396.7(a) — Unsafe operations - general

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 303 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 8. Out-of-service eligible.

OOS Eligible
Severity Weight
8
OOS Eligible
Yes
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
303
Code
396.7(a)
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
OOS Eligible
Yes
Severity Weight
8
Violation Group
BASIC 5
Total Events
303
Carriers Cited
280

Violation Description

Operating a commercial motor vehicle in such a condition as to likely cause an accident or breakdown.

About This Violation Code

Code 396.7(a) falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 8 (scale 1-10, higher = more severe). This violation is Out-of-Service eligible, meaning the driver or vehicle may be placed out of service at roadside when cited.

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 396.7 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Events (all time)
303
OOS Events
96
OOS Rate
31.7%
Top State (180d)

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 280 carriers total • Page 1 of 12

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 396.7(a) was cited • 303 total events • Page 1 of 13

Recent Inspections with 396.7(a)

Showing 25 of 303

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 396.7(a)
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Oct 14, 202482913693CALevel 2Yes
Oct 10, 202482882811CALevel 2Yes
Oct 10, 202482904839NYLevel 2No
Oct 9, 202482882673CALevel 2No
Oct 9, 202482881986CALevel 2No
Oct 9, 202482882541CALevel 2No
Oct 9, 202482885319ARLevel 1No
Oct 8, 202482886530SCLevel 2No
Oct 8, 202482905341AZLevel 2No
Oct 8, 202482855019NYLevel 2No
Oct 8, 202482859187PALevel 2Yes
Oct 8, 202482872669CALevel 2Yes
Oct 7, 202482914196CALevel 1No
Oct 6, 202482858377MILevel 1No
Oct 4, 202482882827CALevel 1No
Oct 3, 202482874153AZLevel 1No
Oct 3, 202482826674MILevel 1No
Oct 2, 202482829256CALevel 1Yes
Sep 30, 202482801287NYLevel 1No
Sep 30, 202482801029NYLevel 2No
Sep 26, 202482820588NYLevel 1No
Sep 25, 202482811377AZLevel 2No
Sep 25, 202482779512PALevel 2Yes
Sep 24, 202482800422RILevel 1No
Sep 24, 202482800077NYLevel 1No

Data sources & freshness

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