Smuggle - How Does Someone Import A - R34, S15, (Fill in the blank) to the USA?

smug·gle

ˈsməɡəl/

verb

1. move (goods) illegally into or out of a country.

   "he's been smuggling cars from Japan into the USA"

Smuggled R33 GT-R caught recently."The smuggling charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years while the other charges are punishable by fines or prison sentences of up to two years."

So how does that person have that car, that isn't 25 years old in the USA? There are several legal ways to import vehicles, and of course several illegal ways to import cars.  Once a car is illegally imported, scammers often find ways to illegally title cars, and pass them off to unsuspecting consumers as legal vehicles. Don't let yourself be a victim of one of the scammers. Know what is legal, and what is illegal, and make your own determination. Call the NHTSA if you have any questions about a vehicles legality. 202-366-5291

Non conforming R34 that was brought into NHTSA requirements under VCP-17

Legal ways

1) Over 25 years old is NHTSA exempt. Over 21 years old is EPA exempt. You pay the US customs tariff and you can legally import the car.  Box 1 HS7

2) Non-conforming vehicle capable of being MODIFIED to meet US requirements. Many people are under the misconception that a vehicle on this list can just come into the country. This is incorrect. Depending on the age of the vehicle, a Registered Importer has to be contracted to do the NHTSA modifications, and an Independent Commercial Importer needs to be contracted to do the EPA modifications. This can get very expensive. This could involve crash testing. It is not an impossible path, but it is a path. This process can often take years.  Status of pending eligibility petitions (May 2017)  Box 3 HS7

2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R Mspec Nur.  Eligible for Show or Display. Box 10 HS7

3) Show or Display.  This is a special NHTSA exemption for special cars. They still need to meet EPA requirements. The vehicles can be driven up to 2500 miles a year. This is not a "Show" car. This is not a "Track" car.  Each vehicle type must be approved. Each vehicle must be approved. Show or Display list  Box 10 HS7

4) Temporary. There are several reasons a vehicle can enter the US temporarily. There is normally a bond, and they must be exported within a certain amount of time. That is normally a year.  

Non-Resident of the US Box 5 HS7. 

Diplomat or member of an organization designated under the international organizations immunities act Box 6 HS7. 

Member of the armed forces of a FOREIGN country Box 12 HS7. 

Research, investigation, demonstration, training, or racing Box 7 HS7.

 Intended for export Box 4 HS7. 

Legally imported permanent race car

5) Permanent Race Car. The first thing to get straight with this "race car" is that just because you are going to "race" it does not it a race car make.  In order to import the race vehicle permanently you are going to have to meet NHTSA/DOT requirements and EPA requirements. Box 8 HS7

6)Incomplete vehicle. Requires further manufacturing operations. Requires letter from manufacture, and a list of FMVSS items Box 9 HS7

7) Conforms to NHTSA requirements Box 2A HS7, or meets Canadian requirements and has a manufacturer's letter. Box 2B HS7

Those are the legal ways to import a vehicle into the US. Of course anyone smuggling a vehicle into the US, is either going to fill that paperwork our incorrectly, or not declare the vehicle.  How can they possibly get past customs? Doesn't US customs check to see if cars are legal, and paperwork is filled out?  The truthful answer is of course not.  Do you have any idea how many containers, and vehicles come into the US every day?

CBP says on a typical day they process :

» 72,179 truck, rail, and sea containers
» 282,252 incoming privately owned vehicles

Asking stupid money on an illegally imported car. Don't be the idiot that buys this car. 

Illegal Ways People Import Cars

Like anything in life, there are legal, and illegal ways to an end.  The morally unsound will do whatever it takes for them to get what they want. Lie, cheat, steal.  There are many other people that get caught up.  Most people buying cars have no idea if a vehicle was legally imported.  A title is considered all they need to prove legality.  However since subterfuge was used to obtain the title for an illegally imported car, the guy that will lose out is the current owner.  The guys importing these cars illegally often face little to no repercussions. 

Illegally imported S15 Silvia

This has been going on for years.  Vehicles have been seized. Some information is public, some is not. Some people have been scammed on money for cars that didn't exist. Some have bought stolen cars. As we said above, if the cars are coming in illegally, how do you know if it is not a stolen vehicle?  Where do people think that all the stolen vehicles around the world end up? They don't all just get parted out.  Once a criminal, always a criminal. 

An R33 being made into an example

Some people say it isn't any of our business, but they are wrong. This is our business. This is our life. When these guys lose cars, they lose confidence in this market. It makes it much harder for us, that legitimately import vehicles over 25 years old.  While the person thinks they are doing no wrong, lots of these guys eventually get caught.  No one likes being told their car is illegal.  They will make every excuse in the book. They will make wild claims. We have seen and heard it all. Without documentation, all the worlds are flat out bullshit, and should be called out as such. 

An Ocean Springs man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of smuggling into the United States an illegally imported car made in Japan, court records show.

US Customs crushes a Land Rover Defender

This car needs to be sold to someone in a Non-Contiguous country outside North America. This means the car can be sold to anyone outside the USA, Mexico, or Canada. You can be from those country's and purchase the car, it just cannot be shipped to any of those places.Car is located in New Stanton, PA. USA. Clean US title in hand.  

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped charges that he smuggled merchandise was dropped and he escaped the maximum jail time of one year.

 I bought this car and imported months ago with the goal to drive it here in FL. but the DOT shut me down after months of trying what i payed for the car and importaion is way more than asking price MY LOST YOUR GAIN.. CAR IS FOR EXPORT ONLY...

State titled Skyline gets seized

It Cannot Be Released Without BONDED EXPORT PAPERS. It comes with a US Customs Title and Must Be Picked Up by a BONDED CARRIER for EXPORT ONLY OUT OF THE UNITED STATES! NO EXCEPTIONS! Dark Blue Exterior, Greyish Blue Interior, Excellent Condition In/Out with low miles! Must Be Paid in Full Prior to Pick Up. The Car is near Buffalo, NY at an Export Facility!

.The department i work for handles government seized vehicles, Repos, and illegally imported cars. Today we received three R34 GTR's and a S15 Silvia that were seized from a few containers down at the port. The owner must be furious, I think any one would be , especially if your a car enthusiast like myself. 

And this is just the stuff that made the news stories. There are hundreds of other cars, hundreds of other people that have lost cars over the years.  Know what you have.  If you own an illegally imported car, treat it like a hot potato. If the guy you bought it from, or the importer gets busted, you could be in for a Kaizo like situation. They went and took all their computers and records, then went owner to owner and seized cars. 

Two Kaizo R34 and R32 seized