WASHINGTON (April 22)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided to release publicly some information submitted by tire companies as part of the new defect warning system, a move opposed by the industry.
Information about deaths, injuries and property damage, will be made public, an agency spokesman said. Warranty claims and consumer complaints will remain confidential, because publicizing such information would make companies hesitant to fix problems
The information will be posted on NHTSA´s Web site, and its release is ongoing. NHTSA said 334 companiesùincluding 31 tire makersùso far have reported data to the system.
Last month Public Citizen, the Washington-based consumer protection group, sued the agency to get public access to all available safety information.