396.5A — Oil/grease leak

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 29 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 3.

Severity Weight
3
OOS Eligible
No
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
29
Code
396.5A
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
OOS Eligible
No
Severity Weight
3
Violation Group
Total Events
29
Carriers Cited
26

Violation Description

Operating a commercial motor vehicle that has an oil or grease leak from the engine, transmission, or other components.

About This Violation Code

Code 396.5A falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 3 (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 396.5A in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Events (all time)
29
OOS Events
6
OOS Rate
20.7%
Top State (180d)
Iowa
5 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 396.5A is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1.Iowa
5
OOS 20.0%
2.Illinois
1
OOS 0.0%
3.New Mexico
1
OOS 0.0%
4.Texas
1
OOS 100.0%

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

Citation Trend (12 months)

Monthly count of 396.5A citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

1
Apr
3
Jul
5
Oct
2
Nov
1
Dec
1
Feb
1
Mar

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 396.5A most often (last 180 days)

Often Cited Together

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

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 26 carriers total • Page 1 of 2

Top Carriers with 396.5A Violations

Showing 25 of 26

fmcsa-violations

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 396.5A was cited • 29 total events • Page 1 of 2

Recent Inspections with 396.5A

Showing 25 of 29

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 396.5A
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Mar 29, 202687462819NMLevel 2No
Feb 17, 202687078257IALevel 2Yes
Dec 27, 202586679610TXLevel 2Yes
Nov 25, 202586442914IALevel 1No
Nov 17, 202586362394ILLevel 1No
Oct 25, 202586180184IALevel 1No
Oct 24, 202586507048IALevel 1No
Oct 8, 202586049318TXLevel 1No
Oct 7, 202586049317TXLevel 1No
Jul 1, 202585114295TXLevel 2No
Apr 17, 202584440674IALevel 1No
Apr 9, 202584503605IALevel 2Yes
Apr 7, 202584340697IALevel 1No
Jan 15, 202583682590ILLevel 1Yes
Jan 12, 202583693336TXLevel 2Yes
Oct 4, 202482859017PALevel 2No
Sep 30, 202482969835CALevel 1No
Sep 30, 202482968778CALevel 1No
Sep 28, 202482970140CALevel 1No
Sep 24, 202482957131CALevel 5No
Sep 24, 202482760361CALevel 1No
Sep 13, 202482675178CALevel 1No
Aug 27, 202482563688CALevel 4No
Jul 11, 202482158147CALevel 1No
Jun 20, 202481952380CALevel 1No

Data sources & freshness

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