393.81 — Horn inoperable

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 14,795 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 2.

Severity Weight
2
OOS Eligible
No
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
14,795
Code
393.81
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
OOS Eligible
No
Severity Weight
2
Violation Group
BASIC 5
Total Events
14,795
Carriers Cited
11,857

Violation Description

Horn on commercial motor vehicle is inoperable or not functioning properly.

About This Violation Code

Code 393.81 falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 2 (scale 1-10, higher = more severe).

When this violation is cited during a roadside inspection, it contributes to the carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC score. Carriers with high BASIC percentiles may be prioritized for FMCSA interventions including warning letters, investigations, or compliance reviews.

Regulatory Reference

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

This violation references 49 CFR 393.81 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Events (all time)
14,795
OOS Events
3
OOS Rate
0.0%
Top State (180d)
Texas
848 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 393.81 is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1.Texas
848
OOS 0.2%
2.North Carolina
58
OOS 0.0%
3.Iowa
54
OOS 0.0%
4.Illinois
43
OOS 0.0%
5.New Mexico
21
OOS 0.0%
6.Kentucky
2
OOS 0.0%

Click a state to see roadside inspection activity, top stations, and carrier profiles in that jurisdiction.

Citation Trend (12 months)

Monthly count of 393.81 citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

94
Apr
190
May
203
Jun
203
Jul
205
Aug
183
Sep
234
Oct
170
Nov
203
Dec
181
Jan
192
Feb
180
Mar
7
Apr

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 393.81 most often (last 180 days)

1.COLUMBIA POE
66
OOS 0.0%
2.VETERANS POE
44
OOS 0.0%
3.INDIOS POE
43
OOS 0.0%
4.PHARR POE
41
OOS 0.0%
5.YSLETA POE
26
OOS 0.0%
6.CAMINO REAL POE
20
OOS 0.0%
10.US77 RIVIERA SCALE
6
OOS 0.0%

Often Cited Together

Other violations commonly found on the same inspection (last 90 days)

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 11,857 carriers total • Page 1 of 475

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 393.81 was cited • 14,795 total events • Page 1 of 592

Recent Inspections with 393.81

Showing 25 of 14,795

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 393.81
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Apr 2, 202687486447NCLevel 2No
Apr 2, 202687486379NCLevel 2No
Apr 1, 202687487967TXLevel 2No
Apr 1, 202687477438IALevel 2No
Apr 1, 202687485945NCLevel 2No
Apr 1, 202687478762TXLevel 1No
Apr 1, 202687486106NCLevel 2No
Mar 31, 202687487451TXLevel 1No
Mar 31, 202687487784TXLevel 2No
Mar 31, 202687478911TXLevel 2No
Mar 31, 202687479735TXLevel 1No
Mar 31, 202687468860TXLevel 1No
Mar 31, 202687467639TXLevel 1No
Mar 31, 202687469146TXLevel 2No
Mar 30, 202687438858NCLevel 2No
Mar 29, 202687468011TXLevel 2No
Mar 29, 202687468597TXLevel 2No
Mar 28, 202687468237TXLevel 2No
Mar 28, 202687466464TXLevel 2No
Mar 28, 202687478814TXLevel 1No
Mar 27, 202687440931TXLevel 1No
Mar 27, 202687453307IALevel 1No
Mar 27, 202687479536TXLevel 1No
Mar 27, 202687469004TXLevel 1No
Mar 27, 202687468737TXLevel 2No

Data sources & freshness

FMCSA Vehicle Inspections and Violations
Updated 3 months ago
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR)
Unknown freshness