FMCSR 393.207F – Air Suspension Pressure Loss: Driver FAQ

It can, but it doesn't automatically. Across all-time records for 393.207F, 961 of 2,834 citations resulted in an out-of-service order — a 33.9% OOS rate. That means roughly one in three cited vehicles was parked on the spot. The national average OOS rate across all FMCSR codes is 31.4%, so 393.207F sits slightly above average. The inspector's judgment on severity — how much pressure is being lost and how fast — is the deciding factor. Don't assume you'll drive away just because the code is technically OOS-eligible as a "no" by default.

The CSA severity weight for 393.207F isn't published in the data available here, so a specific point value can't be confirmed. What is known: 393.207F falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. Points assigned to that BASIC follow FMCSA's Time Weight multiplier — violations from the last 6 months count at 3×, violations from 7–12 months ago count at 2×, and violations older than 12 months count at 1×. If the citation also triggers an OOS order (which happens 33.9% of the time), severity weight is elevated further. Check your FMCSA SMS profile directly to see the exact points posted.

Act on the air suspension system immediately, then audit the rest of the vehicle. Our inspection records show that in the last 90 days, 393.207F was cited alongside 393.45B2UV (brake tubing/hoses inadequate) in 95 shared inspections, 393.47E (slack adjuster defective) in 83, and 396.3A1BOS (brakes out of service) in 54. That pattern means if your suspension is losing pressure, your brake components are likely under stress too.

Immediate steps:

1. Have a qualified mechanic diagnose the air suspension leak before the next dispatch.
2. Inspect brake lines, hoses, and slack adjusters at the same time.
3. Document all repairs with dated work orders.
4. If an OOS order was issued, do not move the vehicle until a mechanic certifies the defect is corrected.

Yes — its OOS rate is notably higher than most high-volume peers in the Vehicle Maintenance category. At 33.9%, 393.207F's OOS rate exceeds codes like 393.9(a) (inoperable required lamps, 15.4% OOS rate across 660,737 citations), 393.9 (6.9% OOS rate, 180,097 citations), 393.11 (1.8%, 179,734 citations), and 393.78 (0.3%, 157,894 citations). Only 396.3(a)(1) — general inspection and maintenance — runs higher at 45.3%. With 2,834 all-time citations and a rank of #456 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes, this isn't a fringe violation; it's consistently enforced and carries real OOS risk.

Yes, you can submit a DataQs Request for Data Review (RDR) — but success depends on the type of error you're challenging. Because 393.207F is an equipment finding (a physical condition observed by the inspector), successful challenges typically require documentation that the defect did not exist at the time of inspection — for example, a pre-trip inspection record, shop inspection report, or repair order dated before the stop. If the inspector recorded the wrong code or applied it to the wrong vehicle, that's also grounds for correction. DataQs won't remove a citation simply because you've since fixed the problem. File through the FMCSA DataQs portal and attach all supporting maintenance records.

Texas is by far the top enforcement state. In the last 180 days, our inspection records show Texas issued 659 citations for 393.207F — more than six times the next closest state. New Mexico came in second with 105 citations, and Illinois and North Carolina were tied third with 28 citations each. If you run cross-border freight into Texas or through the Southwest corridor, this code should be on your pre-trip checklist. Worth noting: Iowa's OOS rate for this code hit 66.7% over the same period (12 citations, 12 OOS), meaning inspectors there parked nearly every vehicle they cited.

Don't wait. In the last 12 months our records show 1,795 citations for 393.207F — a high enforcement tempo. Month-over-month volume has stayed elevated, with March 2026 hitting 189 citations and February 2026 reaching 175. The 33.9% OOS rate means inspectors are actively parking vehicles with this defect. Beyond the inspection risk, the co-occurrence data shows 95 inspections in the last 90 days where 393.207F appeared alongside brake hose or tubing violations, and 54 alongside a brake OOS order — meaning deteriorating air suspension pressure frequently signals cascading brake system failures. Waiting compounds both the safety risk and the CSA exposure.

It can follow both. Under FMCSA's CSA system, Vehicle Maintenance BASIC violations are attributed to the carrier's DOT number — so the carrier's SMS score takes the hit. However, if the driver was responsible for the pre-trip inspection and signed off on the vehicle as roadworthy, the citation record is also tied to the driver's inspection history. Carriers with repeat 393.207F citations in our data — like those with 16, 15, and 11 all-time citations respectively — show that fleet-level patterns attract heightened scrutiny during subsequent inspections, which increases the likelihood that individual drivers in that fleet face closer review at the roadside.