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DETROIT — "The federal agency that oversees auto safety has decided — based largely on arguments from automakers and their Washington, D.C., lobbyists — that reams of data relating to unsafe automobiles or defective parts will not be available to the public. Specifically, the government has banned the release of car and truck warranty-claims information, customer complaints and early warning reports about defects from dealers, automakers and rental-car companies, even if media outlets or other groups push for it under the Freedom of Information Act.
The rule, completed earlier this year, is a two-paragraph decision in the Federal Register, which runs hundreds of pages each day.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decision was cited Saturday in a front-page New York Times story as an example of regulatory actions by the Bush administration to aid business or industry.
One consumer-advocacy group has sued the federal government, arguing this information should be made public and calling the decision a "paternalistic ruling that basically argues consumers are stupid and would be easily misled." The federal government and automakers such as General Motors say this auto-safety data should not be made public for two main reasons: The information would give competitors too much information, and it would be of little use to consumers, who might be overwhelmed or confused by all the data."
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