[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 84 (Wednesday, April 30, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23367-23385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-1197]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
49 CFR Part 565
[Docket No. NHTSA 2008-0022]
RIN 2127-AJ99
Vehicle Identification Number Requirements
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This document amends 49 CFR Part 565, Vehicle Identification
Number Requirements, to make certain changes in the 17-character
vehicle identification number (VIN) system so that the system will
remain viable for at least another 30 years. This rule was initiated by
a petition from SAE International (formerly known as the Society of
Automotive Engineers), which was concerned that the available supply of
VINs, and particularly the manufacturer identifier part of the VIN,
might run out. This final rule will ensure that there will be a
sufficient number of unique manufacturer identifiers and VINs to use
for at least another 30 years.
DATES: Effective Date: October 27, 2008.
Compliance Dates: Amendments made in this rule apply to motor
vehicles manufactured on or after October 27, 2008 whose VINs have a
letter ``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position of the VIN, and to all motor
vehicles manufactured on or after April 30, 2009.
Petitions for Reconsideration: Petitions for reconsideration of
this rule must be received by June 16, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Petitions for reconsideration should refer to the docket and
notice number above and be submitted to: Administrator, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION portion of this document (Section
IV, Rulemaking Analyses and Notices) for DOT's Privacy Act Statement
regarding documents submitted to the agency's dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For non-legal issues, you may contact
Mr. Kenneth O. Hardie, Office of Crash Avoidance Standards (NVS-120),
NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone:
202-366-6987) (FAX: 202-366-7002).
For legal issues, you may contact Ms. Rebecca Schade, Office of the
Chief Counsel, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590
(Telephone: 202-366-2992) (FAX: 202-366-3820).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary
II. Background
A. History and Overview of the VIN System
B. Petition for Rulemaking
C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
III. The Final Rule and Response to Public Comments
A. Summary of Public Comments
B. Summary of Amendments Adopted in This Final Rule
IV. Rulemaking Analyses and Notice
I. Executive Summary
In response to a petition for rulemaking, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is amending 49 CFR Part 565,
Vehicle Identification Number Requirements (Part 565), so that the
supply of manufacturer identifiers and vehicle identification numbers
available under this regulation will be sufficient for at least the
next 30 years.
To accomplish this, NHTSA is revising the requirements for where
certain information must be communicated in a vehicle identification
number (VIN) as well as the characters that may be used in some of the
17 positions of the VIN for passenger cars and multipurpose passenger
vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg
(10,000 lb) or less. These changes will have two primary effects.
First, the need to issue new manufacturer identifiers, particularly for
large manufacturers, should be drastically reduced, thus preserving for
a longer period of time the remaining combinations of characters that
are available to be issued. Second, the changes will substantially
increase the number of combinations of characters available in
positions 4 through 8 of the VIN, as well as combinations of those
characters with characters in the other VIN positions, so
[[Page 23368]]
that the number of available VINs will significantly increase, enabling
the current 17-character system to continue for another 30 years and
possibly longer.
The final rule published today differs very little from the notice
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on October 2, 2007.\1\ The
differences are as follows.
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\1\ 72 FR 56027 (Oct. 2, 2007) (Docket No. NHTSA-2007-27830-
0001).
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The date and conditions under which this rule becomes
effective have been changed in response to comments that indicated a
need for prompt implementation of this rule.
While this rule now makes clear that Low Speed Vehicles
(LSVs) require a VIN, LSVs have been dropped from the list of vehicles
that would require, and be limited to the use of an alphabetic
character in position 7 of the VIN. This was done in response to
comments noting that the need for only an alphabetic character in
position 7 applies mainly to passenger cars and multipurpose passenger
vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg
(10,000 lb) or less, not all other vehicles covered by 49 Part 565,
such as trailers and low speed vehicles.
Comments received in response to the NPRM generally supported the
proposed changes to Part 565. Two commenters sought clarification as to
how the new rule would apply to trailers. A small number of the
comments recommended changes to what was proposed. These comments,
however, reflected a less than complete understanding of the proposed
changes and, in one case, the purpose of our proposal in helping to
sustain the current 17-character VIN system over the next 30 years.
Many of the comments raised issues that were either not
specifically addressed in the NPRM or involved suggested uses of the
VIN system that are outside the scope of either NHTSA's authority or
the purpose and scope of the VIN system. For these reasons, changes to
Part 565 suggested by the comments have not been made. A common
suggestion of this type was that NHTSA include (in the information that
must be communicated in the VIN) whether or not a vehicle is certified
to California emission standards.
In summary, the new VIN requirements apply to vehicles that are
manufactured on or after October 27, 2008 whose VINs have a letter
``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position of the VIN, and to all vehicles
manufactured on or after April 30, 2009.
The principal changes to Part 565 issued today that impact the
options vehicle manufacturers have in complying with Part 565 are as
follows:
Vehicle ``make'' will no longer be required to be
identified in the manufacturer identifier of the VIN.
Vehicle ``make'' will now need to be identified, along
with other information items included in the previous version of Part
565, in the second section of the VIN, which consists of VIN positions
4-8.
In generating VINs for vehicles that comply with Part 565,
manufacturers of passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and
trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or
less will have an expanded number of characters available in positions
4, 5, and 6 of the VIN. All three of these positions may now be either
numeric or alphabetic. These manufacturers will also be required to use
an alphabetic character in position 7 of the VIN.
II. Background
A. History and Overview of the VIN System
Since 1954, American automobile manufacturers have used a vehicle
identification number (VIN) to describe and identify each of the motor
vehicles they manufacture. The early VINs came in a wide array of
configurations and variations, depending on the individual
manufacturer. A move to create a more systematic VIN scheme was made in
1968, with the enactment of Federal motor vehicle safety standard
(FMVSS) No. 115, which took effect January 1, 1969. That standard
required each passenger car to have a VIN that is permanently ``sunk or
embossed'' on a part of the vehicle visible through the glazing by a
person standing at the left windshield pillar. Manufacturers were
required to avoid having a VIN be repeated within a 10-year period.
In response to a petition from the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Association and Volkswagen of America, Inc., the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1976 began considering an even
more structured and standardized system of VINs as well as expanding
the system to additional classes of vehicles. This process led to the
current system of 17-character VINs. A final rule implementing the new
system was published on August 17, 1978.\2\ The rule stipulated that
beginning with the 1981 model year, NHTSA would require that all over-
the-road-vehicles sold must contain a 17-character VIN in a fixed
format. The standard further required that the VINs of any two vehicles
manufactured within a 30 year period not be identical.
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\2\ 43 FR 36448 (Aug. 17, 1978) (Docket No. 1-22; Notice 5).
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On June 7, 1996, NHTSA issued a final rule consolidating all VIN
requirements into 49 CFR Part 565.\3\ Federal motor vehicle safety
standard (FMVSS) No. 115 was eliminated. Part 565 requires the
manufacturer to assign a unique VIN to each passenger car, multipurpose
passenger vehicle, truck, bus, trailer (including trailer kit),
incomplete vehicle, and motorcycle that it produces.
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\3\ 61 FR 29031 (June 7, 1996) (Docket No. NHTSA-95-85; Notice
2).
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One of the original purposes of the VIN system was to enhance
public safety by deterring vehicle theft based on the assumption that
drivers of stolen vehicles are more likely to operate those vehicles
unsafely and thus be involved in vehicle crashes. The current 17-
character VIN system embodied in Part 565 continues to serve this
purpose and, as stated in Part 565, also serves ``to increase the
accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recall campaigns.'' Recalls are a
critical tool for correcting safety defects in vehicles. The VIN has
also become the key identifier in data systems that track such things
as compliance with federal importation regulations, vehicle
registrations, insurance coverage, and motor vehicle crashes. Entities
that today utilize VINs in data systems include NHTSA, state motor
vehicle departments, law enforcement agencies, insurance companies,
organizations involved in motor vehicle research, and manufacturers.
Characters in a VIN are used in one of three ways. Some specific
VIN positions represent a single item of information related to a
vehicle. Other groups of VIN positions may be used individually or in
combination to represent information that must be deciphered from a key
that the manufacturer provides to NHTSA as required by Part 565.
Utilizing combinations of at least some VIN positions has been
necessary for some vehicles because the amount of information about a
vehicle required by Part 565 to be represented in the first (positions
1-3) and second (positions 4-8) sections of the VIN in some cases
exceeds the number of positions available in those sections. Finally,
the last digits of the VIN are used by manufacturers to sequentially
number groups of similar vehicles that are manufactured. Small annual
volume manufacturers use the last three digits to number vehicles.
Large annual volume manufacturers use the last six digits.
[[Page 23369]]
The VIN has four sections. The first consists of the first three
VIN characters. For large manufacturers, these three positions
represent a manufacturer identifier, which meets both the requirements
of Part 565 and International Standard 3780: Road vehicles `` World
manufacturer identifier (WMI) code (Small manufacturers must use a six
character manufacturer identifier consisting of the first three VIN
positions and positions 12-14). In International Standard 3780, adopted
by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1980,
the first three digits of the VIN are referred to as the World
Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). Although it is common to refer to the
first three digits of the VIN as the WMI, the first three digits will
be referred to here as the ``manufacturer identifier'' because Part 565
does not use the term ``WMI.'' Also, Part 565's requirements for the
first three digits of the VIN differ somewhat from those of
International Standard 3780 and it is Part 565's requirements that are
affected by the final rule.
NHTSA currently contracts with the SAE International (SAE) to
coordinate and issue manufacturer identifiers that comply with Part 565
to U.S. manufacturers. In issuing these identifiers, SAE also ensures
that the identifiers comply with the requirements of International
Standard 3780 for WMIs.
Part 565 currently requires that manufacturers identify
manufacturer, make and type of motor vehicle in the first three digits
of a VIN. To comply with International Standard 3780, this section of
the VIN must also indicate the country in which the vehicle was
manufactured.
The proliferation of vehicle makes for passenger vehicles has
resulted in large manufacturers with multiple makes of vehicles having
to obtain multiple manufacturer identifiers. This, in combination with
large manufacturer identifiers issued to large manufacturers of other
types of vehicles, has resulted in a drain on the supply of
manufacturer identifiers/WMIs available for large U.S. manufacturers.
The five characters in the second section (positions 4 through 8)
of a VIN must identify attributes of the specific type of vehicle
involved. These attributes are indicated in Table I in Part 565.15
(formerly 565.6).
The third VIN section consists of one character, called a check
digit, in the ninth VIN position. It reflects a calculation specified
in Part 565 that is based on the other VIN characters and that serves
as a check against typographical errors in transcribing a VIN.
The fourth section consists of positions 10-17. The first two,
positions 10 and 11, are for the model year and plant of manufacture
respectively. For large manufacturers, the last six characters are used
to sequentially number vehicles in groups of similar vehicles that are
manufactured by a given manufacturer. For manufacturers initially
intending to produce fewer than 500 vehicles of a given type, VIN
positions 12, 13, and 14 are additional characters used for the
manufacturer's manufacturer identifier. Under the current version of
Part 565, this means manufacturers that produce fewer than 500 vehicles
of a given type have a six-digit manufacturer identifier consisting of
the first three positions of the 17-character VIN, with the third
position in practice always being a 9, and positions 12, 13, and 14.
These small manufacturers use only the last three digits of the VIN to
sequentially number similar vehicles they produce.
When the current version of Part 565 went into effect beginning
with the 1981 model year, it was anticipated that the permutations
available under the 17-character system described in Part 565 would
provide a sufficient number of unique VINs and manufacturer identifiers
so that, as required by Part 565, ``the VINs of any two vehicles
manufactured within a 30-year period shall not be identical.''
B. Petition for Rulemaking
In a letter dated October 31, 2005,\4\ the SAE Vehicle
Identification Number/World Manufacturer Identifier Technical Committee
\5\ petitioned NHTSA to make certain changes to the current VIN system.
The committee proposed ``minor revisions'' to Part 565 that it believed
would both preserve the current 17-character VIN format while
significantly expanding the universe of available unique manufacturer
identifiers and VINs (At NHTSA's request, SAE submitted a subsequent
letter dated February 23, 2006,\6\ clarifying certain items in the
original petition). The petition proposed changes that would keep the
current 17-character VIN, but would add to the characters that may
appear in some of the VIN positions for passenger cars and multipurpose
passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of
4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less, thus adding significantly to the number of
available unique VINs for these vehicles. In addition to changes that
would expand the number of available manufacturer identifiers and VINs,
the petitioners asked NHTSA: (1) To add to the Part 565 list of vehicle
attributes those that must be communicated in, and decipherable from,
the VIN of a low speed vehicle (LSV); (2) to clarify the way the
``check digit'' as defined in Part 565 is determined; (3) to expand the
restraint system information that must be decipherable from a passenger
car VIN; and (4) to add language that further explains the typefaces
permitted for a VIN. The petitioners further proposed that these
changes take effect beginning with the 2010 model year due to concerns
over the supply of manufacturer identifiers and the possibility of
duplicate VINs being issued beginning with that model year.
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\4\ Docket No. NHTSA-2007-27830-0030.
\5\ Organizations represented on the committee included: General
Motors, International Truck and Engine Corporation, RL Polk &
Company, The Hill Group, Freightliner Truck Division, American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, American Suzuki Motor
Corporation, Harley Davidson Motor Company, Motorcycle Industry
Council, Ford Motor Company, Transport Canada, National Insurance
Crime Bureau (NICB), DaimlerChrysler Corporation, and NHTSA.
Representatives from Clifford Thames IMS in the United Kingdom, the
Highway Loss Data Institute, and Caterpillar, Inc. also
participated.
\6\ Docket No. NHTSA-2007-27830-0031.
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C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
NHTSA granted the petition by letter to the SAE dated March 7, 2006
and published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal
Register on October 2, 2007 (72 FR 56027). That notice proposed to
adopt most, but not all of the changes to Part 565 suggested by SAE.
The changes that were proposed in the NPRM were to:
Expand to 60 years (the current 30 year period that is
about to expire plus an additional 30 years) the period during which
the VINs of any two vehicles subject to Part 565 may not be identical;
Eliminate vehicle ``make'' from what needs to be
communicated in, and decipherable from, the manufacturer identifier;
Include ``make'' in what needs to be communicated in, and
decipherable from, the second section of the VIN (positions 4-8) for
all vehicles subject to Part 565;
Change Part 565 so that alphabetic or numeric characters
may be used in positions 4, 5 and 6 for passenger cars and multipurpose
passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of
4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less (Currently positions 4 and 5 must be
alphabetic and position 6 must be numeric for these vehicles. Either
alphabetic or numeric characters have always been allowed in these
positions
[[Page 23370]]
for other vehicles covered by the standard);
Require that VIN position 7 be alphabetic for passenger
cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross
vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less (This position
currently must be numeric for these vehicles. Either an alphabetic or
numeric character can be used in this position for other vehicles
covered by the standard);
Make clear that Part 565 applies to Low Speed Vehicles
(LSVs);
Include in Part 565 specific attributes for LSVs that must
be communicated in, and decipherable from, a VIN;
Require that the VIN plate for LSVs be placed in the same
location as passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and
trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or
less;
Expand from ``passenger cars'' to ``passenger cars,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed vehicles, and trucks'' the
vehicles that would be covered by the requirements of current Part
565.5--Motor vehicles imported into the United States;
Add regulatory language to call attention to the fact that
the number ``9'' in the third VIN position means that the vehicle is
produced in sufficiently low quantities that a small manufacturer
identifier is appropriate and positions 12-14 are therefore part of the
manufacturer identifier;
Change restraint system information that must be
communicated in the VIN of a passenger car from ``restraint system
type'' to ``all restraint devices and their location'' and require this
same information for LSVs;
Add to Part 565 a table with an explanatory note that
indicates the digit that should appear in the ninth position of the VIN
(This was requested to address the fact that the formula that is used
in determining what appears in the ninth position is often calculated
electronically and therefore does not produce the fractional remainders
that are currently used in Part 565 to determine the digit that goes in
position 9);
Revise the ``Year Codes for VIN'' table in Part 565 to
include character designations for years up to, and including, the year
2039, to account for the expanded period of time during which the
current VIN system will remain in existence under the changes proposed;
Change the contact details for the SAE in Part 565.
The changes that were requested by SAE that were not included in
the NPRM or that were included in modified form were to:
Specify in Part 565 that a positive identification style
font face is a typeface permitted under the regulation's broad
requirement for a san serif font typeface for a VIN.
Set the dividing line between manufacturers requiring a
large manufacturer identifier and those requiring a small manufacturer
identifier at 900 vehicles produced annually. The NPRM proposed 1,000
vehicles as the level at which a manufacturer must begin using a large
manufacturer identifier.
III. The Final Rule and Response to Public Comments
A. Summary of Public Comments
The agency received comments from the following: the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation (WisDOT), the Oregon Department of Motor
Vehicles (ODMV), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ),
Daimler A.G. (Daimler), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
(Alliance), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), the
Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), the National Insurance
Crime Bureau (NICB), the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
(NYDMV), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYDEC), the Washington State Department of Ecology (WDE), General
Motors (GM), Ford, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, BMW of North America,
The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), the
Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM), the Truck
Manufacturers Association (TMA), the National Association of Clean Air
Agencies (NACAA), Ferrari, Prevost (a division of Volvo Group Canada,
Inc.), the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM), and
several individuals.
1. General and Issue Specific Support
All commenters supported revising the VIN regulation in one way or
another, in some instances suggesting ways the VIN could be further
expanded.
Amendments Aimed at Extending Life of Current System
The Alliance stated that it ``fully supports both proposed
amendments that are directly related to extending the utility of the
VIN system beyond 2010.'' AIAM and TMA also expressed support for the
proposed changes, as did Ferrari and NATM with some exceptions and
concerns. NYDEC offered its general support for the efforts ``to ensure
that there will be a sufficient number of unique manufacturer
identifiers and VINs for the current 17-character VIN system for at
least another 30 years.'' Harley-Davidson also offered its ``general
support,'' noting, ``The regulatory proposal as written will provide a
solution to the issue for the next few decades.'' BMW supported NHTSA's
efforts to revise Part 565, but had concerns, as did Daimler A.G.,
about the proposed changes for position 7 of the VIN. NICB offered its
support, but expressed concern that the effective date should be
November 1, 2008.
NESCAUM, which is an association of state air pollution control
agencies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, offered general support
for the rulemaking and made suggestions concerning information that the
VIN should communicate.
Specific suggestions, exceptions, and concerns expressed by those
offering general support for the proposed changes to Part 565 are
discussed below under the relevant heading.
Large Manufacturer Threshold
The Alliance and Prevost commented directly on this subject. The
Alliance specifically supported the proposed change that would require
a manufacturer to make 1,000 vehicles a year rather than the current
500 before a manufacturer will be considered a large manufacturer and
be required to be issued and use a large manufacturer identifier.
Prevost expressed a concern about manufacturers of buses with a GVWR
greater than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb), stating that production of these
manufacturers may vary significantly so the threshold between small and
large manufacturer should be smaller than 500 with the possibility to
use either a 3 or a 6 character WMI up to 1,000.
Alphabetic and Numeric Characters in Second Section of VIN
The Alliance specifically supported the proposal to allow the VINs
of passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a
gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less to use
either alphabetic or numeric characters in positions 4, 5 and 6, as
opposed to only alphabetic characters in positions 4 and 5 and numeric
characters in position 6. As noted above, some manufacturers did not
agree with the proposed changes for position 7 of the VIN. AIAM
objected to a requirement that ``all restraint
[[Page 23371]]
devices and their location'' be decipherable from the VIN.
Moving ``Make'' From First to Second Section
The Alliance and AIAM supported moving vehicle ``make'' from the
manufacturer identifier to the second section (positions 4-8) of the
VIN. On the other hand, NATM believed that there is no need to assign
or designate the ``make'' of a trailer.
Vehicle Characteristics for VINs of Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs)
Advocates supported the proposal to include in Part 565 a list of
vehicle attributes that must be communicated in, and decipherable from,
the VINs of LSVs.
Costs Resulting From Software Modifications
NICB said its software can be modified to accommodate the proposed
changes ``without undue burden or expense.''
2. Suggested Changes to the Information To Be Communicated by the VIN
Comments:
Several commenters suggested adding various kinds of information to
what is currently required in 49 CFR Part 565 to be communicated in,
and decipherable from, a VIN.
ODMV, ODEQ, WDE, NESCAUM, and NACAA all urged NHTSA to incorporate
into the VIN a means by which States could determine whether or not a
vehicle is certified to meet California emission standards. NYDEC urged
a more detailed approach, asking for not only an indication of the
emission standard to which a vehicle is certified, but also the level
of certification.
NYDEC and NYDMV also suggested that a vehicle's fuel type or type
of hybrid technology be communicated through the VIN to help support
State inspection and maintenance programs. In some cases, information
that is already included in the VIN and that relates to the
administration of State inspection and maintenance programs, is not
treated consistently by manufacturers and is, therefore, hard to
access, according to NYDEC.
Advocates said ``the VIN requirements should also include a means
for encoding the type of power source that the engine can utilize.''
Yuli Chew, an individual submitting comments, suggested that the
seventh digit in the VIN be used to designate emission certification
and offered a detailed chart of proposed characters to designate
various emission certifications. He also proposed that the eighth digit
be used to indicate engine type and similarly offered a detailed chart
of engine types and characters to represent them.
WisDOT asked that the VIN include some method for determining the
maximum speed capability of low-speed motor-driven cycles, such as
mopeds. Whether or not a cycle can travel at speeds greater than 30 mph
impacts driver training requirements in Wisconsin and whether
passengers may be carried on the cycle. WisDOT provided a list of 28
other States in which speed of the cycle determines its classification
and related requirements. WisDOT also noted that the Uniform Vehicle
Code contains a similar distinction.
NESCAUM and NACAA recommended that the information communicated by
the VIN include motor vehicle test group and engine family, as defined
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR Part 86. The
information that would be available to States as a result of this,
NESCAUM said, ``could be used to support air quality monitoring
efforts.''
NESCAUM and NACAA also asked for several additional changes to the
information a VIN must communicate. They asked NHTSA to change the
definition of ``engine type'' that now appears in 49 CFR 565(d). They
maintained that the effect of the definition's second sentence, which
specifically calls for a VIN to represent ``the specific make and
manufacturer'' of an engine if it powers a ``passenger car or
multipurpose passenger vehicle, or truck with a gross vehicle weight
rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less'' is to exclude Class 3
through 8 heavy-duty trucks from the requirement to report engine
manufacturer and make. The commenters said this information would make
it easier for States to determine the emissions and fuel economy
characteristics of their heavy-duty truck fleets.
NESCAUM also asked that the VIN identify the GVWR rating class for
any vehicle in Class G-2 or above, saying this information would
greatly simplify States' efforts to identify whether a particular
vehicle is subject to its emissions inspection program and the type of
test required under that program. Finally, NESCAUM urged that the VIN
requirements for Class 3 through 8 heavy-duty vehicles incorporate the
exact gross vehicle weight, a change it said would enable States to
better characterize their heavy duty fleets.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The primary purpose of the VIN system is to assure a unique
identifier for each vehicle sold in the United States and, in so doing,
to deter theft and facilitate vehicle recall campaigns. Deterring theft
reduces the number of drivers on the road who are more likely to
operate motor vehicles in an unsafe manner. Recall campaigns are
conducted to remedy defects related to motor vehicle safety and
incidents of noncompliance with Federal motor vehicle safety standards
that are determined to exist in a vehicle. The current VIN system has
for nearly 30 years fulfilled the need for unique vehicle identifiers
and with today's final rule should continue to do so for at least the
next 30 years.
The agency is not adopting at this time amendments to address any
of the recommendations for the VIN to include additional information
elements, not because those recommendations lack merit, but instead
because there is a pressing need for today's rule to be in place to
assure the uninterrupted continuation of the VIN system.
The agency acknowledges that the additional information
requirements recommended in the comments, such as those relating to
California emission certification, reflect the fact that there has been
little change over the decades in the information that must be conveyed
by a VIN despite the development of new circumstances that may lend
themselves to the inclusion of new or different information. As such,
the agency plans to initiate a separate comprehensive review focused on
the information requirements of the VIN system. This will address
whether those requirements should be changed, and, if so, how those
changes should be made.
3. All Restraint Devices and Their Location
Comments:
Several comments were received concerning the proposal to change
language in Table 1 of 49 CFR 565.6(b) relating to the restraint system
information required to be communicated in the VIN of passenger cars.
The relevant language currently reads, ``Passenger car: Line, series,
body type, engine type and restraint system type.'' The replacement
language proposed by the petitioner and included in the NPRM reads,
``Passenger car: Make, line, series, body type, engine type, and all
restraint devices and their location.''
The agency also requested ``comments on whether this information
should be required for all passenger vehicles, not just passenger
cars.''
[[Page 23372]]
The Alliance opposed this proposed change and suggested that the
original language be retained. It said the proposed language would
create an ``unnecessary and unjustified burden on manufacturers''
because each running change relating to a vehicle's restraint system
could require a new VIN.
The AIAM also opposed the proposed change, on the basis that
evolving combinations of restraint devices could ``require development
of a complex coding scheme which may ultimately prove impractical due
to the number of possible combinations of these elements.'' Ferrari
also opposed the proposed language change citing the same argument as
that offered by AIAM.
Advocates supported both the proposed language change and extending
the information requirement beyond passenger cars to include ``all
passenger and non-passenger light vehicles with a gross vehicle weight
rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less,'' on the
basis that this information would be valuable for safety research and
data analysis.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The current language in Part 565 was sufficient when the range of
restraint equipment that was either required or was available in the
marketplace consisted primarily of seat belts and front seat airbags.
Today, in addition to seat belts, front seat air bags are mandatory and
restraint equipment technology has advanced to the point where there
are many variations both in required equipment and in equipment, such
as side air bags, that is offered in the marketplace. The new language
is intended to capture and make available, through a vehicle's VIN,
more complete and accurate information regarding occupant restraint in
each vehicle manufactured for sale in the U.S.
The agency does not agree with the Alliance and the AIAM that this
change is overly burdensome. The agency is aware that some major
manufacturers represented by these two organizations are already
submitting comprehensive restraint related VIN deciphering information
to NHTSA under 49 Part 565.7(c) that would comply with the amended
requirements. This suggests to the agency that if a manufacturer knows
well in advance of restraint system changes that will occur during a
vehicle's production run, creating a VIN to account for those changes
would be no more difficult than accounting for the different engines
that can be installed in a particular vehicle model. In those cases
where an unanticipated running change in a vehicle's restraint system
occurs, a company could retain the VINs of the vehicles involved and
provide NHTSA with revised VIN deciphering information as provided in
49 Part 565.7(c). In such a case, vehicles numbered sequentially above
a certain number in the last digits of the fourth section of the VIN
would have the revised restraints devices and locations, which could be
indicated in the company's amended deciphering information.
The agency agrees with Advocates that there is value in having the
VINs of certain vehicles in addition to passenger cars communicate the
type and location of the restraint devices with which those vehicles
are equipped . The agency is requiring the VINs of passenger cars,
multipurpose vehicles, and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of
4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less to communicate that
information.
4. VIN Position 7
Comments:
The NPRM proposed that for passenger cars and multipurpose
passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of
4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less the seventh position of the VIN be changed
from a numeric character to an alphabetic character.
Daimler and BMW asked that the seventh position be either numeric
or alphabetic, with BMW indicating this would ``minimize the cost
impact'' and achieve the same goal. Ferrari called the proposed change
for position 7 ``acceptable,'' but asked why position 7 could not be
either numeric or alphabetic.
Daimler also asked that the manufacturer be allowed to choose ``one
of the five positions to be changed from alphabetic to numeric or vice
versa.'' (Daimler did not specify the five characters to which it was
referring. The agency assumes the company was referring to VIN
positions 4 through 8, the positions referred to in Part 565 as the
second section, which includes position 7.)
The Alliance and GM both specifically supported the proposed change
from numeric to alphabetic characters in position 7. In addition, the
Alliance asked that a footnote be included in Table VII--Year Codes for
VIN in 49 CFR Part 565. That footnote would read, ``If position 7 is
numeric, the Model Year (in position 10) is 1980-2009; if alphabetic,
the Model Year (in Position 10) is 2010-2039.'' AIAM and Ferrari
supported this proposal.
Prevost suggested the addition of a footnote to Table VII as well.
It asked that the footnote communicate the fact that since position 7
may be alphabetic or numeric for vehicles over 10,000 pounds and
certain other types of vehicles covered by Part 565, such as trailers,
that character does not indicate the 30-year period in which the
vehicle was manufactured.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The reason for the proposed change in position 7 of the VIN was not
only to create additional permutations to increase the number of
available VINs, but also to enable VIN users to determine in which 30-
year period a vehicle was manufactured. The suggestion by Daimler and
BMW that manufacturers have the option of using either an alphabetic or
numeric character in position 7 would eliminate a VIN user's ability to
make this determination and would create considerable confusion for VIN
system users. (Daimler's suggestion that the manufacturer have the
option of choosing which character in the second section of the VIN to
change from alphabetic to numeric or vice versa, would be even more
confusing to VIN users). Under the approach suggested by Daimler and
BMW, VIN users would be unable to use the seventh VIN character to
determine the model year of makes and models of vehicles manufactured
in both the 30 year span of the current VIN system and in the 30 year
span contemplated for the VIN system established by today's final rule.
While having the option of either an alphabetic or numeric character in
position 7 might ``minimize the cost impact'' on manufacturers as BMW
suggests, it would also very likely add costs to other users of the VIN
system and not be as efficient as having position 7 clearly indicate
the 30 year period in which a vehicle was manufactured. The agency is
therefore adopting the proposal in the NPRM to require that only an
alphabetic character be allowed in VIN position 7 for passenger cars
and multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle
weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less under the revised Part
565.
The agency agrees with the Alliance, GM and Prevost that a footnote
to Table VII will further clarify the purpose of position 7 being an
alphabetic character. The agency is therefore adding a footnote to
Table VII, but is adopting language different from that proposed by the
Alliance and GM to both further clarify the role of VIN position 7 and
to make clear, as suggested by Prevost, that the requirement for an
alphabetic character in position 7 applies only to passenger cars and
multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight
rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less. The footnote will now read,
``For passenger cars, and for
[[Page 23373]]
multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight
rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less, if position 7 is numeric, the
Model Year in position 10 of the VIN refers to a year in the range
1980-2009. If position 7 is alphabetic, the Model Year in Position 10
of the VIN refers to a year in the range 2010-2039.''
5. Off Road Vehicles
Comment:
NACAA said the VIN system should be extended to ``nonroad vehicles
(primarily those for recreational use).''
Referring to a numbering system for off-road vehicles named, ``PIN:
Product Identification Number System for Off-Road Recreation
Vehicles,'' NYDMV noted that identifiers under this system will always
differ from VINs in the ninth position. A VIN will contain either a
number or an X. A PIN will contain a letter and never an X. NYDMV
suggested language for Part 565 that would prohibit VINs from
duplicating PINs for off-road vehicles.
Agency Analysis and Response:
NHTSA has authority to regulate only vehicles that are manufactured
primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways. Jurisdiction
to regulate vehicles of the type discussed by NACAA rests with the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, which at this time does not have a
system in place to provide identifiers for off-road vehicles.
As indicated by the NYDMV, a voluntary system has been created and
is operating to address the need for identifiers for off-road vehicles.
That system is administered by SAE International, the same organization
that administers the VIN system.
NHTSA does not have the authority to extend the VIN system to off-
road vehicles. It therefore did not address the issue in the NPRM and
is not making this suggested change in this final rule.
NHTSA is also not including language in Part 565 to prohibit a VIN
from duplicating a PIN as suggested by NYDMV. We do not regulate PINs.
Additionally, the agency believes that if, as the NYDMV indicates, a
PIN has an alphabetic character and never an X in its ninth position, a
VIN should never duplicate a PIN. This is because a VIN is required to
have either a numeric character or an X in that position.
6. Trailers
NATM, which represents companies that manufacture trailers with
gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) of 26,000 lb or less, submitted
detailed comments addressing issues unique to trailer manufacturers.
RVIA submitted brief comments on behalf of its trailer manufacturer
members concurring with the NATM comments. NATM generally supported the
proposed changes to Part 565, but raised the following two concerns.
Character Prescriptions as They Relate to Trailers
First, NATM noted that Section 565.6(b) currently applies to
``passenger cars and * * * multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks
with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or less''
insofar as it identifies the characters that must be used in specific
positions of the second section of the VIN (positions 4-8). NATM
further noted, ``There is, however, no mention of what characters,
alphabetic or numeric, manufacturers of other types of vehicles--larger
trucks, buses, trailers, and motorcycles--are required or permitted to
use in those same positions. By its silence, we assume Section 565.6(b)
allows manufacturers of those other types of vehicles to use either an
alphabetic or a numeric character, at their election, in all four of
the first four positions in Section 2 of the VIN, positions 4, 5, 6,
and 7. The current regulation goes on to state: `The fifth character
[position] may be either alphabetic or numeric.' It is not clear
whether this statement is intended to govern VIN use only in the three
vehicle types specified in the preceding sentence, namely automobiles,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, and light-duty trucks, or whether it
is intended to apply to all motor vehicle types to which Part 565
applies.''
Agency Analysis and Response:
The characters that may be used in a vehicle's VIN are identified
in Sec. 565.4(g). These are the characters that may be used in a VIN
unless there are specifications elsewhere in Part 565 as to the
characters that may be used in a particular VIN position.
The NATM's interpretation of the current version of Part 565.6(b)
is correct. The specifications in the current version of this section
as to the type of characters that must appear in specific positions of
the second section of the VIN apply only to the vehicles cited--
passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a
gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less--not larger
trucks, buses, trailers, and motorcycles. Therefore, the current
regulation allows manufacturers of larger trucks, buses, trailers, and
motorcycles to use either an alphabetic or a numeric character in all
four of the first four positions in the second section of the VIN,
positions 4, 5, 6, and 7. Position 8 under the current regulation may
be either an alphabetic or numeric character for any type of vehicle.
Nothing will change for these vehicles under this final rule. In this
final rule, only position 7 will be limited to an alphabetic character
for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a
gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less. All other
positions in the second section of the VIN will be allowed to have
either alphabetic or numeric characters no matter what type of vehicle
is involved and position 7 may be alphabetic or numeric for larger
trucks, buses, trailers, and motorcycles.
Trailer ``Make''
NATM's second concern was over NHTSA's intention to move vehicle
``make'' from being a characteristic that needs to be communicated in
the manufacturer identifier to a characteristic that needs to be
communicated in the second section of the VIN. ``Unlike automobiles,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, and light-duty trucks, light-duty and
medium-duty trailers generally do not have separately assigned or
designated `makes,' much less undergo frequent changes in `makes,' ''
NATM said. The NATM further stated that under the current regulation,
the company name in the manufacturer identifier is, in essence, the
make of the trailer.
In addition to commenting that ``make'' is not a concept used in
the trailer industry, NATM expressed concern that requiring ``make'' in
the second section of the VIN would require trailer manufacturers to
give up what it characterized as an ``undesignated'' position in the
second section of the VIN to communicate the ``make.'' That position,
NATM said, is currently generally used in the trailer industry to
indicate the GVWR of trailers, which is not an information item that
Part 565 requires for trailers in the second section of the VIN.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The agency's experience with VINs for trailers generally reflects
the NATM comments. That is, for most trailer manufacturers, the
manufacturer's name has been the equivalent of the ``make'' of the
trailer, although there are surely instances in which information that
is arguably a ``make'' has been communicated. In most cases, only the
manufacturer's name has been communicated in the manufacturer
identifier of trailer manufacturers under the current Part 565. There
has been a tacit recognition of what NATM observed, that the
manufacturer's name is the equivalent of the ``make.'' The
manufacturer's name has
[[Page 23374]]
simultaneously fulfilled the requirement that the manufacturer
identifier communicate the manufacturer and the ``make.''
The agency has decided not to make an exception for trailers and to
include ``make'' in the information that must be communicated in, and
decipherable from, the second section of the VIN for trailers.
It seems clear from the NATM comments that generating VINs for
trailers is relatively straightforward in comparison to doing so for
other types of vehicles subject to Part 565. By referring to one of the
positions in the second section of the VIN as an ``undesignated''
position, NATM suggests that trailer manufacturers use each of the
positions in the second section of the VIN to represent one of the four
information items currently listed in Part 565 as having to be
communicated in, and decipherable from, the second section of the VIN.
This approach leaves one position of the VIN's second section unused or
``undesignated'' as the NATM's comments state. According to NATM, this
unused position is widely used in the trailer manufacturing industry to
designate GVWR. The NATM comments suggest that trailer manufacturers
fear that if they are required to communicate a vehicle's make in the
second section of the VIN, even though the manufacturer name is the
make for most trailer manufacturers, they will have to use the position
now widely used for GVWR to indicate the manufacturer's name for a
second time (the manufacturer's name will continue to be required in
the manufacturer identifier).
The agency notes that one option available to trailer manufacturers
whose manufacturer name is the same as the make is to continue to use a
character in the position that is now, by practice, used for GVWR. In
the information for deciphering the VIN submitted to NHTSA under Sec.
565.7(c) trailer manufacturers can simply indicate that if any
character appears in that position, then the make name is the same as
the manufacturer name.
It should be noted that if a trailer manufacturer produces 33 or
fewer variations of trailers (i.e. combinations of make, type of
trailer, body type, length and axle configuration--the information
items required for trailers in the second section of the VIN as
revised), this information could be communicated by a single character
in one position of the second section of the VIN. What that single
character refers to would simply have to be indicated in the
information provided to NHTSA by the manufacturer under Sec. 565.7(c).
In fact, a trailer manufacturer could communicate up to 132 different
variations in the trailers it manufactures and use only four of the
five positions in the VIN's second section by taking full advantage of
the 33 characters available for each of those positions and submitting
to NHTSA a full and complete description of what a given character
means if it appears in a given position. A ``B'' in the first position
of the second section, for example, could stand for the make, type of
trailer, body type, length and axle configuration of one variation of
trailer made by a given manufacturer while a ``C'' could stand for that
same information relating to a different trailer.
The NATM comments made the agency aware of the fact that there is
no current need to include low speed vehicles (LSVs) in the vehicles
that must use an alphabetic character in position number 7 of the VIN
as required by today's final rule. These vehicles will now be treated
the same as larger trucks, buses, trailers, and motorcycles.
7. Modification in Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Classes
Comment:
NESCAUM asked for a change in ``Table II--Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating Classes'' of 49 CFR Part 565.6(b) by adding a break point at
8,500 pounds in one of the classes listed to distinguish whether or not
a truck is light or heavy duty.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The classification system in Table II of Part 565 has been in
existence for nearly 30 years and a great deal of data has accumulated
in various places based on this system. The agency's experience with
this classification system suggests that the change advocated by
NESCAUM could have a significant effect on the various data systems
that are built on this system. Any change to this system would require
a complete and thorough analysis of the possible impact of that change
on these data systems. This was not an issue addressed in the petition
that initiated this rulemaking or in the NPRM. The agency is not acting
on this recommendation at this time, not because the recommendation is
deemed to lack merit, but instead because of the need to publish this
final rule promptly. This issue will be part of the comprehensive
review of the VIN information requirements discussed in ``2. Suggested
Changes to the Information to be Communicated by the VIN.''
8. Supply of Manufacturer Identifiers
In the NPRM, NHTSA specifically asked for comments ``on the
likelihood and implications of manufacturers releasing previously-
issued identifiers that are no longer in use.''
Comments:
On this issue the Alliance expressed the understanding that, ``this
proposal would require no change to currently assigned and used WMIs,
and would only affect WMIs assigned in the future. Manufacturers will
be able to continue to use the WMIs they are currently using in
production or that have been assigned to them.'' The Alliance also
observed that ``a general review of assigned and reserved WMI's that
the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has requested the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to undertake
should ensure adequate availability for future needs.''
GM said, it ``does not anticipate manufacturers releasing
previously assigned WMIs; however, the proposed modification will
reduce the need for additional WMIs allocation to manufacturers.''
Ford said it anticipates many manufacturer identifiers that are
``assigned to countries with little or no current vehicle manufacturing
will be reassigned to other countries, thus resolving the potential
shortage'' of manufacturer identifiers. Ford further indicated that
``many organizations, including law enforcement, rely on consistency''
in manufacturer identifiers to identify vehicle manufacturers. Ford
said it does not plan to relinquish manufacturer identifiers that are
assigned to that company ``at this time.''
Ferrari stated, ``Regarding the possibility to distribute old
manufacturer identifiers no longer in use, we believe that they should
be retained by the same manufacturer to avoid possible confusion in
case they are given to other manufacturers.''
Agency Analysis and Response:
The agency does not see a need to take any action at this time
beyond adopting the changes discussed in this final rule. As previously
noted, vehicle make has been moved from the manufacturer identifier to
the second section of the VIN. This should substantially reduce the
need to issue new large manufacturer WMIs, thus extending the remaining
supply of 400-450 of these manufacturer identifiers.
In addition, the agency, through its contract with SAE for the
issuance of manufacturer identifiers, has begun the process of
identifying companies with large manufacturer identifiers that are no
longer in business so that those
[[Page 23375]]
identifiers may be returned to the system. The agency is also
identifying companies that were issued large manufacturer identifiers
that, through publicly available data, the agency knows do not produce
more than 500 vehicles a year, the current threshold for being
considered a large manufacturer, or 1,000 vehicles a year, the
threshold in this final rule, under Part 565. The agency anticipates
that a number of large manufacturer identifiers will be returned to the
system as a result of this process as well.
9. Posident Typeface
Comments:
While NHTSA did not propose any specific action relating to the
``positive identification style''/``posident'' typeface, the subject
was addressed in the NPRM and two commenters specifically commented on
it.
Citing the interpretation noted in the NPRM, which specifically
states that the ``positive identification style''/``posident'' typeface
is permitted under Part 565, GM indicated that it plans to continue its
use of the typeface in its VIN marking.
Harley-Davidson suggested that language in the NPRM regarding the
``positive identification style''/``posident'' typeface ``could be
interpreted to mean that NHTSA was not inclined to encourage use of the
posident font.'' Additionally, Harley-Davidson said the terms
``positive identification style font'' and ``posident'' refer to the
same thing and noted that it uses the typeface on some frame stampings,
although not in its VIN markings.
Agency Analysis and Response:
In 1978, NHTSA issued an interpretation stating that there is no
bar to using the ``posident'' typeface in a VIN under Part 565. That
interpretation may be found at http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/gm/78/nht78-2.2.html. The agency is neither encouraging nor discouraging the use of
this typeface. The agency has not changed its position with regards to
this interpretation. The ``posident'' typeface is therefore still
permitted under the amendments to 49 CFR Part 565 issued today.
10. Location Change for Vehicle Make: Possible Impact on State
Regulatory Programs
Comment:
NYDEC said it is unclear if vehicle make would become more
difficult to obtain if the agency's proposal is finalized as written.
It added, ``Vehicle make must be readily available to State regulatory
programs from the VIN.''
Agency Analysis and Response:
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)
was a member of the SAE committee that petitioned NHTSA to commence
this rulemaking. If moving the vehicle make from the first to the
second section of the VIN has an impact on State regulatory programs,
the AAMVA would presumably have discussed that matter with the
committee. The agency does not believe that moving vehicle make from
the first to the second section of the VIN will have any impact on the
availability of this information to state programs. The agency is
therefore taking no action today in response to this comment.
11. Alternative Characters
Comment:
Harold R. Brink, a private individual, submitted comments
recommending that symbols, such as ``!@[caret]%&,'' be used in the VIN
to expand the number of unique VINs available.
Agency Response
We do not believe that it is necessary to adopt the use of symbols
at this time. The changes proposed in the petition and those adopted in
this final rule provide a sufficient number of unique VINs to assure
the continued existence of the current VIN system, with the use of only
numeric and alphabetic characters, for at least 30 additional years.
12. Direction VIN Plate Should Face
Comment:
NYDMV asked that Part 565.4(f) be amended to require that the
characters of the VIN plate face the front of the vehicle because it
has encountered grey market vehicles with the VIN facing the driver,
which, in some cases, makes the VIN difficult to read.
Agency Analysis and Response:
Section 565.4(f) specifies the approximate location of the VIN, the
minimum size for the type, and the requirement that the VIN must be
``readable.'' The section does not prescribe the direction in which the
VIN plate must face. The agency is not aware of driver facing VIN
plates creating unworkable difficulties in any broad category of other
situations. NYDMV acknowledged in its comments that even in cases of
grey market vehicles with driver facing VIN plates it has encountered,
the VIN remains readable, although with some difficulty. As such, the
agency is not specifying the direction in which the VIN plate must face
in this rule.
13. Companies That Vacillate Between High-Volume and Low-Volume
Production
Comment:
Prevost described a situation that it indicated may be unique to
bus/motor coach manufacturers. Because there are so few manufacturers
in this category and the market is relatively small, a manufacturer, at
least under the current Part 565 with its 500 vehicle dividing line
between small and large manufacturers, may one year be a small
manufacturer and the next a large manufacturer. As a small manufacturer
under current Part 565, it is required to use a six character
manufacturer identifier. As a large manufacturer, it is required to use
a three character manufacturer identifier. Prevost recently became a
large manufacturer under the current Part 565 and is concerned that it
might have to return to using a small manufacturer identifier and
change its whole VIN structure. It urged that the dividing line between
low-volume manufacturers and high-volume manufacturers be set at a
threshold lower than the current 500 vehicles for manufacturers of
vehicles greater than 4536kg GVWR.
Agency Analysis and Response:
Prevost is principally concerned that it have one consistent
approach to VINs and not have to switch between low-volume manufacturer
VINs and high-volume manufacturer VINs. The agency believes that
raising the threshold between low-volume manufacturer and high-volume
manufacturer to 1,000 vehicles will address the situation described by
Prevost, at least for some bus/motor coach manufacturers. However, the
agency believes that if we lower the threshold between low-volume
manufacturers and high-volume manufacturers, such an action would
jeopardize the limited supply of manufacturer identifiers for high-
volume manufacturers, which was one of the driving concerns for the
petition that initiated this rulemaking and for the agency's proceeding
with this rulemaking. If, after the implementation of this final rule,
there continue to be manufacturers that vacillate between low-volume
and high-volume status, the best place to address this will be in the
administration of the VIN system. In this way, NHTSA can better monitor
the supply of large manufacturer identifiers and be sure that they are
issued only in situations where it is appropriate to do so.
14. Effective Date of the Rule
Comments:
There were numerous comments concerning the effective date of the
final
[[Page 23376]]
rule, particularly the need for the final rule to be implemented
quickly with a clear indication that it applies to all model year 2010
vehicles. One commenter said the revised Part 565 should apply to model
year 2010 vehicles regardless of when they are manufactured.
The Alliance, AIAM, and Ferrari said the rule should begin with
2010 model year. The Alliance noted, ``Some manufacturers are already
approaching the deadline to implement changes to VIN structure for
model year 2010.'' It suggested that there be a period, applicable to
the 2009 model year, during which a manufacturer would be allowed to
comply with either the old or new system. TMA also urged quick
adoption.
NICB provided detailed comments that focused entirely on the issue
of effective date. It said the changes to the VIN system are needed
``urgently'' and that a failure to implement the new structure within
the next year would lead to ``serious consequences.''
NICB said NHTSA's VIN regulation ``will soon allow more than one
vehicle to have the same Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the
agency allows the VIN to become anything other than a truly unique
identifier, it will cripple enforcement of the Anti-Car Theft Act, the
Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act
and a host of other Congressional mandates to protect Americans from
car theft, salvage fraud and death or injury on the nation's highways.
It would also jeopardize counter-terrorism efforts, especially the
investigation of car bombings.'' NICB urged the immediate adoption of a
final rule with an effective date of November 1, 2008.
NICB said, ``NHTSA's proposed effective date for MY 2010 cars--
September 1, 2009--is far too late because VINs for any new model year
get assigned months before new cars arrive in dealers' showrooms.
NICB's Shipping and Assembly File, which includes nearly all motor
vehicles produced for sale in the United States, typically receives
from manufacturers some pre-production VIN assignments before the end
of the calendar year that is two years before the model year. In other
words, NICB will begin to receive assignments for MY 2010 cars in
November 2008. In any case, manufacturers assign VINs toward the
beginning of the production process, not on their date of sale, so NICB
will receive large numbers of MY 2010 VINs by April, 2009, in
anticipation of consumer sales in September, 2009.'' Failure to have a
new regulation in effect by November 2008 ``will cause unneeded
confusion, expense, time to obtain and add decoding for two MY 2010
formats and possible computer conflicts with VIN decoding for MY 2010
vehicles,'' NICB said.
Ford cautioned that delay of publication of the final rule will
cause the company to incur costs and/or cause delays in the
manufacturing of vehicles assigned VINs under the current Part 565. The
company noted that under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
regulation, 40 CFR 86.082-2, 2010 model year vehicles may be introduced
as early as January 1, 2009 and production may begin even earlier. Ford
also noted that adequate lead time is needed so that Transport Canada
can modify CMVSS 115, which specifies the current Part 565 VIN
structure and content.
Agency Analysis and Response:
The effective date of this final rule is two-fold. It becomes
mandatory in one year. That is, all vehicles manufactured on or after
the date one year from today must have VINs that meet the requirements
of this final rule. However, it also applies to vehicles manufactured
180 days after the date of publication of this rule that have the
letter code ``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position of the VIN. Its
application to any particular vehicle based on a manufacturer using the
letter ``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position of the VIN under Part 565
allows for implementation of the new VIN requirements earlier than 1
year.
The effective date will be different for different manufacturers
and different vehicles manufactured by the same manufacturer because of
the different times those vehicles are manufactured within the same
model year. In 1 year VINs will have to conform to the new VIN
requirements of this final rule. Before the 1 year date, a VIN will
have to conform to the new requirements if there is a letter ``A'' or
``B'' in the 10th position. Under the current Part 565, a chart
indicates the numbers and letters that are required in the 10th
position for particular model year vehicles. The 2010 model year is the
first time a character in this chart, in this case an ``A'', would be
repeated in the 10th position, which under the current Part 565 allows
for both the possibility of duplicate VINs and a situation in which a
VIN user would not be able to tell whether a vehicle was manufactured
as a 2010 model year vehicle or a model year 30 years earlier when
``A'' was last used in the 10th position. Under the amended Part 565,
however, an ``A'' or a ``B'' in the 10th position must be newly
accompanied by an alphabetic character in the 7th position, which
ensures that the VIN will not be duplicative of a VIN issued for model
year vehicle 30 years ago. The agency has therefore adopted the use of
``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position as the trigger by which a
manufacturer must apply the new requirements of today's rule. These new
requirements will both avoid duplicate VINs and enable a VIN user to
distinguish the 30 year period in which a vehicle was manufactured.
NHTSA very much appreciates the concerns expressed over the need
for the timely publication of this final rule. We believe the effective
date of the rule gives regulated parties ample time to make the changes
necessary to comply with the revised requirements of Part 565.
The current VIN requirements need to be retained for an interim
period during the changeover to the new VIN requirements, for the
benefit of any manufacturer that might be using the current Part 565
VIN regulation. The agency is moving the current VIN requirements to a
subpart in part 565, and applying that regulation to vehicles
manufactured between today and a date 1 year from today's date that do
not have an ``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position of the VIN.
B. Summary of Amendments Adopted in This Final Rule
The current 30 year period during which the VINs of any
two vehicles subject to Part 565 may not be identical has been extended
to 60 years.
A vehicle's ``make'' must now be communicated in, and
decipherable from, the second section of the VIN (positions 4-8),
rather than being included in the manufacturer identifier.
For passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and
trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs) or
less, positions 4, 5, and 6 may now be either alphabetic or numeric.
For passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles and
trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or
less, VIN position 7 must now be alphabetic. Numeric or alphabetic
characters continue to be permitted in position 7 for all other
vehicles.
The ``Year Codes for VIN'' table in Part 565 has been
revised to include character designations for years up to, and
including, 2039 to account for the expanded period of time during which
the current VIN system will remain in existence under this final rule.
Vehicle attributes to be communicated in, and decipherable
from VINs of LSVs are included in Part 565, which now clearly covers
LSVs.
[[Page 23377]]
Restraint information is added to multipurpose passenger
vehicle VINs.
The VINs of LSVs must be in the same location as VINs for
passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross
vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less.
The vehicles to which Part 565.5--Motor vehicles imported
into the United States applies have been expanded from ``passenger
cars'' to ``passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed
vehicles and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR.''
Language has been added to Part 565 to indicate that the
number ``9'' in the third VIN position means that the vehicle is
produced in sufficiently small quantities that a low-volume
manufacturer identifier applies and that positions 12-14 are therefore
part of the manufacturer identifier.
A table and an explanatory note have been added to Part
565 that specifically indicates the digit that should appear in the
ninth position of the VIN.
New definitions have been added for ``low-volume
manufacturer,'' ``high-volume manufacturer,'' and ``manufacturer
identifier.''
The dividing line between high-volume and low-volume
manufacturers, which determines whether a three character or six
character manufacturer identifier is required, has been set at 1,000
vehicles, with those manufacturers manufacturing 1,000 or more vehicles
considered to be high-volume manufacturers.
The contact details for the SAE in Part 565 have been
revised.
IV. Rulemaking Analyses and Notice
Executive Order 12866 and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures
This rulemaking document was not reviewed by the Office of
Management and Budget under E.O. 12866. It is not considered to be
significant under E.O. 12866 or the Department's Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979). This document changes
the VIN requirements that for the most part provide manufacturers
greater flexibility in meeting VIN requirements:
The rule helps to sustain the supply of unique available
manufacturer identifiers for large manufacturers, because they will no
longer need to request additional manufacturer identifiers for new
vehicle makes that they produce.
The rule permits the use of either alphabetic or numeric
characters in many positions of the VIN.
The rule permits low-volume manufacturers to manufacture
999 vehicles (increased from 499) before a new high-volume manufacturer
identifier is required.
The rule reduces or eliminates the waiting period before
the time a manufacturer identifier or VIN can be used.
The rule adds low-speed vehicles to the list of vehicles
to which Part 565 applies, and adds attributes of LSVs that should be
identified by an LSV's VIN.
Vehicle manufacturers, including those of low-speed vehicles, are
already required to label their vehicles with a VIN and report to NHTSA
information relating to deciphering the characters in the VIN. This
rule does not substantially change those requirements. The minimal
impacts of today's amendments do not warrant preparation of a
regulatory evaluation.
NHTSA cannot quantify direct safety impacts of this rule. However,
NHTSA believes that this rule will have a beneficial effect on safety
in that it ensures the continued integrity of the VIN system (ensuring
that vehicles will continue to be uniquely identified).
There may be some cost impacts in changing data systems to account
for features of the VIN that are different than those of current VINs
(e.g., the use of alphabetic and numeric characters in certain VIN
positions). However, NHTSA does not believe that the costs will be
significant. In fact, manufacturers of most vehicles less than 10,000
lb GVWR will need to do nothing more initially than change their
systems so that an alphabetic character appears in position 7 of the
VIN to comply with today's rule. For all other VIN positions, these
manufacturers may continue to use current systems to generate VIN
characters using the old character limitations. Because of the change
from a numeric character to an alphabetic character in position 7,
unique VINs will be assured. These manufacturers will be able to adjust
their systems as needed over time to be able to generate VIN characters
under the expanded options for characters contained in the final rule.
This ability to adapt slowly to the final rule will further ameliorate
the cost impact of the final rule.
The members of the committee representing operators of data systems
that utilize the 17-character VIN system indicated that there would be
some costs involved in making software and other modifications to data
systems, but that those costs would be extremely small compared to what
would be required to deal with an expanded number of VIN characters.
The petition noted that ``any increase in the quantity of characters
beyond the current seventeen would require massive software changes to
all programs that use a motor vehicle VIN, and would affect not only
automotive OEM's, but also state DMV's, local governments, insurance
companies, law enforcement agencies, research companies, NHTSA's
National Center for Statistics and Analysis, as well as others.''
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.,
as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
(SBREFA) of 1996), whenever an agency is required to publish a notice
of proposed rulemaking or final rule, it must prepare and make
available for public comment a regulatory flexibility analysis that
describes the effect of the rule on small entities (i.e., small
businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions).
The Small Business Administration's regulations at 13 CFR part 121
define a small business, in part, as a business entity ``which operates
primarily within the United States.'' (13 CFR 121.105(a)). No
regulatory flexibility analysis is required if the head of an agency
certifies the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities. SBREFA amended the Regulatory
Flexibility Act to require Federal agencies to provide a statement of
the factual basis for certifying that a rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
NHTSA has considered the effects of this rule under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act. I certify that this rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Any small
vehicle manufacturers that stand to be affected by this rule are
already required to provide a VIN and provide information to NHTSA that
enables the VIN to be deciphered. Manufacturers of low-speed vehicles
will have to make sure that the VIN reflects the LSV features newly
added to Table 1 of Part 565, but the burden associated with that
responsibility should be negligible and will not result in a
significant economic impact.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)
NHTSA has examined this rule pursuant to Executive Order 13132 (64
FR 43255, August 10, 1999) and concluded that no additional
consultation with States, local governments or their representatives is
mandated beyond the rulemaking process. The agency has concluded that
the rule does not have federalism implications because the rule does
not
[[Page 23378]]
have ``substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.''
We note that the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
(AAMVA) was a member of the SAE committee that submitted the petition
prompting this rulemaking.
Further, no consultation is needed to discuss the preemptive effect
of today's rule. NHTSA rules can have preemptive effect in at least two
ways. First, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act contains
an express preemption provision: ``When a motor vehicle safety standard
is in effect under this chapter, a State or a political subdivision of
a State may prescribe or continue in effect a standard applicable to
the same aspect of performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle
equipment only if the standard is identical to the standard prescribed
under this chapter.'' 49 U.S.C. 30103(b)(1).
In addition to the express preemption noted above, the Supreme
Court has also recognized that State requirements imposed on motor
vehicle manufacturers, including sanctions imposed by State tort law,
can stand as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of a NHTSA
safety standard. When such a conflict is discerned, the Supremacy
Clause of the Constitution makes the State requirements unenforceable.
See Geier v. American Honda Motor Co., 529 U.S. 861 (2000). NHTSA has
not outlined such potential State requirements in today's rulemaking,
however, in part because such conflicts can arise in varied contexts,
but it is conceivable that such a conflict may become clear through
subsequent experience with today's rule. NHTSA may opine on such
conflicts in the future, if warranted. See id. at 883-86.
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
Under the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995
(NTTAA) (Pub. L. 104-113), ``all Federal agencies and departments shall
use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary
consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means
to carry out policy objectives or activities determined by the agencies
and departments.'' Voluntary consensus standards are technical
standards (e.g., materials specifications, test methods, sampling
procedures, and business practices) that are developed or adopted by
voluntary consensus standards bodies, such as SAE. The NTTAA directs us
to provide Congress, through OMB, explanations when we decide not to
use available and applicable voluntary consensus standards.
This rule will make Part 565's requirements for manufacturer
identifiers and for identifying attributes of the specific vehicle type
more consistent with SAE and ISO standards for vehicle identification.
The rule will permit the use of alphabetic and numeric characters in
certain VIN positions, which is likely to substantially increase
harmonization of Part 565 with the ISO identification standard.
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 expenditures by State, local or tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of more than
$100 million annually (adjusted annually for inflation with base year
of 1995). Adjusting this amount by the implicit gross domestic product
price deflator for the year 2007 results in $130 million annually
(119.682 / 92.106 = 1.30). This final rule will not result in
expenditures by State, local or tribal governments, in the aggregate,
or by the private sector in excess of $130 million annually.
National Environmental Policy Act
NHTSA has analyzed this rulemaking action for the purposes of the
National Environmental Policy Act. The agency has determined that
implementation of this action will not have any significant impact on
the quality of the human environment.
Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform)
When promulgating a regulation, Executive Order 12988 specifically
requires that the agency must make every reasonable effort to ensure
that the regulation, as appropriate: (1) Specifies in clear language
the preemptive effect; (2) specifies in clear language the effect on
existing Federal law or regulation, including all provisions repealed,
circumscribed, displaced, impaired, or modified; (3) provides a clear
legal standard for affected conduct rather than a general standard,
while promoting simplification and burden reduction; (4) specifies in
clear language the retroactive effect; (5) specifies whether
administrative proceedings are to be required before parties may file
suit in court; (6) explicitly or implicitly defines key terms; and (7)
addresses other important issues affecting clarity and general
draftsmanship of regulations.
NHTSA has reviewed this rule according to the general requirements
and the specific requirements for regulations set forth in Executive
Order 12988. This rule does not result in any preemptive effect and
does not have a retroactive effect. A petition for reconsideration or
other administrative proceeding is not required before parties may file
suit in court.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), a person is not
required to respond to a collection of information by a Federal agency
unless the collection displays a valid OMB control number. The
Consolidated VIN Requirements have an OMB control number of 2127-0510.
Although the agency may require information to be provided in a
slightly different way as a result of this final rule (e.g., vehicle
make being transferred from the first to the second section of the
VIN), the scope of the overall reporting requirements of Part 565 will
not change. We emphasize that there will be no increase or decrease in
the collection of information because of this rulemaking.
Plain Language
Executive Order 12866 and the President's memorandum of June 1,
1998, require each agency to write all rules in plain language.
Application of the principles of plain language includes consideration
of the following questions:
Have we organized the material to suit the public's needs?
Are the requirements in the rule clearly stated?
Does the rule contain technical language or jargon that
isn't clear?
Would a different format (grouping and order of sections,
use of headings, paragraphing) make the rule easier to understand?
Would more (but shorter) sections be better?
Could we improve clarity by adding tables, lists, or
diagrams?
What else could we do to make the rule easier to
understand?
If you have any responses to these questions, please send them to
the address provided at the beginning of this document.
Regulation Identifier Number (RIN)
The Department of Transportation assigns a regulation identifier
number
[[Page 23379]]
(RIN) to each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal
Regulations. The Regulatory Information Service Center publishes the
Unified Agenda in April and October of each year. You may use the RIN
contained in the heading at the beginning of this document to find this
action in the Unified Agenda.
Privacy Act
Please note that anyone is able to search the electronic form of
all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78).
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 565
Motor vehicle safety, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements;
incorporation by reference.
0
In consideration of the foregoing, NHTSA revises 49 CFR part 565 to
read as follows:
PART 565--VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) REQUIREMENTS
Subpart A--General Applicability of Subparts
Sec.
565.1 Purpose and scope.
565.2 Application.
Subpart B--VIN Requirements
Sec.
565.10 Purpose and scope.
565.11 Applicability.
565.12 Definitions.
565.13 General requirements.
565.14 Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
565.15 Content requirements.
565.16 Reporting requirements.
Subpart C--Alternative VIN Requirements In Effect for Limited Period
565.20 Purpose and scope.
565.21 Applicability.
565.22 Definitions.
565.23 General requirements.
565.24 Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
565.25 Content requirements.
565.26 Reporting requirements.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, 30141, 30146,
30166, and 30168; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.
Subpart A--General Applicability of Subparts
Sec. 565.1 Purpose and scope.
This part specifies the format, content and physical requirements
for a vehicle identification number (VIN) system and its installation
to simplify vehicle identification information retrieval and to
increase the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recall campaigns.
Sec. 565.2 Application.
(a) Subpart B of this part 565 applies to passenger cars,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers (including
trailer kits), incomplete vehicles, low speed vehicles, and motorcycles
manufactured on or after October 27, 2008 whose VINs have a letter
``A'' or ``B'' in the 10th position, and to passenger cars,
multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers (including
trailer kits), incomplete vehicles, low speed vehicles, and motorcycles
manufactured on or after April 30, 2009. Vehicles imported into the
United States under 49 CFR 591.14(f), other than by the corporation
responsible for the assembly of that vehicle or a subsidiary of such a
corporation, are excluded from requirements of Sec. 565.13(b), Sec.
565.13(c), Sec. 565.13(g), Sec. 565.13(h), Sec. 565.14 and Sec.
565.15.
(b) Subpart C of this part 565 sets forth alternative VIN
requirements for certain vehicles manufactured on or after April 30,
2008 and before April 30, 2009. For those vehicles, a manufacturer may,
at its option, comply with the requirements of Subpart C instead of the
requirements of Subpart B of this part, provided that the vehicle
identification number (VIN) does not have a letter ``A'' or ``B'' in
the 10th position of the VIN.
Subpart B--VIN Requirements
Sec. 565.10 Purpose and scope.
This part specifies the format, content and physical requirements
for a vehicle identification number (VIN) system and its installation
to simplify vehicle identification information retrieval and to
increase the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recall campaigns.
Sec. 565.11 Applicability.
See Subpart A of this part 572 regarding the general applicability
of this subpart. This part applies to passenger cars, multipurpose
passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers (including trailer kits),
incomplete vehicles, low speed vehicles, and motorcycles manufactured
on or after October 27, 2008 whose VINs have a letter ``A'' or ``B'' in
the 10th position, and to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers (including trailer kits), incomplete
vehicles, low speed vehicles, and motorcycles manufactured on or after
April 30 2009. Vehicles imported into the United States under 49 CFR
591.14(f), other than by the corporation responsible for the assembly
of that vehicle or a subsidiary of such a corporation, are excluded
from requirements of Sec. 565.13(b), Sec. 565.13(c), Sec. 565.13(g),
Sec. 565.13(h), Sec. 565.14 and Sec. 565.15.
Sec. 565.12 Definitions.
(a) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Definitions. Unless
otherwise indicated, all terms used in this part that are defined in 49
CFR 571.3 are used as defined in 49 CFR 571.3.
(b) Body type means the general configuration or shape of a vehicle
distinguished by such characteristics as the number of doors or
windows, cargo-carrying features and the roofline (e.g., sedan,
fastback, hatchback).
(c) Check digit means a single number or the letter X used to
verify the accuracy of the transcription of the vehicle identification
number.
(d) Engine type means a power source with defined characteristics
such as fuel utilized, number of cylinders, displacement, and net brake
horsepower. The specific manufacturer and make shall be represented if
the engine powers a passenger car or a multipurpose passenger vehicle,
or truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or
less.
(e) High-volume manufacturer, for purposes of this part, means a
manufacturer of 1,000 or more vehicles of a given type each year.
(f) Incomplete vehicle means an assemblage consisting, as a
minimum, of frame and chassis structure, power train, steering system,
suspension system and braking system, to the extent that those systems
are to be part of the completed vehicle, that requires further
manufacturing operations, other than the addition of readily attachable
components, such as mirrors or tire and rim assemblies, or minor
finishing operations such as painting, to become a completed vehicle.
(g) Line means a name that a manufacturer applies to a family of
vehicles within a make which have a degree of commonality in
construction, such as body, chassis or cab type.
(h) Low-volume manufacturer, for purposes of this part, means a
manufacturer of fewer than 1,000 vehicles of a given type each year.
(i) Make means a name that a manufacturer applies to a group of
vehicles or engines.
(j) Manufacturer means a person--
(1) Manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles or motor vehicle
equipment; or
[[Page 23380]]
(2) Importing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale.
(k) Manufacturer identifier means the first three digits of a VIN
of a vehicle manufactured by a high-volume manufacturer, and the first
three digits of a VIN and the twelfth through fourteenth digits of a
VIN of a vehicle manufactured by a low-volume manufacturer.
(l) Model means a name that a manufacturer applies to a family of
vehicles of the same type, make, line, series and body type.
(m) Model year means the year used to designate a discrete vehicle
model, irrespective of the calendar year in which the vehicle was
actually produced, provided that the production period does not exceed
24 months.
(n) Plant of manufacture means the plant where the manufacturer
affixes the VIN.
(o) Series means a name that a manufacturer applies to a
subdivision of a ``line'' denoting price, size or weight identification
and that is used by the manufacturer for marketing purposes.
(p) Trailer kit means a trailer that is fabricated and delivered in
complete but unassembled form and that is designed to be assembled
without special machinery or tools.
(q) Type means a class of vehicle distinguished by common traits,
including design and purpose. Passenger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, incomplete vehicles, low speed
vehicles, and motorcycles are separate types.
(r) VIN means a series of Arabic numbers and Roman letters that is
assigned to a motor vehicle for identification purposes.
Sec. 565.13 General requirements.
(a) Each vehicle manufactured in one stage shall have a VIN that is
assigned by the manufacturer. Each vehicle manufactured in more than
one stage shall have a VIN assigned by the incomplete vehicle
manufacturer. Vehicle alterers, as specified in 49 CFR 567.16, shall
utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the vehicle.
(b) Each VIN shall consist of seventeen (17) characters.
(c) A check digit shall be part of each VIN. The check digit shall
appear in position nine (9) of the VIN, on the vehicle and on any
transfer documents containing the VIN prepared by the manufacturer to
be given to the first owner for purposes other than resale.
(d) The VINs of any two vehicles subject to the Federal motor
vehicle safety standards and manufactured within a 60-year period
beginning with the 1980 model year shall not be identical.
(e) The VIN of each vehicle shall appear clearly and indelibly upon
either a part of the vehicle, other than the glazing, that is not
designed to be removed except for repair or upon a separate plate or
label that is permanently affixed to such a part.
(f) The VIN for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles,
low speed vehicles, and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR shall be located
inside the passenger compartment. It shall be readable, without moving
any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight
lighting conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose
eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left
windshield pillar. Each character in the VIN subject to this paragraph
shall have a minimum height of 4 mm.
(g) Each character in each VIN shall be one of the letters in the
set: [ABCDEFGHJKLMNPRSTUVWXYZ] or a numeral in the set: [0123456789]
assigned according to the method given in Sec. 565.14.
(h) All spaces provided for in the VIN must be occupied by a
character specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
(i) The type face utilized for each VIN shall consist of capital,
sanserif characters.
Sec. 565.14 Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original
manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
(b) All passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low speed
vehicles and trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR certified by a Registered
Importer under 49 CFR part 592 whose VINs do not comply with Part
565.13 and 565.14 shall have a plate or label that contains the
following statement, in characters that have a minimum height of 4 mm
and the identification number assigned by the vehicle's original
manufacturer inserted in the blank: SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN: ----------
SEE 49 CFR PART 565. The plate or label shall conform to Sec. 565.13
(h) and (i). The plate or label shall be permanently affixed inside the
passenger compartment. The plate or label shall be readable, without
moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under
daylight conditions by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose
eye-point is located outside the vehicle adjacent to the left
windshield pillar. It shall be located in such a manner as not to
cover, obscure, or overlay any part of any identification number
affixed by the original manufacturer. Motor vehicles conforming to
Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 115 are exempt from this
paragraph.
Sec. 565.15 Content requirements.
(a) The first section shall consist of three characters that occupy
positions one through three (1-3) in the VIN. This section shall
uniquely identify the manufacturer and type of the motor vehicle if the
manufacturer is a high-volume manufacturer. If the manufacturer is a
low-volume manufacturer, positions one through three (1-3) along with
positions twelve through fourteen (12-14) in the VIN shall uniquely
identify the manufacturer and type of the motor vehicle. These
characters are assigned in accordance with Sec. 565.16(a). A ``9''
shall be placed in the third position of the VIN if the manufacturer
identifier is six characters. A ``9'' in the third position always
indicates the presence of a six-character manufacturer identifier. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers access to
manufacturer identifier assignments via its search engine at the
following Internet Web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/manufacture.
(b) The second section shall consist of five characters, which
occupy positions four through eight (4-8) in the VIN. This section
shall uniquely identify the attributes of the vehicle as specified in
Table I. For passenger cars, and for multipurpose passenger vehicles
and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or
less, the fourth character (position 7) of this section shall be
alphabetic. The characters utilized and their placement within the
section may be determined by the manufacturer, but the specified
attributes must be decipherable with information supplied by the
manufacturer in accordance with Sec. 565.16(c). In submitting the
required information to NHTSA relating gross vehicle weight rating, the
designations in Table II shall be used. The use of these designations
within the VIN itself is not required. Tables I and II follow:
Table I.--Type of Vehicle and Information Decipherable
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Passenger car: Make, line, series, body type, engine type, and all
restraint devices and their location.
Multipurpose passenger vehicle: Make, line, series, body type, engine
type, gross vehicle weight rating, and for multipurpose passenger
vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4536kg (10,000
lb) or less all restraint devices and their location.
[[Page 23381]]
Truck: Make, model or line, series, chassis, cab type, engine type,
brake system, gross vehicle weight rating, and for trucks with a gross
vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or less all
restraint devices and their location.
Bus: Make, model or line, series, body type, engine type, and brake
system.
Trailer, including trailer kits and incomplete trailer: Make, type of
trailer, body type, length and axle configuration.
Motorcycle: Make, type of motorcycle, line, engine type, and net brake
horsepower.
Incomplete vehicle other than a trailer: Make, model or line, series,
cab type, engine type, and brake system.
Low speed vehicle: Make, engine type, brake system, restraint system
type, body type, and gross vehicle weight rating.
Note to Table I: Engine net brake horsepower when encoded in the VIN
shall differ by no more than 10 percent from the actual net brake
horsepower; shall in the case of motorcycle with an actual net brake
horsepower of 2 or less, be not more than 2; and shall be greater than
2 in the case of a motorcycle with an actual brake horsepower greater
than 2.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.--Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Classes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A--Not greater than 1360 kg. (3,000 lbs.)
Class B--Greater than 1360 kg. to 1814 kg. (3,001-4,000 lbs.)
Class C--Greater than 1814 kg. to 2268 kg. (4,001-5,000 lbs.)
Class D--Greater than 2268 kg. to 2722 kg. (5,001-6,000 lbs.)
Class E--Greater than 2722 kg. to 3175 kg. (6,001-7,000 lbs.)
Class F--Greater than 3175 kg. to 3629 kg. (7,001-8,000 lbs.)
Class G--Greater than 3629 kg. to 4082 kg. (8,001-9,000 lbs.)
Class H--Greater than 4082 kg. to 4536 kg. (9,001-10,000 lbs.)
Class 3--Greater than 4536 kg. to 6350 kg. (10,001-14,000 lbs.)
Class 4--Greater than 6350 kg. to 7257 kg. (14,001-16,000 lbs.)
Class 5--Greater than 7257 kg. to 8845 kg. (16,001-19,500 lbs.)
Class 6--Greater than 8845 kg. to 11793 kg. (19,501-26,000 lbs.)
Class 7--Greater than 11793 kg. to 14968 kg.(26,001-33,000 lbs.)
Class 8--Greater than 14968 kg. (33,001 lbs. and over)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) The third section shall consist of one character, which
occupies position nine (9) in the VIN. This section shall be the check
digit whose purpose is to provide a means for verifying the accuracy of
any VIN transcription. After all other characters in VIN have been
determined by the manufacturer, the check digit shall be calculated by
carrying out the mathematical computation specified in paragraphs (c)
(1) through (4) of this section.
(1) Assign to each number in the VIN its actual mathematical value
and assign to each letter the value specified for it in Table III, as
follows:
Table III.--Assigned Values
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 5
F = 6
G = 7
H = 8
J = 1
K = 2
L = 3
M = 4
N = 5
P = 7
R = 9
S = 2
T = 3
U = 4
V = 5
W = 6
X = 7
Y = 8
Z = 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Multiply the assigned value for each character in the VIN by
the position weight factor specified in Table IV, as follows:
Table IV.--VIN Position and Weight Factor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st.................................................... 8
2d..................................................... 7
3d..................................................... 6
4th.................................................... 5
5th.................................................... 4
6th.................................................... 3
7th.................................................... 2
8th.................................................... 10
9th.................................................... (check digit)
10th................................................... 9
11th................................................... 8
12th................................................... 7
13th................................................... 6
14th................................................... 5
15th................................................... 4
16th................................................... 3
17th................................................... 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Add the resulting products and divide the total by 11.
(4) The check digit is based on either the Fractional Remainder or
the Decimal Equivalent Remainder as reflected in Table V. All Decimal
Equivalent Remainders in Table V are rounded to the nearest thousandth.
The check digit, zero through nine (0-9) or the letter ``X'' shall
appear in VIN position nine (9).
Table V.--Ninth Position Check Digit Values
[Rounded to the nearest thousandth]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fractional Remainder...................................... 0 1/11 2/11 3/11 4/11 5/11 6/11 7/11 8/11 9/11 10/11
Decimal Equivalent Remainder.............................. 0 0.091 0.182 0.273 0.364 0.455 0.545 0.634 0.727 0.818 0.909
Check Digit............................................... 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5) A sample check digit calculation is shown in Table VI as
follows:
Table VI.--Calculation of a Check Digit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vin Position..................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Sample VIN....................... 1 G 4 A H 5 9 H ..... 5 G 1 1 8 3 4 1
Assigned Value................... 1 7 4 1 8 5 9 8 ..... 5 7 1 1 8 3 4 1
Weight Factor.................... 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
[[Page 23382]]
Multiply Assigned value times 8 49 24 5 32 15 18 80 0 45 56 7 6 40 12 12 2
weight factor...................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add products: 8+49+24+5+32+15+18+80+0+45+56+7+6+40+12+12+2 = 411.
Divide by 11: 411/11 = 37 4/11 or 37.3636.
If the fourth digit is 5 or greater, round up. If the fourth digit is 4 or smaller, round down.
In the example above, the remainder is 4/11 or 0.364 when rounded up.
Looking up the remainder in Table V--Ninth Position Check Digit Values indicates that ``4'' is the check digit to be inserted in position nine (9) of
the VIN for this sample digit calculation.
(d) The fourth section shall consist of eight characters, which
occupy positions ten through seventeen (10-17) of the VIN. The last
five (5) characters of this section shall be numeric for passenger cars
and for multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle
weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less, and the last four (4)
characters shall be numeric for all other vehicles.
(1) The first character of the fourth section shall represent the
vehicle model year. The year shall be designated as indicated in Table
VII as follows:
Table VII.--Year Codes for VIN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Code
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005............................................................. 5
2006............................................................. 6
2007............................................................. 7
2008............................................................. 8
2009............................................................. 9
2010............................................................. A
2011............................................................. B
2012............................................................. C
2013............................................................. D
2014............................................................. E
2015............................................................. F
2016............................................................. G
2017............................................................. H
2018............................................................. J
2019............................................................. K
2020............................................................. L
2021............................................................. M
2022............................................................. N
2023............................................................. P
2024............................................................. R
2025............................................................. S
2026............................................................. T
2027............................................................. V
2028............................................................. W
2029............................................................. X
2030............................................................. Y
2031............................................................. 1
2032............................................................. 2
2033............................................................. 3
2034............................................................. 4
2035............................................................. 5
2036............................................................. 6
2037............................................................. 7
2038............................................................. 8
2039............................................................. 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to Table VII: For passenger cars, and for multipurpose passenger
vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg
(10,000 lb) or less, if position 7 is numeric, the Model Year in
position 10 of the VIN refers to a year in the range 1980-2009. If
position 7 is alphabetic, the Model Year in Position 10 of the VIN
refers to a year in the range 2010-2039.
(2) The second character of the fourth section shall represent the
plant of manufacture.
(3) The third through the eighth characters of the fourth section
(positions 12 through 17) shall represent the number sequentially
assigned by the manufacturer in the production process if the
manufacturer is a high-volume manufacturer. If a manufacturer is a low-
volume manufacturer, the third, fourth, and fifth characters of the
fourth section (positions 12, 13, and 14), combined with the three
characters of the first section (positions 1, 2, and 3), shall uniquely
identify the manufacturer and type of the motor vehicle and the sixth,
seventh, and eighth characters of the fourth section (positions 15, 16,
and 17) shall represent the number sequentially assigned by the
manufacturer in the production process.
Sec. 565.16 Reporting requirements.
The information collection requirements contained in this part have
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ) and
have been assigned OMB Control Number 2127-0510.
(a) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
contracted with the SAE International to coordinate the assignment of
manufacturer identifiers to manufacturers in the United States.
Manufacturer identifiers will be supplied by SAE at no charge. All
requests for assignments of manufacturer identifiers should be
forwarded directly to: SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Drive,
Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 15096, Attention: WMI Coordinator (telephone:
724-776-4841). Any requests for identifiers submitted to NHTSA will be
forwarded to SAE. Manufacturers may request a specific identifier or
may request only assignment of an identifier(s). SAE will review
requests for specific identifiers to determine that they do not
conflict with an identifier already assigned or block of identifiers
already reserved. SAE will confirm the assignments in writing to the
requester. Once confirmed by SAE, the identifier need not be
resubmitted to NHTSA.
(b) Manufacturers of vehicles subject to this part shall submit,
either directly or through an agent, the unique identifier for each
make and type of vehicle it manufactures at least 60 days before
affixing the first VIN using the identifier. Manufacturers whose unique
identifier appears in the fourth section of the VIN shall also submit
the three characters of the first section that constitutes a part of
their identifier.
(c) Manufacturers of vehicles subject to the requirements of this
part shall submit to NHTSA the information necessary to decipher the
characters contained in its VINs. Amendments to this information shall
be submitted to the agency for VINs containing an amended coding. The
agency will not routinely provide written approvals of these
submissions, but will contact the manufacturer should any corrections
to these submissions be necessary.
(d) The information required under paragraph (c) of this section
shall be submitted at least 60 days prior to offering for sale the
first vehicle identified by a VIN containing that information, or if
information concerning vehicle characteristics sufficient to specify
the VIN code is unavailable to the manufacturer by that date, then
within one week after that information first becomes available. The
information shall be addressed to: Administrator, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington,
DC 20590, Attention: VIN Coordinator.
[[Page 23383]]
Subpart C--Alternative VIN Requirements In Effect for Limited
Period
Sec. 565.20 Purpose and scope.
This part specifies the format, content and physical requirements
for a vehicle identification number (VIN) system and its installation
to simplify vehicle identification information retrieval and to
increase the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle recall campaigns.
Sec. 565.21 Applicability.
See Subpart A of this part 572 regarding the applicability of this
subpart. This part applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers (including trailer kits), incomplete
vehicles, and motorcycles. Vehicles imported into the United States
under 49 CFR 591.24(f), other than by the corporation responsible for
the assembly of that vehicle or a subsidiary of such a corporation, are
excluded from requirements of Sec. 565.23(b), Sec. 565.23(c), Sec.
565.23(g), Sec. 565.23(h), Sec. 565.24 and Sec. 565.25.
Sec. 565.22 Definitions.
(a) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Definitions. Unless
otherwise indicated, all terms used in this part that are defined in 49
CFR 571.3 are used as defined in 49 CFR 571.3.
(b) Body type means the general configuration or shape of a vehicle
distinguished by such characteristics as the number of doors or
windows, cargo-carrying features and the roofline (e.g., sedan,
fastback, hatchback).
(c) Check digit means a single number or the letter X used to
verify the accuracy of the transcription of the vehicle identification
number.
(d) Engine type means a power source with defined characteristics
such as fuel utilized, number of cylinders, displacement, and net brake
horsepower. The specific manufacturer and make shall be represented if
the engine powers a passenger car or a multipurpose passenger vehicle,
or truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.)
or less.
(e) Incomplete vehicle means an assemblage consisting, as a
minimum, of frame and chassis structure, power train, steering system,
suspension system and braking system, to the extent that those systems
are to be part of the completed vehicle, that requires further
manufacturing operations, other than the addition of readily attachable
components, such as mirrors or tire and rim assemblies, or minor
finishing operations such as painting, to become a completed vehicle.
(f) Line means a name that a manufacturer applies to a family of
vehicles within a make which have a degree of commonality in
construction, such as body, chassis or cab type.
(g) Make means a name that a manufacturer applies to a group of
vehicles or engines.
(h) Manufacturer means a person--
(1) Manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles or motor vehicle
equipment; or
(2) Importing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale.
(i) Model means a name that a manufacturer applies to a family of
vehicles of the same type, make, line, series and body type.
(j) Model Year means the year used to designate a discrete vehicle
model, irrespective of the calendar year in which the vehicle was
actually produced, provided that the production period does not exceed
24 months.
(k) Plant of manufacture means the plant where the manufacturer
affixes the VIN.
(l) Series means a name that a manufacturer applies to a
subdivision of a ``line'' denoting price, size or weight identification
and that is used by the manufacturer for marketing purposes.
(m) Trailer kit means a trailer that is fabricated and delivered in
complete but unassembled form and that is designed to be assembled
without special machinery or tools.
(n) Type means a class of vehicle distinguished by common traits,
including design and purpose. Passenger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, incomplete vehicles and motorcycles
are separate types.
(o) VIN means a series of Arabic numbers and Roman letters that is
assigned to a motor vehicle for identification purposes.
Sec. 565.23 General requirements.
(a) Each vehicle manufactured in one stage shall have a VIN that is
assigned by the manufacturer. Each vehicle manufactured in more than
one stage shall have a VIN assigned by the incomplete vehicle
manufacturer. Vehicle alterers, as specified in 49 CFR 567.26, shall
utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the vehicle.
(b) Each VIN shall consist of seventeen (17) characters.
(c) A check digit shall be part of each VIN. The check digit shall
appear in position nine (9) of the VIN, on the vehicle and on any
transfer documents containing the VIN prepared by the manufacturer to
be given to the first owner for purposes other than resale.
(d) The VINs of any two vehicles manufactured within a 30-year
period shall not be identical.
(e) The VIN of each vehicle shall appear clearly and indelibly upon
either a part of the vehicle, other than the glazing, that is not
designed to be removed except for repair or upon a separate plate or
label that is permanently affixed to such a part.
(f) The VIN for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles and
trucks of 4536 kg or less GVWR shall be located inside the passenger
compartment. It shall be readable, without moving any part of the
vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions
by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located
outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. Each
character in the VIN subject to this paragraph shall have a minimum
height of 4 mm.
(g) Each character in each VIN shall be one of the letters in the
set: [ABCDEFGHJKLMNPRSTUVWXYZ] or a numeral in the set: [0123456789]
assigned according to the method given in Sec. 565.24.
(h) All spaces provided for in the VIN must be occupied by a
character specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
(i) The type face utilized for each VIN shall consist of capital,
sanserif characters.
Sec. 565.24 Motor vehicles imported into the United States.
(a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original
manufacturer of the motor vehicle.
(b) A passenger car certified by a Registered Importer under 49 CFR
part 592 shall have a plate or label that contains the following
statement, in characters with a minimum height of 4 mm, with the
identification number assigned by the original manufacturer provided in
the blank: SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN:------SEE PART 565. The plate or
label shall conform to Sec. 565.23 (h) and (i). The plate or label
shall be permanently affixed inside the passenger compartment. The
plate or label shall be readable, without moving any part of the
vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions
by an observer having 20/20 vision (Snellen) whose eye-point is located
outside the vehicle adjacent to the left windshield pillar. It shall be
located in such a manner as not to cover, obscure, or overlay any part
of any identification number affixed by the original manufacturer.
Passenger cars conforming to Canadian Motor Vehicle
[[Page 23384]]
Safety Standard 115 are exempt from this paragraph.
Sec. 565.25 Content requirements.
The VIN shall consist of four sections of characters which shall be
grouped accordingly:
(a) The first section shall consist of three characters that occupy
positions one through three (1-3) in the VIN. This section shall
uniquely identify the manufacturer, make and type of the motor vehicle
if its manufacturer produces 500 or more motor vehicles of its type
annually. If the manufacturer produces less than 500 motor vehicles of
its type annually, these characters along with the third, fourth and
fifth characters of the fourth section shall uniquely identify the
manufacturer, make and type of the motor vehicle. These characters are
assigned in accordance with Sec. 565.26(a).
(b) The second section shall consist of five characters, which
occupy positions four through eight (4-8) in the VIN. This section
shall uniquely identify the attributes of the vehicle as specified in
Table VIII. For passenger cars, and for multipurpose passenger vehicles
and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4536 kg (10,000 lb) or
less, the first and second characters shall be alphabetic and the third
and fourth characters shall be numeric. The fifth character may be
either alphabetic or numeric. The characters utilized and their
placement within the section may be determined by the manufacturer, but
the specified attributes must be decipherable with information supplied
by the manufacturer in accordance with Sec. 565.26(c). In submitting
the required information to NHTSA relating to gross vehicle weight
rating, the designations in Table IX shall be used. The use of these
designations within the VIN itself is not required. Tables VIII and IX
follow:
Table VIII.--Type of Vehicle and Information Decipherable
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Passenger car: Line, series, body type, engine type and restraint system
type.
Multipurpose passenger vehicle: Line, series, body type, engine type,
gross vehicle weight rating.
Truck: Model or line, series, chassis, cab type, engine type, brake
system and gross vehicle weight rating.
Bus: Model or line, series, body type, engine type, and brake system.
Trailer, including trailer kits and incomplete trailer: Type of trailer,
body type, length and axle configuration.
Motorcycle: Type of motorcycle, line, engine type, and net brake
horsepower.
Incomplete Vehicle other than a trailer: Model or line, series, cab
type, engine type and brake system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to Table VIII: Engine net brake horsepower when encoded in the VIN
shall differ by no more than 10 percent from the actual net brake
horsepower; shall in the case of motorcycle with an actual net brake
horsepower of 2 or less, be not more than 2; and shall be greater than
2 in the case of a motorcycle with an actual brake horsepower greater
than 2.
Table IX.--Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Classes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A--Not greater than 1360 kg. (3,000 lbs.)
Class B--Greater than 1360 kg. to 1814 kg. (3,001-4,000 lbs.)
Class C--Greater than 1814 kg. to 2268 kg. (4,001-5,000 lbs.)
Class D--Greater than 2268 kg. to 2722 kg. (5,001-6,000 lbs.)
Class E--Greater than 2722 kg. to 3175 kg. (6,001-7,000 lbs.)
Class F--Greater than 3175 kg. to 3629 kg. (7,001-8,000 lbs.)
Class G--Greater than 3629 kg. to 4082 kg. (8,001-9,000 lbs.)
Class H--Greater than 4082 kg. to 4536 kg. (9,001-10,000 lbs.)
Class 3--Greater than 4536 kg. to 6350 kg. (10,001-14,000 lbs.)
Class 4--Greater than 6350 kg. to 7257 kg. (14,001-16,000 lbs.)
Class 5--Greater than 7257 kg. to 8845 kg. (16,001-19,500 lbs.)
Class 6--Greater than 8845 kg. to 11793 kg. (19,501-26,000 lbs.)
Class 7--Greater than 11793 kg. to 14968 kg.(26,001-33,000 lbs.)
Class 8--Greater than 14968 kg. (33,001 lbs. and over).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) The third section shall consist of one character, which
occupies position nine (9) in the VIN. This section shall be the check
digit whose purpose is to provide a means for verifying the accuracy of
any VIN transcription. After all other characters in VIN have been
determined by the manufacturer, the check digit shall be calculated by
carrying out the mathematical computation specified in paragraphs (c)
(1) through (4) of this section.
(1) Assign to each number in the VIN its actual mathematical value
and assign to each letter the value specified for it in Table X, as
follows:
Table X.--Assigned Values
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 5
F = 6
G = 7
H = 8
J = 1
K = 2
L = 3
M = 4
N = 5
P = 7
R = 9
S = 2
T = 3
U = 4
V = 5
W = 6
X = 7
Y = 8
Z = 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Multiply the assigned value for each character in the VIN by
the position weight factor specified in Table XI, as follows:
Table XI.--VIN Position and Weight Factor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st..................................................... 8
2d...................................................... 7
3d...................................................... 6
4th..................................................... 5
5th..................................................... 4
6th..................................................... 3
7th..................................................... 2
8th..................................................... 10
9th..................................................... (check digit)
10th.................................................... 9
11th.................................................... 8
12th.................................................... 7
13th.................................................... 6
14th.................................................... 5
15th.................................................... 4
16th.................................................... 3
17th.................................................... 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Add the resulting products and divide the total by 11.
(4) The numerical remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is
10 the letter ``X'' shall be used to designate the check digit. The
correct numeric remainder, zero through nine (0-9) or the letter ``X,''
shall appear in VIN position nine (9).
(5) A sample check digit calculation is shown in Table XII as
follows:
[[Page 23385]]
Table XII.--Calculation of a Check Digit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIN Position 12............. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Sample VIN.................. 1 G 4 A H 5 9 H ... 5 G 1 1 8 3 4 1
Assigned Value.............. 1 7 4 1 8 5 9 8 ... 5 7 1 1 8 3 4 1
Weight Factor............... 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Multiply Assigned value 8 49 24 5 32 15 18 80 0 45 56 7 6 40 12 12 2
times......................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add products: 8+49+24+5+32+15+18+80+0+45+56+7+6+40+12+12+2 = 411.
Divide by 11: 411/11 = 37 4/11.
The remainder is 4; this is the check digit to be inserted in position nine (9) of the VIN.
(d) The fourth section shall consist of eight characters, which
occupy positions ten through seventeen (10-17) of the VIN. The last
five (5) characters of this section shall be numeric for passenger cars
and for multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle
weight rating of 4536 kg. (10,000 lbs.) or less, and the last four (4)
characters shall be numeric for all other vehicles.
(1) The first character of the fourth section shall represent the
vehicle model year. The year shall be designated as indicated in Table
XIII as follows:
Table XIII.--Year Codes for VIN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Code
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980............................................................. A
1981............................................................. B
1982............................................................. C
1983............................................................. D
1984............................................................. E
1985............................................................. F
1986............................................................. G
1987............................................................. H
1988............................................................. J
1989............................................................. K
1990............................................................. L
1991............................................................. M
1992............................................................. N
1993............................................................. P
1994............................................................. R
1995............................................................. S
1996............................................................. T
1997............................................................. V
1998............................................................. W
1999............................................................. X
2000............................................................. Y
2001............................................................. 1
2002............................................................. 2
2003............................................................. 3
2004............................................................. 4
2005............................................................. 5
2006............................................................. 6
2007............................................................. 7
2008............................................................. 8
2009............................................................. 9
2010............................................................. A
2011............................................................. B
2012............................................................. C
2013............................................................. D
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) The second character of the fourth section shall represent the
plant of manufacture.
(3) The third through the eighth characters of the fourth section
shall represent the number sequentially assigned by the manufacturer in
the production process if the manufacturer produces 500 or more
vehicles of its type annually. If the manufacturer produces less than
500 motor vehicles of its type annually, the third, fourth and fifth
characters of the fourth section, combined with the three characters of
the first section, shall uniquely identify the manufacturer, make and
type of the motor vehicle and the sixth, seventh, and eighth characters
of the fourth section shall represent the number sequentially assigned
by the manufacturer in the production process.
Sec. 565.26 Reporting requirements.
The information collection requirements contained in this part have
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and
have been assigned OMB Control Number 2127-0510.
(a) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
contracted with the SAE International (SAE) to coordinate the
assignment of manufacturer identifiers. Manufacturer identifiers will
be supplied by SAE at no charge. All requests for assignments of
manufacturer identifiers should be forwarded directly to: SAE
International, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, Pennsylvania 15096,
Attention: WMI Coordinator. Any requests for identifiers submitted to
NHTSA will be forwarded to SAE. Manufacturers may request a specific
identifier or may request only assignment of an identifier(s). SAE will
review requests for specific identifiers to determine that they do not
conflict with an identifier already assigned or block of identifiers
already reserved. SAE will confirm the assignments in writing to the
requester. Once confirmed by SAE, the identifier need not be
resubmitted to NHTSA.
(b) Manufacturers of vehicles subject to this part shall submit,
either directly or through an agent, the unique identifier for each
make and type of vehicle it manufactures at least 60 days before
affixing the first VIN using the identifier. Manufacturers whose unique
identifier appears in the fourth section of the VIN shall also submit
the three characters of the first section that constitutes a part of
their identifier.
(c) Manufacturers of vehicles subject to the requirements of this
part shall submit to NHTSA the information necessary to decipher the
characters contained in its VINs. Amendments to this information shall
be submitted to the agency for VINs containing an amended coding. The
agency will not routinely provide written approvals of these
submissions, but will contact the manufacturer should any corrections
to these submissions be necessary.
(d) The information required under paragraph (c) of this section
shall be submitted at least 60 days prior to offering for sale the
first vehicle identified by a VIN containing that information, or if
information concerning vehicle characteristics sufficient to specify
the VIN code is unavailable to the manufacturer by that date, then
within one week after that information first becomes available. The
information shall be addressed to: Administrator, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590, Attention: VIN Coordinator.
Issued: April 24, 2008.
Nicole R. Nason,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 08-1197 Filed 4-25-08; 10:50 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P