nhtsa
Every record this desk has filed under nhtsa, newest first, each with the number of sources it can still show you.
NHTSA proposes a negotiated rulemaking committee of up to 18 members to recommend changes to the rules on vehicle headlights and other lighting; comments and nominations due November 9
NHTSA published a notice October 8 proposing a negotiated-rulemaking committee to recommend changes to FMVSS No. 108, the vehicle-lighting safety standard. It proposes up to 18 members from six stakeholder categories and an agency representative, without saying whether that seat is inside the 18. Comments on the plan are due November 9, 2026, and membership applications the same day by 5 p.m. ET. Consensus recommendations go to the Secretary, who may approve them as submitted or modified, before NHTSA proposes a rule.
Also filed undervehicle-lightingvehicle-safetyrulemakingfederal-advisory-committee
NHTSA's final rule amending fuel-economy standards estimates a model-year 2031 average requirement of about 34.9 mpg, versus about 49.3 under the 2024 standards; it takes effect November 30
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a final rule September 30 amending fuel-economy standards for model years 2022 through 2031. It estimates the model year 2031 average requirement at about 34.9 mpg, versus about 49.3 under the 2024 standards. It also estimates average new-vehicle costs for that year would be $1,289 lower if savings are passed on, and gasoline use through 2050 4.6 percent higher. The rule takes effect November 30 and sets no new comment period.
Also filed underfuel-economycafe-standardsnew-carsfederal-registertransportation
Every recall can fail four ways, and last week's notices show all four
A recall sounds like a single event: a defect is found, a notice goes out, the thing gets fixed. Last week's federal notices show how many places that chain can break. A 2001 fire-sprinkler recall was closed in 2007, yet a Massachusetts assisted-living facility where ten residents died in a 2025 fire had not replaced dozens of recalled heads that a prior inspection had found. Mercedes mailed two owner letters with the same date, one saying the fix is ready and one saying it is not. Ford's F-150 fuel-tank recall names no warning a driver would notice. And a pressure washer sold on six major marketplaces has no recall at all, because the company CPSC names has not agreed to an acceptable one. The portable lesson: know which of the four failures you are exposed to, and what to do about each.
Also filed underrecallsconsumer-safetycpscfire-safety
Mercedes dated two owner letters September 18 for its 310,667-vehicle rollaway recall: one says the fix is ready, the other says it is not, and the only parts release in the federal file covers 3,504 vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz is recalling 310,667 vehicles, model year 2019 to 2026 A-Class, CLA, C-Class, CLE, GLA, GLB and GLC models, because a switch in the driver's door lock can corrode and miss that the door is open, so the electronic parking brake or Auto-Park may not engage and the car could roll away. The owner letters, posted to NHTSA's recall file on September 27, come in two versions, both dated September 18, 2026. One says 'The remedy is now available for your vehicle.' The other says 'Unfortunately, the remedy is not yet available.' Mercedes's September 11 notice to dealers, headed Wave 1, made parts orderable for 3,504 vehicles, just over 1 percent of the recall; the file shows no later release. The fix, a new driver door lock, is free. Owners can check a VIN at mbusa.com/recall or on NHTSA.gov. Mercedes told NHTSA it plans to notify owners about reimbursement for repairs they already paid for, but neither posted letter mentions it. Mercedes says it knows of no rollaway in the U.S.
Also filed underrecallsmercedes-benzvehicle-safetyrollawayconsumer-protection
Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups from model years 2023 to 2027 because a front fuel tank strap may not have been fully secured to the frame at the factory, so the tank may leak or come off while the truck is moving with no warning to the driver; the recall covers only trucks that were unsold or under three months in service on August 27, and the free dealer inspection is available now.
Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups, model years 2023 to 2027, because a front fuel tank strap may not have been fully secured to the frame rail at the factory, so the fuel tank may leak or detach while the truck is being driven. Ford's filing lists no warning a driver would get. It estimates 1% of the trucks have the defect, and says it knows of 16 warranty claims worldwide and no crashes or injuries. The recall does not cover every F-150 built from January 4, 2023 to August 27, 2026: only trucks that were unsold or had less than three months in service on August 27, because Ford's field observations indicate the problem shows up early in a truck's life. Letters began going out September 21. The owner letter posted to NHTSA on September 27 says the remedy is available: a free dealer inspection, with straps replaced if needed, in less than half a day. Ford has not told owners to stop driving. Ford's refund plan for a strap repair an owner already paid for requires the original receipt and work done before September 28, 2026.
Also filed underrecallsvehicle-safetyfordpickup-trucksfuel-systemconsumer-protection
281 electric school and transit buses can lose drive power from a wiring harness rubbed through by a bracket, and 49,958 Volkswagen Tiguans can have the engine switch off mid-drive. Owner letters for both go out in November.
Six vehicle recalls reached NHTSA in the week to September 14. Micro Bird filed three of them, covering 281 G5e electric school and transit buses built between February 2025 and August 2026: a wiring harness routed against a metal bracket can be damaged and cause a loss of drive power. The filings describe four field complaints, including one bus that shut down in service in July, and report no injuries. Volkswagen is recalling 49,958 model-year 2025 Tiguans because a software fault in the body control module can reset it, switching the ignition off and stalling the engine, and can also kill exterior lights, warning lights or the rear-view camera. Also recalled: 155 Forest River Rockport trucks where wiring can short against the hood and start a fire, 42 Grand Design motorhomes whose top speed exceeds their tires' rating, and 549 tires mislabelled 'Not for Highway Use'. None carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.
Also filed underrecallsschool-busesvolkswagenvehicle-safetyelectric-vehicles
Hyundai is recalling 5,360 Ioniq 9s because the second-row power seats may not stop when they hit a person. The recall's own words: 'especially a child'. The fix is a software update, and owner letters go out November 9.
Hyundai Motor America filed a safety recall for 5,360 model-year 2026 Ioniq 9 SUVs with the Limited, Calligraphy or Calligraphy Design trim. The second-row power seats may fail to detect a person and keep moving during powered functions such as automatic fold-and-stow. Hyundai reported five complaints and two alleged minor injuries. Until the repair, the recall tells owners to keep children out of the rear seats and away from the rear seating area while the seats fold. The fix is a free software update, over the air or at a dealer; letters are due November 9. The same week, Volkswagen recalled 208,724 Atlas, Tiguan and Audi Q3 vehicles over a steering-rack bolt that can corrode and break. Neither recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.
Also filed underrecallshyundaiioniq-9child-safetyvolkswagenaudivehicle-safety
Two federal notices printed last week record things that happened years ago: a recall petition from 2024, and fraud convictions from 2019.
On September 11 the Federal Register published a General Motors petition asking to be excused from recalling about 10,241 model-year 2024 Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles whose taillamps do not light with the parking lamps in one switch position. GM filed that petition on May 17, 2024; the public comment window it opens closes October 13, 2026. The same day's Register carried seven FCC notices barring people from the E-Rate school-internet subsidy for three years, for fraud convictions dated between 2019 and 2022. The FCC's letters point to new rules adopted on March 26, 2026. Neither document says why the gap was as long as it was.
Also filed underfederal-registerrecallsgeneral-motorsfcce-ratedebarmentfraudpublic-commentdated-terms
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