FMCSR 393.65B: Flat or Leaking Tires—What Happens Next

No. Across our 13 million inspection records, 393.65B has never resulted in an out-of-service placement—0% OOS rate across all 23 all-time citations. This is a non-OOS violation, so you can continue operating once the tire defect is documented. However, you must repair the flat or leaking tire as soon as safely possible to avoid compounding maintenance violations.

A 393.65B citation carries a CSA severity weight of 8 points. Under the CSA scoring system, this weight is applied to your Unsafe Driving and Vehicle Maintenance BASICs depending on inspection context. Points are most heavily counted in your rolling 12-month total, so recent citations impact your score more than older ones. Review your full CSA profile to understand your total point load.

First, inspect all tires for additional defects—our data shows 393.65B frequently co-occurs with brake tubing defects (1 shared inspection) and other tire issues like 393.65F (2 shared inspections). Second, get the flat or leaking tire repaired or replaced immediately. Third, document the repair and keep records. If the citation was paired with windshield defects (3 co-occurrences in the last 90 days) or lighting issues (2 co-occurrences), address those too before your next inspection.

No—393.65B is relatively minor. It ranks #1881 of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume (only 23 all-time), with 0% OOS rate. Compare this to similar vehicle maintenance codes: 393.9 (inoperable lamps) has 180,097 citations and 6.9% OOS rate, and 396.3(a)(1) (general inspection/repair) has 236,919 citations and 45.3% OOS rate. The national average OOS rate across all codes is 31.4%, so 393.65B is well below typical severity.

Yes. Equipment defects like flat or leaking tires can be contested through the DataQs system if you have documentation that the condition did not exist at the time of inspection, or that the inspecting officer misidentified the vehicle. You have 90 days from the citation date to file a DataQs request with supporting evidence. Contact your state's FMCSA office or use the SaferSystems portal to initiate a challenge; photograph repairs as proof of correction.

Our records show Texas dominates 393.65B enforcement. In the last 180 days, Texas accounted for 16 citations with a 0% OOS rate. No other state appears in the top enforcement list for this code, indicating either lower citation frequency or concentrated operations in Texas. If you operate primarily in Texas, prioritize preventive tire inspections to reduce exposure.

Very urgent—repair the tire immediately. Our last 90-day data shows 8 citations (with 3 in December 2025 and 4 in January 2026, trending upward), indicating sustained enforcement. A flat or audibly leaking tire is a safety hazard and can lead to blowouts. Since this code is non-OOS, inspectors may cite it repeatedly if the condition persists across multiple inspections, compounding your violation history and CSA points.

Both. The violation is recorded against your USDOT number as the driver and your carrier's USDOT as the motor carrier. Across our data, the highest-cited carriers (LUIS DANIEL GARZA VALLEJO and MANTENIMIENTO LIMOSA SA DE CV, each with 2 citations) show that tire defects reflect fleet-wide maintenance patterns. Work with your carrier's safety department to prevent recurrence—poor tire maintenance often signals broader fleet compliance gaps.