Automotive Regulatory Compliance

Seminar Overview

Automotive compliance is not paperwork — it is the body of law that decides whether a vehicle may be sold, and it is enforced through recalls, fines, and litigation. This seminar is taught from the primary sources themselves: the actual Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR Parts 390–399, the FMVSS 571 series, the Part 572 crash-test dummy specifications, and Part 581 bumper standard), fifteen complete FMVSS documents (104, 108, 111, 201, 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 301, 302, 403, 500), the EU General Safety Regulation (2019/2144), the EU End-of-Life Vehicle Directive (2000/53), the UNECE regulation index, and the international (ISO) automotive testing framework — read verbatim, not summarized from vendor compliance decks.

The curriculum covers the regulations engineers actually touch. It works the occupant-protection core in depth: FMVSS 208 occupant crash protection, including the dynamic rollover platform test (S8.3.6 — 20g / 0.04 s platform deceleration at 30 mph on a 33-degree sled), and the Part 572 dummy instrumentation that defines the pass/fail numbers. It covers the vehicle systems regulations: 108 lighting, 201 interior impact with its 24 km/h / 19 km/h dual-tier head-impact requirements, 204 steering control rearward displacement, 205 glazing, 206 door locks, 207 seating systems, 209 seat-belt assemblies, 302 interior flammability, 301 fuel-system integrity, and the low-speed and low-emission vehicle standards. It then builds the program-level view: homologation workflow (self-certification vs. UNECE type approval), GSR 2019/2144 and Euro 7 alignment versus the FMVSS regime, the GADSL and restricted-substance layer under the ELV Directive, and recall jurisdiction under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.

Attendees leave able to read the regulation itself, identify which FMVSS/EU requirements bind a given component or vehicle, structure a homologation/self-certification program, manage materials compliance across GADSL and ELV obligations, and understand what triggers NHTSA recall authority — knowledge that protects both product and company.

Ideal Learner

• Regulatory, compliance, and homologation engineers in vehicle and tier-supplier programs
• Design and test engineers whose components fall under FMVSS/EU requirements
• Quality and warranty managers navigating NHTSA scrutiny, recalls, and field campaigns
• Engineering managers and program leads who sign off on compliance deliverables
• Passenger cars, light trucks, low-speed vehicles, and multi-tier automotive supply chains (interiors, glazing, lighting, seating, restraints, fuel systems)

Learning Objectives

• Navigate 49 CFR structure (Parts 571 FMVSS, 572 dummies, 581 bumpers, 390–399 motor-carrier rules) and locate the binding requirement for any component or system
• Apply FMVSS 208 occupant crash protection requirements including the dynamic rollover platform test (S8.3.6, 20g/0.04s at 30 mph) and Part 572 dummy-based injury criteria
• Determine applicability of the vehicle-systems FMVSS — 108, 111, 201 (24/19 km/h interior impact), 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 209, 302, 301, 403, 500 — to a specific product and build the corresponding test matrix
• Run the homologation workflow: U.S. self-certification vs. EU type approval under GSR 2019/2144, including UNECE regulation selection and documentation
• Manage the materials-compliance layer: GADSL, ELV Directive 2000/53 restricted substances, and understand recall jurisdiction and NHTSA's authority under Title 49 U.S. Code

Consulting Sessions

Seminar attendees can sign up for individual consulting sessions with the instructor. Sessions are free for registered attendees, first-come first-served — sign up when registering by calling 248-539-0473 or during the seminar.