Vehicles

A new vehicle sold in the U.S. must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) established under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

A vehicle safety recall is a manufacturer-initiated or NHTSA-ordered correction of a safety-related defect in a motor vehicle or equipment. You are notified by first-class mail from the manufacturer within a reasonable time after the recall is announced.

Yes, federal law requires manufacturers to perform recall repairs free of charge to vehicle owners.

Yes, federal law requires all new passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds to have backup cameras as of May 1, 2018.

Yes, the federal government can force a vehicle recall if a safety defect exists, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under authority granted by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Automakers must meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which require fleet-wide average fuel economy targets that rise over time — currently aiming for approximately 49 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks by model year 2026.

Yes, a manufacturer can be fined for failing to meet federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under 49 U.S.C. § 32901 et seq.

A vehicle manufacturer that ignores a recall order faces civil penalties of up to $21,000 per violation, with a maximum of $105 million for related violations, and may be subject to court-ordered recalls and injunctive relief.

The vehicle manufacturer is primarily liable for unrepaired safety recalls, but rental companies may also be held liable under federal law if they fail to remedy known defects before renting the car.

Yes, you may sue a car manufacturer for injuries caused by a defect under federal and state product liability laws, especially if the defect violates safety standards set by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Yes, a trucking company can be held liable if its driver causes an accident due to fatigue, because federal law holds carriers responsible for ensuring drivers comply with hours-of-service rules designed to prevent fatigue-related crashes.

The federal lemon law is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which enforces written warranties on consumer products costing $10 or more and gives consumers the right to sue for breach of warranty.

Federal safety regulations for commercial trucks and buses are primarily enforced under the Motor Carrier Safety Act and implemented by the FMCSA, covering vehicle standards, driver qualifications, hours of service, and drug/alcohol testing.

A commercial truck driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and must take a mandatory 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving.

Yes, the federal government can shut down an unsafe trucking company under the Motor Carrier Safety Act, using authority granted to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to order immediate cessation of operations for imminent hazards.

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) prevents title fraud by requiring states and salvage yards to report vehicle title and history data to a centralized federal database, enabling buyers and law enforcement to verify a vehicle’s legitimacy before purchase.

Yes, you can check a used car’s history for flood damage or total loss declarations using the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which federal law requires insurers, junkyards, and salvage yards to report to.

No, electric vehicles must meet the same federal motor vehicle safety standards as gasoline-powered vehicles under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Yes, self-driving vehicles are subject to federal safety standards under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which gives NHTSA authority to set and enforce safety standards for all motor vehicles and equipment.

Yes, you can import a vehicle from another country into the U.S., but it must comply with federal safety, bumper, and emissions standards — or qualify for a specific exemption.

Federal law no longer provides statutory franchise protection for automobile dealers against termination, as the Automobile Dealers' Day in Court Act was repealed in 1994. Dealers now rely primarily on state franchise laws and contract terms.

No, under federal law, a car manufacturer generally cannot force a dealer to accept vehicles they did not order — the Automobile Dealers' Day in Court Act (repealed in 1994) previously offered protections, but current federal law does not prohibit this practice; dealer protections now come almost entirely from state franchise laws.

No, motorcycle riders are not exempt from federal vehicle safety standards; motorcycles and their equipment must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Yes, anyone in the U.S. can report a potential vehicle safety defect to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The law empowers NHTSA to investigate such reports and order recalls if a safety-related defect is confirmed.