Title 49

SECTION 574.8

574.8 Information requirements - tire distributors and dealers.

§ 574.8 Information requirements - tire distributors and dealers.

(a) Independent distributors and dealers.

(1) Each independent distributor and each independent dealer selling or leasing new tires to tire purchasers or lessors (hereinafter referred to in this section as “tire purchasers”) shall comply with paragraph (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) or (a)(1)(iii) of this section:

(i) At the time of sale or lease of the tire, provide each tire purchaser with a paper tire registration form on which the distributor or dealer has recorded the following information:

(A) The entire tire identification number of the tire(s) sold or leased to the tire purchaser, and

(B) The distributor's or dealer's name and street address. In lieu of the street address, and if one is available, the distributor or dealer's e-mail address or Web site may be recorded. Other means of identifying the distributor or dealer known to the manufacturer may also be used.

(ii) Record the following information on a paper tire registration form and return it to the tire manufacturer, or its designee, on behalf of the tire purchaser, at no charge to the tire purchaser and within 30 days of the date of sale or lease:

(A) The purchaser's name and address,

(B) The entire tire identification number of the tire(s) sold or leased to the tire purchaser, and

(C) The distributor's or dealer's name and street address. In lieu of the street address, and if one is available, the distributor or dealer's e-mail address or Web site may be recorded. Other means of identifying the distributor or dealer known to the manufacturer may also be used.

(iii) Electronically transmit the following information on the tire registration form by any means listed on the form by the tire manufacturer, or by such other means as may be authorized by the tire manufacturer, to the tire manufacturer or its designee, using secure means (e.g., https on the Web), at no charge to the tire purchaser and within 30 days of the date of sale or lease:

(A) The purchaser's name and address,

(B) The entire tire identification number of the tire(s) sold or leased to the tire purchaser, and

(C) The distributor's or dealer's name and street address. In lieu of the street address, and if one is available, the distributor or dealer's e-mail address or Web site may be recorded. Other means of identifying the distributor or dealer known to the manufacturer may also be used.

(2) Each independent distributor or dealer that complies with paragraph (a)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section shall use either the tire registration forms provided by the tire manufacturers pursuant to § 574.7(a) or registration forms obtained from another source. Paper forms obtained from other sources must comply with the requirements specified in § 574.7(a) for forms provided by tire manufacturers to independent distributors and dealers.

(3) Multiple tire sales or leases by the same tire purchaser may be recorded on a single paper registration form or in a single Web site transaction.

(4) Each independent distributor or dealer that is complying with paragraph (a)(1)(iii) with respect to a sale or lease shall include a statement to that effect on the invoice for that sale or lease and provide the invoice to the tire purchaser.

(b) Other distributors and dealers.

(1) Each distributor and each dealer, other than an independent distributor or dealer, selling new tires to tire purchasers:

(i) shall submit, using paper registration forms or, if authorized by the tire manufacturer, secure electronic means, the information specified in § 574.7(a)(4) to the manufacturer of the tires sold, or to the manufacturer's designee.

(ii) shall submit the information specified in § 574.7(a)(4) to the tire manufacturer or the manufacturer's designee, not less often than every 30 days. A distributor or dealer selling fewer than 40 tires of all makes, types and sizes during a 30 day period may wait until a total of 40 new tires is sold. In no event may more than six months elapse before the § 574.7(a)(4) information is forwarded to the respective tire manufacturers or their designees.

(c) Each distributor and each dealer selling new tires to other tire distributors or dealers shall supply to the distributor or dealer a means to record the information specified in § 574.7(a)(4), unless such means has been provided to that distributor or dealer by another person or by a manufacturer.

(d) Each distributor and each dealer shall immediately stop selling any group of tires when so directed by a notification issued pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118, Notification of defects and noncompliance.

[73 FR 72368, Nov. 28, 2008]