[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 17]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR86.612-84]

[Page 35-37]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 86--CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND 
ENGINES (CONTINUED)--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart G--Selective Enforcement Auditing of New Light-Duty Vehicles
 
Sec. 86.612-84  Suspension and revocation of certificates of conformity.

    (a) The certificate of conformity is suspended with respect to any 
vehicle failing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Sec. 86.610 effective from 
the time that testing of that vehicle is completed.
    (b) The Administrator may suspend the certificate of conformity for 
a configuration which does not pass a Selective Enforcement Audit 
pursuant to paragraph Sec. 86.610(c) based on the first test, or all 
tests, conducted on each vehicle. This suspension will not occur before 
ten days after failure to pass the audit.
    (c) If the results of vehicle testing pursuant to these regulations 
indicate the vehicles of a particular configuration produced at more 
than one plant do not conform to the regulations with respect to which 
the certificate of conformity was issued, the Administrator may suspend 
the certificate of conformity with respect to that configuration for 
vehicles manufactured by the manufacturer in other plants of the 
manufacturer.
    (d) The Administrator will notify the manufacturer in writing of any 
suspension or revocation of a certificate of conformity in whole or in 
part: Except, That the certificate of conformity is immediately 
suspended with respect to any vehicle failing pursuant to Sec. 86.610(a) 
and as provided for in paragraph (a) of this section.
    (e) The Administrator may revoke a certificate of conformity for a 
configuration when the certificate has been suspended pursuant to 
paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the proposed remedy for the 
nonconformity, as reported by the manufacturer to the Administrator, is 
one requiring a design change(s) to the engine and/or emission control 
system as described in the Application for Certification of the affected 
configuration.
    (f) Once a certificate has been suspended for a failed vehicle as 
provided for in paragraph (a) of this section, the manufacturer must 
take the following actions:
    (1) Before the certificate is reinstated for that failed vehicle,
    (i) Remedy the nonconformity, and
    (ii) Demonstrate that the vehicle's final deteriorated test results 
conform to the applicable emission standards or family particulate 
emission limits, as defined in part 86 by retesting the vehicle in 
accordance with these regulations.
    (2) Submit a written report to the Administrator within thirty days 
after

[[Page 36]]

successful completion of testing on the failed vehicle, which contains a 
description of the remedy and test results for the vehicle in addition 
to other information that may be required by this regulation.
    (g) Once a certificate has been suspended pursuant to paragraph (b) 
or (c) of this section, the manufacturer must take the following actions 
before the Administrator will consider reinstating such certificate:
    (1) Submit a written report to the Administrator which identifies 
the reason for the noncompliance of the vehicles, describes the proposed 
remedy, including a description of any proposed quality control and/or 
quality assurance measures to be taken by the manufacturer to prevent 
the future occurrence of the problem, and states the date on which the 
remedies will be implemented, and
    (2) Demonstrate that the vehicle configuration for which the 
certificate of conformity has been suspended does in fact comply with 
these regulations by testing vehicles selected from normal production 
runs of that vehicle configuration, at the plant(s) or the facilities 
specified by the Administrator, in accordance with the conditions 
specified in the initial test order; except, that if the Administrator 
has not revoked the certificate pursuant to paragraph (e) of this 
section and if the manufacturer elects to continue testing individual 
vehicles after suspension of a certificate, the certificate is 
reinstated for any vehicle actually determined to have its final 
deteriorated test results in conformance with the applicable standards 
through testing in accordance with the applicable test procedures.
    (h) Once a certificate for a failed configuration has been revoked 
under paragraph (e) of this section and the manufacturer desires to 
introduce into commerce a modified version of that configuration, the 
following actions will be taken before the Administrator may issue a 
certificate for the new configuration:
    (1) If the Administrator determines that the proposed change(s) in 
vehicle design may have an effect on emission performance deterioration 
and/or fuel economy, he shall notify the manufacturer within 5 working 
days after receipt of the report in paragraph (g) of this section 
whether subsequent testing under this subpart will be sufficient to 
evaluate the proposed change(s) or whether additional testing will be 
required; and
    (2) After implementing the change(s) intended to remedy the 
nonconformity, the manufacturer shall demonstrate that the modified 
vehicle configuration does in fact conform with these regulations by 
testing vehicles selected from normal production runs of that modified 
vehicle configuration in accordance with the conditions specified in the 
initial test order. The Administrator shall consider this testing to 
satisfy the testing requirements of Sec. 86.079-32 or Sec. 86.079-33 if 
the Administrator had so notified the manufacturer. If the subsequent 
testing results in passing of the audit, the Administrator shall reissue 
or amend the certificate, if necessary, to include that configuration: 
Provided, That the manufacturer has satisfied the testing requirements 
specified in paragraph (h)(1) of this section. If the subsequent audit 
is failed, the revocation remains in effect. Any design change approvals 
under this subpart are limited to the modification of the configuration 
specified by the test order.
    (i) A manufacturer may at any time subsequent to an initial 
suspension of a certificate of conformity with respect to a test vehicle 
pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, but not later than fifteen 
(15) days or such other period as may be allowed by the Administrator 
after notification of the Administrator's decision to suspend or revoke 
a certificate of conformity in whole or in part pursuant to paragraph 
(b), (c) or (e) of this section, request that the Administrator grant 
such manufacturer a hearing as to whether the tests have been properly 
conducted or any sampling methods have been properly applied.
    (j) After the Administrator suspends or revokes a certificate of 
conformity pursuant to this section or notifies a manufacturer of his 
intent to suspend, revoke or void a certificate of conformity under 
paragraph (d) of Sec. 86.084-30, and prior to the commencement of a

[[Page 37]]

hearing under Sec. 86.614, if the manufacturer demonstrates to the 
Administrator's satisfaction that the decision to suspend, revoke or 
void the certificate was based on erroneous information, the 
Administrator shall reinstate the certificate.
    (k) To permit a manufacturer to avoid storing non-test vehicles when 
conducting an audit of a configuration subsequent to suspension or 
revocation of the certificate of conformity for that configuration, 
resulting from failure of the initial audit of that configuration, he 
may request that the Administrator conditionally reinstate the 
certificate for that configuration. The Administrator may reinstate the 
certificate subject to the condition that the manufacturer consents to 
recall all vehicles of that configuration produced from the time the 
certificate is conditionally reinstated if the configuration fails the 
subsequent audit and to remedy any nonconformity at no expense to the 
owner.

[41 FR 31483, July 28, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 4553, Feb. 2, 1978; 49 
FR 48484, Dec. 12, 1984. Redesignated at 54 FR 2123, Jan. 19, 1989]