my friend made a comment about being able to finally import a jza70 next year due to some strange 17 year statute of limitation on non-compliant vehicles. so that would lead me to beleive that i could import a vehicle made in 1989 THIS year... as in a Soarer. so i looked around some more and i found this info on the NHSTA site. it references the DOT docket information w/ specific section numbers and descriptions of what is eligible for importation and whats not as well as what identifies an eligible vehicle. there is a complete list of elegible vehicles as well as non-specific vehicles based on simple descriptions.
One basis for determining a motor vehicle eligible for importation is that it 1) is substantially similar to a motor vehicle of the same model year that was manufactured for sale in the United States and certified by its manufacturer as complying with all applicable FMVSS and 2) is capable of being readily altered to comply with all applicable FMVSS. See 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(A). Where there is no substantially similar U.S.-certified motor vehicle of the same model year, a vehicle can only be determined eligible for importation if its safety features comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply, with all applicable FMVSS based on destructive test information or other evidence NHTSA decides is adequate. See 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(B).
there are vehicles that are on a "vehicle eligibility list" and have an associated "eligibility number" for each vehicle, with regards to make/model/date of mfr. there are no real "desirable" Toyota's which already have a distinctive eligibility number. so, if we wanted to import a supra, soarer, corona, chaser, crown or whatever... we would have to use the "generic" elgibility number of VSA-80.
the description of eligible vehicles which fall under this number is as follows:
(a) All passenger cars less than 25 years old that were manufactured before September 1, 1989;
(b) All passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 1989, and before September 1, 1996, that, as originally manufactured, are equipped with an automatic restraint system that complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208;
(c) All passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 1996, and before September 1, 2002, that, as originally manufactured, are equipped with an automatic restraint system that complies with FMVSS No. 208, and that comply with FMVSS No. 214;
(d) All passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 2002, and before September 1, 2007, that, as originally manufactured, are equipped with an automatic restraint system that complies with FMVSS No. 208, and that comply with FMVSS Nos. 201, 214, 225, and 401.
Docket number NHSTA-2002-12937, available online
Docket number 96-114 not available online;
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/trd/#TIS for informatoin retreival
here's where i found most of the info;
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/ELIG010906.html
other links are available within for reading offical filings and petition requests.
