Civil Penalties; Registered Importers of Vehicles Not Originally Manufactured to Conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

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This document amends NHTSA's regulations on civil penalties and registered importers to reflect related amendments to 49 U.S.C. 30165(a) and 30120(g)(1) made by sections of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act, signed by the president on November 1, 2000. Under these amendments, the civil penalty for a single violation of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301--Motor Vehicle Safety is increased from $1,100 to $5,000, and the maximum civil penalty for a related series of violations is increased from $925,000 to $15,000,000. However, if 49 U.S.C. 30166 (inspections, investigations, and records) or a regulation thereunder has been violated, the maximum penalty is $5,000 per violation per day, and the maximum penalty for a related series of daily violations is $15,000,000. In addition, the TREAD Act extends from 8 to 10 years the period for which a manufacturer must remedy without charge a noncompliance or safety-related defect. This also requires conforming amendments to the remedial obligations of Registered Importers.