[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 118 (Thursday, June 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35227-35228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14285]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2014-0056; Notice 1]


Chrysler Group LLC, Receipt of Petition for Decision of 
Inconsequential Noncompliance

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

ACTION: Receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) \1\ has determined that certain 
model year (MY) 2013 and 2014 Fiat brand, 500e model, passenger cars do 
not fully comply with paragraph S5.4.1 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. Chrysler has filed an 
appropriate report dated April 1, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, 
Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.
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    \1\ Chrysler is a wholly owned subsidiary of the automaker Fiat 
S.p.A.

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

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    I. Chrysler's Petition: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h) 
(see implementing rule at 49 CFR part 556), Chrysler submitted a 
petition for an exemption from the notification and remedy requirements 
of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 on the basis that this noncompliance is 
inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.
    This notice of receipt of Chrysler's petition is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
other exercise of judgment concerning the merits of the petition.
    II. Vehicles Involved: Affected are approximately 3,447 MY 2013 and 
2014 Fiat brand, 500e model, passenger cars manufactured between March 
21, 2013 and February 11, 2014 at Chrysler's Toluca Assembly Plant.
    III. Noncompliance: Chrysler explains that the noncompliance is 
that the low tire pressure indicator telltale installed on the subject 
vehicles is orange in color rather than yellow as required by paragraph 
S5.4 of FMVSS No. 101.
    IV. Rule Text: Paragraph S5.4 of FMVSS No. 101 requires in 
pertinent part:

    S5.4 Color
    S5.4.1 The light of each telltale listed in Table 1 must be of 
the color specified for that telltale in column 6 of that table.

    V. Summary of Chrysler's Analyses: Chrysler stated that in the 
FMVSS No. 138 Final Rule (Federal Register Volume 70, Number 67 (April 
8, 2005)) NHTSA indicated that the intent of a TPMS warning telltale is 
to notify the operator of safety consequences that do not constitute an 
emergency requiring immediate service. While the affected vehicles may 
display an orange TPMS telltale, Chrysler's position is the operator 
notification conveys the appropriate message to the operator when there 
is either significant tire under-inflation or a TPMS malfunction.
    Chrysler's reasoning in support of the position is as follows:
     For the subject vehicles, if the TPMS telltale is 
illuminated and the operator does not understand its meaning, the TPMS 
telltale graphic is shown and described in the Introduction, Instrument 
Cluster Descriptions, and Starting and Operating sections of the 
vehicle owner's manual. An operator can easily refer to the owner's 
manual and determine the TPMS telltale relates to significant tire 
under-inflation or a TPMS malfunction. The owner's manual does not 
reference the color of the TPMS telltale, but rather that it 
``illuminates'' in the event of low tire pressure and/or TPMS fault.
     In the event there is significant under-inflation of 
tires, the TPMS telltale is illuminated and the instrument cluster 
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) will display a highlighted 
graphic of the locations including the pressure values of the affected 
tires.
     In the event there is a TPMS fault, the telltale will 
flash on and off for 75 seconds and then maintain a continuous 
illumination. The system fault will sound a chime and also display a 
``Service TPM System'' message in the EVIC for approximately 3 seconds. 
This message contains the same symbol as the telltale. If the ignition 
switch is cycled, this sequence will repeat, providing the system fault 
still exists. If

[[Page 35228]]

the system fault no longer exists, the TPMS telltale will no longer 
flash, and the ``Service TPM System'' message will no longer display.
    In addition to the TPMS telltale alerting the operator of a 
significant loss of tire pressure, or a TPMS malfunction as required, 
the EVIC messages and owner's manual provide more than the minimum 
level of information required aiding the operator's association of the 
illuminated telltale with an appropriate response.
    Chrysler also made reference to a previous petition for 
inconsequential noncompliance that addressed labeling issues that NHTSA 
granted.
    Chrysler has additionally informed NHTSA that it has corrected the 
noncompliance so that all future production vehicles will comply with 
FMVSS No. 101.
    In summation, Chrysler believes that the described noncompliance of 
the subject vehicles is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety, and 
that its petition, to exempt Chrysler from providing recall 
notification of noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30118 and 
remedying the recall noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30120 
should be granted.
    NHTSA notes that the statutory provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to file petitions for a 
determination of inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to exempt manufacturers 
only from the duties found in sections 30118 and 30120, respectively, 
to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of a defect or noncompliance 
and to remedy the defect or noncompliance. Therefore, any decision on 
this petition only applies to the subject vehicles that Chrysler no 
longer controlled at the time it determined that the noncompliance 
existed. However, any decision on this petition does not relieve 
vehicle distributors and dealers of the prohibitions on the sale, offer 
for sale, or introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate 
commerce of the noncompliant vehicles under their control after 
Chrysler notified them that the subject noncompliance existed.

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

Jeffrey M. Giuseppe,
Acting Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2014-14285 Filed 6-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P