Petitions for Hearings on Notifications and Remedy of Defects

49 CFR Part 557 allows anyone to petition the agency for a hearing to determine if a manufacturer has reasonably met its obligation to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of a safety defect or noncompliance, and to remedy that safety defect or noncompliance.Persons who believe that a manufacturer has been deficient in notifying owners, purchasers, or dealers of a safety related defect or noncompliance with FMVSS, or has not remedied the problem in accordance with statutory requirements, may petition the agency pursuant to 49 CFR Part 557. The agency uses the petition, and may use other information available to it, to determine whether a hearing is necessary to determine whether a manufacturer has reasonably met its obligation to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of the safety defect or noncompliance with FMVSS, or to remedy that defect or noncompliance. Should the agency, on the basis of information provided at that hearing or other information, determine the manufacturer has not reasonably met its obligations, the agency orders the manufacturer to take specified action to bring itself into compliance with those obligations.

The latest form for Petitions for Hearings on Notifications and Remedy of Defects expires 2022-03-31 and can be found here.