LIST OF NONCONFORMING VEHICLES
CAPABLE OF BEING MODIFIED BY A
REGISTERED IMPORTER
as of July 14, 2004

Under 49 U.S.C. § 30112(a), a person may not import into the United States a motor vehicle manufactured after the date that an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) takes effect unless the vehicle complies with the standard and is so certified by its original manufacturer. This prohibition applies to both new and used motor vehicles, but does not apply to motor vehicles that are at least 25 years old.

Under one of the exceptions to this prohibition, found in 49 U.S.C. § 30141, a motor vehicle that was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS can be lawfully imported into the United States, provided it is determined eligible for importation by NHTSA, and is imported by a registered importer, or by a person who has a contract with a registered importer to bring the vehicle into compliance with all applicable FMVSS following importation. Import eligibility decisions can be made either on the initiative of the Administrator or on the petition of a manufacturer or registered importer. 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).

Vehicles that have been determined eligible for importation are assigned a vehicle eligibility number. All eligibility numbers are for left-hand drive motor vehicles except where right-hand drive (RHD) is identified after the model. 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 Federal motor vehicle safety standards, including those for which dynamic crash testing is prescribed.

Each vehicle on the following list is followed by a vehicle eligibility number. The importer of a vehicle admissible under any eligibility decision must write that number on the Form HS-7 accompanying entry to indicate that the vehicle is eligible for importation.

This listing also includes the Docket number(s) associated with each eligibility decision, so that any person wishing to obtain a copy of the associated documents can do so. The Docket number contains the agency designation, publication year, and a sequence number.

• If the sequence number is in the "Simple Search" column, a copy of the associated documents can be obtained online from the Department of Transportation’s Docket Management System. Visit http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/exit.cfm?link=http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm and enter on the appropriate screen the number appearing in the "Simple Search" column, not the entire Docket number. Online access is available for most notices published after November 9, 1997.

• If the sequence number is in the "Not Online" column, please visit the Technical Information Services (TIS) website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/trd Contact information for assistance in obtaining documents not found on-line can be found at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/trd/#TIS

"VSA" eligibility numbers are assigned to all vehicles that are decided to be eligible for importation on the initiative of the Administrator.

"VSP" eligibility numbers are assigned to vehicles that are decided to be eligible under 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(A), based on a petition from a manufacturer or registered importer which establishes that a substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicle exists.

"VCP" eligibility numbers are assigned to vehicles that are decided to be eligible under 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(B), based on a petition from a manufacturer or registered importer which establishes that the vehicle has safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Vehicles for which eligibility decisions have been made are listed below alphabetically by make. Eligible models within each make are listed numerically by "VSA," "VSP," or "VCP" number.