WASHINGTON (Feb. 11, 2016) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted petitions of inconsequential noncompliance to three luxury vehicle manufacturers for nearly identical aberrations with their tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).
The TPMS situations with Tesla Motors Inc., Ferrari North America Inc. and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. also closely resemble those of McLaren Automotive Inc., which received a grant of inconsequential noncompliance from NHTSA only two days before the other three.
The notices for Tesla, Ferrari and Lamborghini appeared in the Feb. 11 Federal Register. In each case, the TPMS malfunction illuminator failed to re-illuminate immediately once the ignition had been re-engaged after being turned off for five minutes or more.
Ferrari and Lamborghini said the malfunction illuminators would re-illuminate within 40 seconds after the vehicles had reached or exceeded a speed of 23 mph—the same situation described by McLaren.
In Tesla's case, the malfunction illuminators re-illuminate within 90 seconds of reaching a speed of 20 to 25 mph.
The cars involved include: 542 Tesla Roadsters, model year 2008, manufactured between Feb. 1, 2008 and Oct. 29, 2009;1,475 Ferrari model F430s, model years 2007-2009, manufactured between Sept. 1, 2007 and July 29, 2009; and various Lamborghini models including:
- Approximately 690 Lamborghini Aventador coupes and roadsters, model years 2012-2014, manufactured between July 15, 2011 and May 13, 2014;
- Approximately 456 Lamborghini Muricielago coupes and roadsters, model years 2008-2010, manufactured between April 3, 2007 and April 29, 2010; and
- Approximately 2,361 Lamborghini Lamborghini Gallardo coupes and Spyders, manufactured between June 14, 2007 and Nov. 20, 2013.
The Feb. 11 notices may be found by clicking here.