Volkswagen Petition on Tire Pressure Monitoring Noncompliance
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This notice opens a public comment period on Volkswagen’s request to avoid a recall-style notice and repair requirement for about 81,456 model year 2024-2025 Jetta and 2024 Taos vehicles. The issue is that the tire pressure monitoring warning light does not flash for 60 to 90 seconds before staying on, as federal safety rules require. Instead, it turns on steadily when a malfunction is detected. Volkswagen argues the problem has little safety impact because the vehicles also show text warnings in the instrument cluster and infotainment screen during each ignition cycle. NHTSA has not decided whether to accept that argument. Comments are due by June 3, 2026, and dealers may still be barred from selling affected noncompliant vehicles under their control.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- NHTSA is seeking public comments on Volkswagen’s request to treat the TPMS warning-light issue as minor for safety purposes.
- The affected vehicles are about 81,456 model year 2024-2025 Volkswagen Jetta and model year 2024 Volkswagen Taos vehicles made between February 20, 2024, and October 11, 2024.
- If NHTSA grants the request, Volkswagen may avoid owner notification and repair duties for vehicles it no longer controlled, but dealers remain restricted from selling affected noncompliant vehicles under their control.
Obligations
What this law requires
Interested persons who submit comments on Volkswagen’s petition must submit them by June 3, 2026, and must identify Docket No. NHTSA-2026-0203 and Notice 1.
Comments submitted on the petition must be written in English and must not exceed 15 pages, excluding necessary attachments.
Hard-copy comments submitted on the petition must include two copies.
Manufacturers of vehicles subject to FMVSS No. 138 must ensure that, when a TPMS malfunction occurs, the malfunction telltale flashes for at least 60 seconds and no more than 90 seconds, then remains illuminated upon every ignition cycle until the malfunction is corrected.
A manufacturer that determines its vehicles do not comply with an applicable FMVSS must file a noncompliance report under 49 CFR part 573.