The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has altered its early warning rule to make it easier for manufacturers to report problems. "Other changes provide for more focused reporting," say agency officials.
More specifically, changes "enhance the early warning program by eliminating provisions for submissions of information that have not been valuable to NHTSA in identifying possible defect trends in motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment.
"Overall, this rule reduces the burdens on the agency to review early warning information that has not advanced our mission in identifying potential defects and facilitates our focus on more probative information."
However, the basic structure of NHTSA's early warning program remains unchanged.