Japanese 2003 RX-8 US EPA Compliance
 

Hi,

New to the forum but I have been an RX-8 owner for almost 2 years now.

The question I have is this. I am currently living in Japan, and this is where I purchased my RX-8. It is a RHD 2003 RX-8 6 Speed Manual. Over the past two years, I have gotten very attached to my car, and really don't want to give it up.

The problem is that I am moving back to the states in August and am having trouble finding anything about whether it can be imported, the costs involved, and the modifications (if any) that I would need to have done.

I have attempted to contact several IR's but have not recieved a response.

I really don't want to sell the car, as the mileage (km) is pretty low in my opinion for a 2003. Currently its around 36k(59k km) miles. The car in general is in extremely good condition.

Really just love my car. Any information that could help me out would be most appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

If the car was not made (and documented) for the US market, it is not certified for permanent import to the US. There are some exemptions, but it seems like these would not apply to you. Conversion by a "grey market" importer, even if possible (doubtful), would not be financially practical. Best to just sell the current car and buy a US market car when you arrive.

For more detailed information you can consult the US EPA, US DOT, US NHTSA, and US Customs Service.

Sell it, get another one in US. I believe there's quite a number of hurdles to get one imported to the US. Plus the fuel RON rating is different I believe for Jap 8, you might have trouble finding a suitable one in US or might need a re-tune.

get one here, its a nice car, but its not really a rare car.

You could import it.but ...

You need to proof to EPA that it has meet all emission requirements and NHTSA of safety requirements (because your car is not 25 years old)

Since its a RHD car and its not 25 years or older, you have to explain to them why you want to import it.

if they accept your reasons, then you have to pay a bunch of taxes and proof of certain test (emissions to EPA, and Crash test to NHTSA), and a bunch of other crap.

The test will be f-ing expensive because you have to show NHTSA that the "car" will be able to withstand crash test. which means you have to crash the car in order to pass the test (yea, you have to buy another car of the same model and CRASH it under test lab ...) so ...

and unless you're in the military(which you can just let their cargo plane to deliver it back to your home for almost nothing), the delivery cost gonna rape you, then you have to pay import tax.

Keep in mind, even NHTSA(most annoying part) and EPA (still a bitch to deal with) saids ok, US Custom might be not. their reason is "If vehicles manufactured abroad conform to U.S. safety, bumper, and emission standards, it is because these vehicles are exported for sale in the United States." , in the other words "if its really all that good, it should be allowed in the US in the first place, but its not, so yeah it must suck so no you are not supposed to import them" ... yeaaaa ... right .... these stupid laws are here to protect the US manufactures.

^That's freaking insane.

Buy another one over here! I'd hate to go through all of those hoops.

Buy a Series 2.

Whats the Yen to Dollar ratio these days anyway?

yep

one of friend's friend spent like 300 something grand to import a R32 over, and it doesnt end there, the US custom bugged him for a while. and he keep getting pull over from Cops cuz they never seen a R32 (GT-R) before and keep checking on his registration and shit to see if its legal.

So, unless its a really rare car like GT-R or Evolution 7 or earlier model or something that has never been exported to the US soil. Money is not even the problem, its the commotion that it will cause.

Forget it. From NHTSA web-site (below). RX 8 is not yet a listed eligible vehicle for import and as a Right Hand Drive comes with its own host of problems as far as convincing the NHTSA that it is importable.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/

<snip>

Vehicles that have been determined eligible for importation are assigned a vehicle eligibility number.
The following list includes all nonconforming vehicles eligible for importation as of the date shown
above as well as all vehicle eligibility numbers issued up to that date. The importer of a vehicle
admissible under any eligibility decision must write the appropriate eligibility number on the Form
HS-7 accompanying entry to indicate that the vehicle is eligible for importation.
All eligibility numbers are for left-hand drive motor vehicles except where the initials “RHD,”
signifying right-hand drive, appear in the model type column. While there is no specific restriction on
importing a right-hand drive vehicle, these may not be imported under eligibility decisions based on
the existence of substantially similar U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicles. Our experience has shown
that the safety performance of right-hand drive vehicles is not necessarily the same as that of
apparently similar left-hand drive vehicles offered for sale in this country. However, we will consider
the vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises us that the right-hand drive vehicle
would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in dynamic crash tests. Absent
such a showing, the RI would have to demonstrate (through a petition) that the vehicle, when
modified, would comply with all applicable

<snip>