Gray Market Cars, by Mike Bender
Buyer, Insurer, and Law Enforcement beware. Popular Japanese vehicles such as the Nissan Skyline and Silvia are being imported to the United States without going through registered importers and they do not comply with NHTSA, DOT, or EPA.
A vehicle that is manufactured outside of the United States and is not originally built to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards is called a Gray Market vehicle. In the United States it is a violation of federal law to import a vehicle that does not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards.
What does this mean to you? They are not legal and can be seized even if DMV/MVD has registered them.
There has been an influx of Gray Market vehicles due to the American desire for true Japanese vehicles. These are commonly referred to as JDM by the street tuners. Insurance companies and departments of motor vehicles have been wrongly insuring and registering these illegal vehicles. With the increase in JDM engines other problems have surfaced. They are not covered under any manufacturer’s warranty which has resulted in an increase in fraudulent claims. The thefts of these engines have also increased and are posing a problem for law enforcement and the victims.
For more information on regulations and laws go to the below links.http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/chapt301.html
A vehicle that is manufactured outside of the United States and is not originally built to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards is called a Gray Market vehicle. In the United States it is a violation of federal law to import a vehicle that does not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards.
What does this mean to you? They are not legal and can be seized even if DMV/MVD has registered them.
There has been an influx of Gray Market vehicles due to the American desire for true Japanese vehicles. These are commonly referred to as JDM by the street tuners. Insurance companies and departments of motor vehicles have been wrongly insuring and registering these illegal vehicles. With the increase in JDM engines other problems have surfaced. They are not covered under any manufacturer’s warranty which has resulted in an increase in fraudulent claims. The thefts of these engines have also increased and are posing a problem for law enforcement and the victims.
For more information on regulations and laws go to the below links.http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/chapt301.html
