Ford Motor Company, Receipt of Petition for Inconsequentiality and Decision Denying Request for Deferral of Determination

On July 10, 2017, Takata Corporation (``Takata'') filed a defect information report (``DIR'') in which it determined that a safety-related defect exists in certain phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (``PSAN'') driver-side airbag inflators that it manufactured with a calcium sulfate desiccant, including inflators that it supplied to Ford Motor Company (``Ford''), Mazda North American Operations (``Mazda''), and Nissan North America Inc. (``Nissan'') for use in certain vehicles. Ford has petitioned the Agency for a decision that, because analysis of inflators installed in certain Ford vehicles does not demonstrate propellant-tablet density degradation or increased inflation pressure, and because there are design differences between the inflators installed in Ford vehicles and an inflator variant installed in Nissan vehicles, the equipment defect determined to exist by Takata is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety in the Ford vehicles affected by Takata's DIR. Ford requests relief from its notification and remedy obligations under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and its applicable regulations, and further requests that the Agency allow Ford until March 31, 2018 to complete certain analysis and testing before the Agency decides on the petition.