Outdated Car Safety Reporting Gets the NHTSA Axe
Published Date: 5/30/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
NHTSA is cleaning house by removing old, outdated rules from their phase-in reporting requirements. This change mainly affects car makers who report safety info, making their job simpler and clearer. No new costs or deadlines—just a smoother process starting soon!
No Economic Impacts Identified for this Document
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-11072, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 214; Side Impact Protection; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 305a; Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electric Powertrain Integrity; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 307; Fuel System Integrity of Hydrogen Vehicles
Starting July 6, 2026, car makers must follow updated safety rules that clean up old, outdated side-impact protection standards and fix related rules for electric and hydrogen vehicles. These changes make the rules clearer without adding new costs or big changes for manufacturers. If anyone wants to challenge the updates, they have until July 20, 2026, to speak up.
2026-08144, Administrative Rulemaking, Guidance, and Enforcement Procedures
The Department of Transportation is bringing back and improving its rules for making new policies, giving guidance, and enforcing laws. This affects anyone involved in transportation regulations, making the process clearer and more consistent. These changes kick in on May 27, 2026, aiming to save time and avoid confusion without adding extra costs.
2026-05024, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Modernization of FMVSS No. 102 To Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles
NHTSA wants to update a safety rule to help self-driving cars that don’t have steering wheels or gear shifts. They’re proposing to remove the need for a gear position display in these automated vehicles, cutting costs without hurting safety. If you have thoughts, speak up by April 15, 2026!
2026-05023, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Modernization of FMVSS No. 103 and FMVSS No. 104 To Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles; Incorporation by Reference
NHTSA is updating rules for windshield defrosting, defogging, wiping, and washing to better fit self-driving cars that don’t have steering wheels or pedals. These cars won’t have to follow old rules meant for human drivers, cutting costs and unnecessary requirements without hurting safety. The changes kick in about six months after the final rule, and manufacturers can still add these features if they want.
2025-22674, Public Hearing for Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards: The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicle Rule III for Model Years 2022 to 2031 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks
The government is holding a virtual public hearing on January 7, 2026, about new fuel economy rules for cars and light trucks from 2022 to 2031. These rules aim to keep vehicles safer and more affordable while improving fuel efficiency. If you care about how much gas your car uses or how much you pay at the pump, this is your chance to speak up before the rules are finalized.
2026-16749, Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition, DP26002
NHTSA said no to a request to investigate wheel fasteners on big trucks because the problem didn’t seem serious enough. Truck drivers and manufacturers can keep rolling without changes or extra costs for now. The agency carefully checked the facts and decided this issue doesn’t need a safety fix at this time.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-09750, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213a; Child Restraint Systems-Side Impact Protection; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213; Child Restraint Systems, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213b; Child Restraint Systems
NHTSA is updating rules for child car seats to make things easier for school bus seats by giving them some exceptions and new labels. They’re also pushing back the deadline to follow these rules from June 2025 to December 2026. Plus, they’re changing how crash test dummies are used to keep testing fair and accurate.
Next: 2025-09752, Removing Obsolete Procedures From the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009
NHTSA is cleaning house by removing old rules from the 2009 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act that no longer make sense. This update affects car buyers and sellers by simplifying the process and cutting out outdated steps. No extra costs or deadlines—just a smoother ride for everyone involved!