The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) has announced a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) rule change connected to the safety standards of vehicles sold by dealers who are NMEDA QAP members.
In the association’s Oct. 10 newsletter and in an October letter sent to dealer members, NMEDA told dealers that starting July 1, 2020, “dealers will be required to possess credible evidence of compliance to appropriate FMVSS [Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards] for each newly converted vehicle they sell within the scope of the QAP.”
Selling only vehicles that comply with FMVSS is a current QAP dealer rule, NMEDA added. The rule change, however, is due to a “consensus understanding” that verification of FMVSS for vehicles had been “aspirational” in nature. In adopting the rule change, NMEDA is demonstrating that verifying a vehicle’s FMVSS is a core requirement of the QAP.
“The QAP Rules have always required dealers to sell only vehicles that comply with appropriate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, as provided by federal law,” the letter said. “This has been, and shall remain, the driving principle of the QAP program and unquestionably stands as a fair, minimum, objective requirement of the NMEDA program developed for the functionality and safety of our customers as well as the safety and wellbeing of the public with whom our customers share the road. That is not changing.”
To support its dealer members, NMEDA maintains a database of vehicles that meet FMVSS standards. Vehicle manufacturers can submit standards information to NMEDA’s Compliance Review Program (CRP), which is open to vehicle manufacturers whether or not they have NMEDA membership.
Manufacturers can also submit information to a NMEDA-approved third-party testing facility or engineering firm rather than sending their information directly to NMEDA.
“QAP dealers have always been, and will continue to be, free to sell any conversion that complies with appropriate FMVSS standards, regardless of the manufacturer’s NMEDA membership status,” the letter said. “However, this change to QAP is to emphasize that dealers are selling only vehicles that are fully compliant with federal regulations.”
The letter was signed by Chuck Hardy, NMEDA’s VP of Quality & Compliance, and Kristen Clevidence, NMEDA’s QAP Coordinator.
Find a complete list of manufacturer postings at https://nmeda.com/safetyreviewedvehicles.
