vehicle can be found on 
the tires' sidewalls. AIAM argued that that is not helpful to consumers 
since UTQGS information is meant to be helpful only in tire purchases.
    (6) Effective Date. Mercedes urged the agency to specify an 
effective date of September 1, 1999 for the proposed amendments to 
permit modification of the owner's manual to correspond with a new 
model year.
    (7) Deletion of Obsolete Definitions. Finally, AIAM and AAMA 
supported the proposed deletion of the definitions of brake power unit, 
lightly loaded vehicle weight, maximum loaded vehicle weight, and 
maximum sustained vehicle speed as being obsolete and unneeded.

D. Agency Analysis and Decision

    (1) Delete Requirement for UTQGS Information at Point of Sale of 
New Vehicles. NHTSA has decided to rescind the requirement that vehicle 
manufacturers provide UTQGS information to purchasers and prospective 
purchasers of motor vehicles. The agency is persuaded by the rationale 
in the AIAM petition and the comments of the others that purchasers and 
prospective purchasers of motor vehicles are not concerned with the 
UTQGS when shopping for or purchasing a new vehicle. AAMA and AIAM 
stated that consumers rarely ask for UTQGS information and do not 
indicate that this is a factor in their purchase decisions. Further, VW 
and AIAM pointed out that tires are not an option when purchasing a new 
vehicle because different vehicles may be equipped with different types 
of tires, depending on the vehicle model, options selected by the 
purchaser, and the availability of tires at the assembly plant. It is 
clear, therefore, that this requirement provides little, if any, 
benefit to consumers, while constituting an administrative burden on 
vehicle manufacturers. Accordingly, the recission of this requirement 
will relieve that administrative burden on vehicle manufacturers.
    (2) Require UTQGS Information in Owners' Manuals. NHTSA has decided 
to require the general UTQGS information set forth in Figure 2, Part 
II, of Sec. 575.104 to be included in vehicle owners' manuals.
    Although AIAM stated that many manufacturers already include UTQGS

[[Page 27923]]

information in their owners' manuals, VW, AIAM, and AAMA opposed the 
NHTSA proposal to require UTQGS information to be placed in owners' 
manuals rather than requiring that information to be provided to 
purchasers and prospective vehicle purchasers at the point of vehicle 
sales (see C(2) above). They argued that UTQGS information is not 
essential and should only be provided for consumers when shopping for 
replacement tires.
    NHTSA continues to believe that UTQGS information should be 
included in owners' manuals because the owner's manual stays with the 
vehicle, even though owners of that vehicle may change from time to 
time. As the commenters noted, consumers rarely seek UTQGS information 
when shopping for new vehicles. However, when it is time to replace the 
original tires on a vehicle, the UTQGS information will be readily 
available in the owner's manual along with all other information 
pertaining to that vehicle. The owner's manual serves as a primary 
reference source for all aspects of the vehicle, including the tires. 
Therefore, it is logical to assume that when replacement tires are 
needed, the then owner of the vehicle will refer to the owner's manual 
for information and recommendations from the manufacturer as to what 
type, size, and construction of tire would be suitable for that 
particular vehicle. The UTQGS information in the owner's manual will 
educate the consumer in advance and inform that person as to what 
grades, among other factors, to look for before arriving at the tire 
store. It is also quite possible that if the UTQGS information were not 
available to the consumer in the owner's manual, that information might 
never be made available to that consumer.
    AAMA argued that allowing consumers to get up-to-date UTQGS 
information at the tire store is preferable to getting what might be 
obsolete information from the owner's manual. AAMA cited the changes to 
the UTQGS in September 9, 1996 which, among other things, created the 
AA traction rating. NHTSA acknowledges that there is some validity to 
that point. However, although the grades of the various tire lines may 
change, the general information with respect to the UTQGS does not, and 
that is what the agency is requiring in the owner's manual. The general 
information in the owner's manual acquaints the consumer with the 
grading system so that when that person arrives at the tire store, he 
or she will know that tires are quality graded and can then concentrate 
on ascertaining the grades of the various tires.
    (3) UTQGS Information for Individual Vehicles. NHTSA has decided 
not to require manufacturers to provide the UTQGS ratings on the tires 
of individual vehicles. The commenters stated that such a requirement 
would be impractical and would present a costly and time-consuming 
burden on manufacturers with no benefit to consumers. The agency is 
persuaded by the comments that the tires mounted on vehicles depend on 
the size, weight, and options on the vehicle as well as the 
availability of tires at the assembly plant, and that there would 
therefore be no cost-efficient way to provide this information with 
each individual vehicle.
    (4) Providing UTQGS Information to NHTSA. NHTSA has decided not to 
maintain the requirement that vehicle manufacturers provide UTQGS 
information to NHTSA not less than 30 days prior to availability of the 
product to consumers. The commenters are correct that such submissions 
merely reiterates the UTQGS general information contained in Figure 2, 
Part II of Sec. 575.104. Not requiring this information will alleviate 
another administrative burden on manufacturers that would have no 
benefit to consumers, at the same time relieving the agency of 
receiving and processing information that is not needed for management 
of the UTQGS program.
    (5) Location of UTQGS Ratings. NHTSA has decided to require that 
the general UTQGS information included in the owners' manuals include a 
statement that the grades for the tires on the vehicle can be found on 
the tires' sidewalls. NHTSA believes that since new vehicles come with 
tires selected by the vehicle manufacturer and not by the vehicle 
purchaser, that purchaser should know how and where to find the grades 
of the tires on the vehicle. Since the agency is not requiring the 
vehicle manufacturer to provide the purchaser with the grading 
information of the tires on each vehicle (see D(3) above), NHTSA 
believes that it is important that the consumer be advised as to where 
to find the grades of the tires on the new vehicle.
    (6) Effective Date. As requested by Mercedes, NHTSA has decided to 
make the amendments in this final rule effective on September 1, 1999 
to permit the revisions of owners' manuals to coincide with the change 
of model years. Early optional compliance is permitted.
    (7) Deletion of Obsolete Definitions. NHTSA has decided to delete 
the definitions of brake power unit, lightly loaded vehicle weight, 
maximum loaded vehicle weight, and maximum sustained speed. AIAM and 
AAMA supported this proposal and since these definitions were 
applicable to previously rescinded sections of part 575, they are no 
longer needed for any of the provisions of part 575.
    (8) Other Amendments to Part 575. NHTSA is also revising Example 2 
in Sec. 575.6(a)(1) to be more representative of the type of tables 
that might appear in owners' manuals pursuant to Sec. 575.103. It is 
also amending Sec. 575.104(c)(1) to exclude from the provisions of 
Sec. 575.104 tires with nominal rim diameters of 12 inches or less. 
NHTSA proposed these amendments in the NPRM, but none of the commenters 
addressed these issues. NHTSA continues to believe that with the 
amendment to Sec. 575.6(a)(1), revision of Example 2 is necessary in 
order to be consistent with that paragraph as amended. Further, NHTSA 
is changing the exclusion from Sec. 575.104 of tires with nominal rim 
diameters between 10 and 12 inches to tires with nominal rim diameters 
of 12 inches or less in order to avoid any confusion as to the 
exclusion of tires below 10 inches.

E. Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

    (1) Executive Order 12866 and DOT Regulatory Policies and 
Procedures. This document was not reviewed under Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review. NHTSA has analyzed the impact of this 
rulemaking action and has determined that it is not ``significant'' 
under the DOT's regulatory policies and procedures. This final rule 
relieves motor vehicle manufacturers of the requirement to provide 
UTQGS information to purchasers and prospective purchasers of new motor 
vehicles at the points of sale of those vehicles, but requires the 
manufacturers of vehicles equipped with passenger car tires to include 
that UTQGS information in the owner's manual of each individual such 
vehicle. NHTSA believes that the cost of adding UTQGS information to 
owners' manuals, which vehicle manufacturers are already required to 
provide, will be minimal and in any case, less than the cost of 
preparing and providing separate UTQGS information at new vehicle 
dealerships. AIAM pointed out in its petition, confirmed by other 
commenters, that some vehicle manufacturers already include UTQGS 
information in their owners' manuals. NHTSA believes, therefore, that 
implementation of this rulemaking action will result in an undetermined 
net overall cost savings to vehicle manufacturers. The agency believes, 
however, that any net cost savings will

[[Page 27924]]

be minimal, therefore not warranting preparation of a full regulatory 
evaluation.
    (2) Regulatory Flexibility Act. NHTSA has considered the effects of 
this rulemaking action under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 
601, et seq.). I hereby certify that this final rule will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    The following is the agency's statement providing the factual basis 
for the certification (5 U.S.C. 605(b)). The amendments herein will 
primarily affect manufacturers of passenger cars and multipurpose 
passenger vehicles (MPV) that are equipped with passenger car tires. 
The Small Business Administration (SBA) regulation at 13 CFR part 121 
defines a small business in part as a business entity ``which operates 
primarily within the United States'' (13 CFR 121.105(a)).
    SBA's size standards are organized according to Standard Industrial 
Classification (SIC) codes. SIC code No. 3711, ``Motor Vehicles and 
Passenger Car Bodies,'' has a small business size standard of 1,000 
employees or fewer. SIC code No. 3714, ``Motor Vehicle Parts and 
Accessories,'' has a small business size standard of 750 or fewer 
employees.
    For manufacturers of passenger cars and MPVs, NHTSA estimates that 
there are at most 5 small manufacturers of passenger cars in the U.S. 
Each such manufacturer serves a niche market, often specializing in 
replicas or ``classic'' cars. Production for each such manufacturer is 
fewer than 100 cars per year. Thus, there are at most 500 such cars 
manufactured per year by U.S. small businesses.
    By contrast, NHTSA estimates that there are 9 large manufacturers 
of passenger cars and light trucks and vans (LTV) in the U.S. Total 
U.S. manufacturing production per year is approximately 15 to 15.5 
million passenger cars and LTVs. Thus, NHTSA does not believe that 
small businesses manufacture even 0.1 percent of the total U.S. 
passenger car and LTV production per year.
    In view of the above discussion under E(1), NHTSA believes that 
small businesses, small organizations, and small governmental units 
will be affected by the proposed amendments only to the extent that 
there may be a very slight, minimal decrease in the cost of new 
passenger cars. Thus, the agency has not prepared a preliminary 
regulatory flexibility analysis.
    (3) Executive Order 12612, Federalism. NHTSA has analyzed this 
rulemaking action in accordance with the principles and criteria of E. 
O. 12612 and has determined that this rule does not have sufficient 
federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism 
Assessment.
    (4) National Environmental Policy Act. NHTSA has analyzed this 
rulemaking action for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy 
Act and has determined that implementation of this rulemaking action 
will not have any significant impact on the quality of the human 
environment.
    (5) Paperwork Reduction Act. The provisions of this final rule 
requiring manufacturers to provide information in owners' manuals 
explaining the UTQGS tire quality grades for the benefit of consumers 
are considered to be third-party information collection requirements as 
defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 5 CFR part 
1320. The information collection requirements for 49 CFR part 575 have 
been submitted to and approved by OMB pursuant to the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq. This collection of 
information authority has been assigned control numbers 2127-0049 for 
part 575, excluding the UTQGS; and 2127-0519, Uniform Tire Quality 
Grading Standards, 49 CFR part 575.104, and has been approved for use 
through September 30, 2001.
    (6) Civil Justice Reform. The amendments in this final rule will 
have no retroactive effect. Under 49 U.S.C. 30103(b), whenever a 
Federal motor vehicle safety standard is in effect, a state or 
political subdivision of a state may prescribe or continue in effect a 
standard applicable to the same aspect of performance of a motor 
vehicle only if the standard is identical to the Federal standard. 
However, the United State government, a state or political subdivision 
of a state may prescribe a standard for a motor vehicle or motor 
vehicle equipment obtained for its own use that imposes a higher 
performance requirement than that required by the Federal standard. 49 
U.S.C. 30161 sets forth a procedure for judicial review of final rules 
establishing, amending or revoking Federal motor vehicle safety 
standards. A petition for reconsideration or other administrative 
proceedings is not required before parties may file suit in court.
    (7) Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires agencies to prepare a written 
assessment of the costs, benefits and other effects of proposed or 
final rules that include a Federal mandate likely to result in the 
expenditure by state, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, 
or by the private sector, of more than $100 million annually. This 
final rule does not meet the definition of a Federal mandate because 
this rule involves very little, if any, additional costs to vehicle or 
tire manufacturers and in no case will annual expenditures exceed the 
$100 million threshold.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 575

    Consumer protection, Labeling, Motor vehicle safety, Motor 
vehicles, Rubber and rubber products, Tires.
    In consideration of the foregoing, 49 CFR part 575 is amended as 
follows:

PART 575--CONSUMER INFORMATION REGULATIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 575 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.


Sec. 575.2  [Amended]

    2. Section 575.2(c) is amended by removing the definitions of Brake 
power unit, Lightly loaded vehicle weight, Maximum loaded vehicle 
weight, and Maximum sustained vehicle speed.
* * * * *
    3. Section 575.6 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1), 
(d)(1)(i), (d)(1)(ii), and (d)(2), to read as follows:


Sec. 575.6  Requirements.

    (a)(1) At the time a motor vehicle is delivered to the first 
purchaser for purposes other than resale, the manufacturer of that 
vehicle shall provide the Uniform Tire Quality Grading information 
required by Sec. 575.104(d)(1)(iii) in the owner's manual of each 
vehicle it produces. The vehicle manufacturer shall also provide to the 
purchaser, in writing and in the English language, the information 
specified in Sec. 575.103 of this part that is applicable to that 
vehicle. The information provided with a vehicle may contain more than 
one table, but the document must either:
    (i) Clearly and unconditionally indicate which of the tables apply 
to the vehicle with which it is provided, or
    (ii) Contain a statement on its cover referring the reader to the 
vehicle certification label for specific information concerning which 
of the tables apply to that vehicle. If the manufacturer chooses option 
in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section, the vehicle certification 
label shall include such specific information.

    Example 1. Manufacturer X furnishes a document containing 
several tables that apply to various groups of vehicles that it 
produces. The document contains the following notation on its front 
page: ``The information that applies to this vehicle is

[[Page 27925]]

contained in Table 5.'' That notation satisfies the requirement.
    Example 2. Manufacturer Y furnishes a document containing 
several tables as in Example 1, with the following notation on its 
front page:
    ``Information applies as follows:
    Model P. Regular cab, 135 in. (3,430 mm) wheel base--Table 1.
    Model P. Club cab, 142 in. (3,607 mm) wheel base--Table 2.
    Model Q--Table 3.''
    This notation does not satisfy the requirement, since it is 
conditioned on the model or the equipment of the vehicle with which 
the document is furnished, and therefore additional information is 
required to select the proper table.
* * * * *
    (d)(1)(i) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this 
section, in the case of all sections of subpart B other than 
Sec. 575.104, as they apply to information submitted prior to new model 
introduction, each manufacturer of motor vehicles shall submit to the 
Administrator 2 copies of the information specified in subpart B of 
this part that is applicable to the vehicles offered for sale, at least 
90 days before information on such vehicles is first provided for 
examination by prospective purchasers pursuant to paragraph (c) of this 
section.
    (ii) Where an unforeseen preintroduction modification in vehicle 
design or equipment results in a change in vehicle performance for a 
characteristic included in subpart B of this part, a manufacturer of 
motor vehicles may revise information previously furnished under 
paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section by submission to the Administrator 
of 2 copies of the revised information reflecting the performance 
changes, at least 30 days before information on such vehicles is first 
provided to prospective purchasers pursuant to paragraph (c) of this 
section.
    (d)(2) In the case of Sec. 575.104, and all other sections of 
subpart B as they apply to post-introduction changes in information 
submitted for the current model year, each manufacturer of motor 
vehicles, each brand name owner of tires, and each manufacturer of 
tires for which there is no brand name owner shall submit to the 
Administrator 2 copies of the information specified in subpart B of 
this part that is applicable to the vehicles or tires offered for sale, 
at least 30 days before it is first provided for examination by 
prospective purchasers pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
* * * * *
    4. Section 575.104 is amended by revising (c)(1), (d)(1)(i), and 
(d)(1)(iii), to read as follows:


Sec. 575.104  Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards

* * * * *
    (c) Application. (1) This section applies to new pneumatic tires 
for use on passenger cars. However, this section does not apply to deep 
tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare 
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of 12 inches or less, or to 
limited production tires as defined in paragraph (c)(2) of this 
section.
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (1)(ii) In the case of the information required by Sec. 575.6(c) to 
be furnished to prospective purchasers of tires, each tire manufacturer 
or brand name owner shall, as part of that information, list all 
possible grades for traction and temperature resistance, and restate 
verbatim the explanation for each performance area specified in Figure 
2. The information need not be in the same format as in Figure 2. The 
information must indicate clearly and unambiguously the grade in each 
performance area for each tire of that manufacturer or brand name owner 
offered for sale at the particular location.
    (iii) Each manufacturer of motor vehicles equipped with passenger 
car tires shall include in the owner's manual of each such vehicle a 
list of all possible grades for traction and temperature resistance and 
restate verbatim the explanation for each performance area specified in 
Figure 2, Part II. The information need not be in the exact format of 
Figure 2, Part II, but it must contain a statement referring the reader 
to the tire sidewall for the specific tire grades for the tires with 
which the vehicle is equipped, as follows:

Uniform Tire Quality Grading

    Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire 
sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width. For 
example:

Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

* * * * *
    Issued on: May 14, 1999.
Ricardo Martinez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-13064 Filed 5-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P