October 21, 2026 Farhad Musazada

Kei Trucks and JDM 4x4s That Become Legal to Import in 2027

By Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks. Last updated: October 21, 2026. Based on NHTSA's importation FAQ, 49 CFR 591.5, EPA Form 3520-1, Texas SB 1816 and manufacturer and Japanese-language model histories; federal and Texas sources and model-change dates verified October 2026; 2027 dates follow from the rule (sources at the end). General information, not legal advice.

Key facts

The rule: A vehicle never built to U.S. safety standards can be imported once it is 25 years old, counted from its date of manufacture (49 CFR 591.5(i), DOT form HS-7 Box 1). In 2027 that means 2002 builds, and each one clears in its own build month.
EPA is the easy part: The EPA exemption is 21 years counted by calendar year, so on January 1, 2027 every 2006-or-older vehicle in original configuration clears the EPA side. The 25-year rule sets the date.
First arrivals of 2027: January opens the last Honda Z cars, the type-4 Jimny JB23 and the first JB43s badged Jimny Sierra. The Suzuki Carry DA63T follows in May, the facelifted Sambar, Pajero Mini and Pajero iO in September, the X-Trail Stt and Xtt in October.
Still waiting: Anything built in 2003 waits for 2028: the second-generation Toyota Harrier (February 2003), the facelifted X-Trail (June 2003) and the Nissan Clipper (August 2003) among them.
Texas does not change: Texas sets no age rule. SB 1816 (2025) treats a kei truck as a motor vehicle for title and registration, so a 2002 build goes through the county tax office exactly like a 1995 one. See our Texas legality guide.
Check a build date: Enter the build month and year in the checker on our FAQ page; the laws map checker then shows how your state treats the vehicle.

How does the 25-year rule turn the calendar?

Federal law lets a vehicle that was never built to U.S. safety standards come in once it is at least 25 years old. NHTSA's importation FAQ says the 25-year period "runs from the date of the vehicle's manufacture," and the vehicle is entered under Box 1 of the DOT HS-7 declaration. The declaration itself is 49 CFR 591.5(i): "the vehicle is 25 or more years old."

Because the clock starts at the build date, 2027 does not open all of 2002 at once. A truck built in March 2002 turns 25 in March 2027; a November 2002 build waits until November 2027. For a Japanese vehicle the build month usually comes from the first-registration month on the export certificate, or from the maker's label where it shows a date, and NHTSA accepts a registration document showing the vehicle was registered at least 25 years ago as proof of age.

The EPA side is easier. Code E on EPA Form 3520-1 covers a "vehicle at least 21 years old (calendar year of manufacture subtracted from year of importation)" that is "in original unmodified configuration." The EPA counts calendar years, not months, so on January 1, 2027 every 2006-or-older vehicle clears the EPA side whatever its build month. A 2003 to 2006 vehicle still cannot come in, because the 25-year rule binds.

Which kei trucks open up in 2027?

All five kei truck lines we import were in full production in 2002; only the Suzuki Carry got a new body.

Model (chassis code)	What changed around 2002	Eligible to import
Daihatsu Hijet S200P / S210P	January 15, 2002: output of the EF-SE and twin-cam EF-VE engines raised, low-emission ratings added.	January 2002 trucks from January 2027, then month by month.
Suzuki Carry DA62T	September 4, 2001: all-aluminum DOHC K6A engine on every Carry, 2WD and 4x4 both coded DA, new dash. Built until May 2002.	September to December 2001 trucks cleared in late 2026; January to May 2002 trucks in January to May 2027.
Suzuki Carry DA63T	May 16, 2002: new cab, a bed separate from the cab, new tail lamps, KC trim back. Built until March 2009.	The first DA63Ts in late May 2027; 2003 trucks from 2028.
Honda Acty HA6 / HA7	December 20, 2000: shorter cab and bumper, longer bed. No 2002 change; every 2002 truck has the long bed.	Month by month through 2027.
Subaru Sambar TT1 / TT2	August 20, 2001: multi-point injection, 48 PS. February 7, 2002: cleaner engine. September 4, 2002: new front with the six-star grille.	Facelifted trucks from September 2027.
Mitsubishi Minicab U61T / U62T	Facelifted December 2000; August 2002 low-emission revision. The Nissan Clipper twin only began in August 2003.	Month by month through 2027; no Clipper before August 2028.

The Carry buyer's guide walks through the codes from the DA51T to the DA63T.

What about kei SUVs and kei vans?

The kei SUVs we import each have a 2027 date of their own.

Suzuki Jimny JB23. In January 2002 the JB23 moved to its fourth type (4型): separate front grille, revised engine and intercooler, and the end of the two-wheel-drive J2. The JB23 was built until 2018, so 2027 opens only the 2002 cars. The Jimny guide explains the types.
Suzuki Jimny Sierra JB43. The 1.3-liter Sierra is not a kei, but it comes in on the same rule. Sold as the Jimny Wide since 1998, it got the Jimny Sierra name back in January 2002 on the JB43, so the first cars badged Sierra turn 25 in January 2027.
Mitsubishi Pajero Mini H53A/H58A. ABS became standard on October 23, 2001. On September 3, 2002 the turbo engine changed from a 20-valve DOHC to a 16-valve SOHC for emissions; the revised cars clear from September 2027.
Honda Z PA1. Production ended in January 2002. The last Zs turn 25 in January 2027, and the whole October 1998 to January 2002 run is then old enough.

Kei vans follow the same pattern:

Daihatsu Hijet Cargo S200V/S210V. The same January 15, 2002 output revision as the truck.
Daihatsu Atrai Wagon. The commercial Atrai van ended at the end of 2001; from January 2002 the Atrai Wagon carried a TA- emissions prefix, so a TA-S220G or TA-S230G built in 2002 clears once its build month is 25 years past.
Honda Acty Van HH5/HH6. A 4x4 automatic returned on February 24, 2001 and air conditioning became standard in September 2001; nothing changed in 2002.
Subaru Sambar van and Dias TV1/TV2. The September 4, 2002 facelift renamed the passenger version Dias Wagon; those clear from September 2027.

Which larger JDM 4x4s and vans follow?

The larger JDM 4x4s and vans we bring in, and the Isuzu Elf, Toyota Dyna and TownAce trucks, run on the same calendar. Two lines end within the year: the first-generation Harrier and the Bighorn. Toyota's launch release for the second-generation Harrier is dated February 17, 2003, so that car is a 2028 story.

Model	2002 and 2003 notes	Eligible to import
Mitsubishi Pajero V60 / V70	Third generation, built from September 1999; 2002 is a mid-run year.	Month by month through 2027.
Mitsubishi Pajero iO	September 2002: 3-door and 2WD dropped, non-GDI 1.8 with conventional full-time 4WD.	Revised cars from September 2027.
Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear	Sold in Japan until early 2007; 2002 is a mid-run year.	Month by month through 2027.
Nissan X-Trail T30	Stt, Xtt and the Autech Axis added October 2002; the June 2003 facelift is a 2028 car.	Stt, Xtt and Axis from October 2027.
Honda CR-V RD4 / RD5	Second generation on sale from September 2001.	September to December 2001 cars cleared in late 2026; 2002 cars through 2027.
Toyota Harrier, first generation	Built until January 2003.	2002 cars month by month; the last January 2003 cars in January 2028.
Isuzu Bighorn UBS	Production ended in September 2002.	By September 2027 every Bighorn ever built is old enough.

What does not change in 2027?

The 2027 calendar changes which vehicles can clear U.S. Customs. It changes nothing about what happens after.

Texas law. SB 1816, passed in 2025, added "miniature vehicle" to the Transportation Code and treats one as a motor vehicle for title (Section 501.009) and registration (Section 502.006); new Section 545.429 allows it on public highways once titled and registered, as long as it can comply with traffic laws. Nothing in the bill sets a vehicle age, so a 2002 truck is handled like the 1990s trucks on our lot today: county tax office within 30 days, VTR-68-A VIN inspection, 6.25 percent sales tax. Non-commercial vehicles have not needed a safety inspection since January 1, 2025, and the emissions test in the program counties covers gasoline vehicles 2 to 24 years old, so a 25-year-old import is outside it.

Other states. A vehicle turning 25 does not change what a state allows on its roads; states that register kei trucks will register a 2002 build the same way, and states that refuse them will refuse it too.

The sale. Every vehicle we sell is sold as is by Wideway Motors LLC with its export certificate, Customs entry, HS-7 (Box 1) and EPA 3520-1 (code E); we do not title or register vehicles. We can only buy a 2002 vehicle in Japan once its build month has passed, and the ship then takes weeks to reach the Port of Houston, so the first 2002 builds reach the lot some time after their eligibility month. Nothing here is a promise of stock; what is actually on the water is in the arriving-soon collection.

How do I check a specific vehicle?

To check a particular vehicle:

Find the build month on the export certificate (first-registration year and month) or the maker's label. The model year alone is not enough.
Run it through the build-date checker on our FAQ page. It adds 25 years to the month and year you enter and tells you whether the vehicle is old enough, or when it will be.
Check your state with the laws map checker.
Read the chassis code. A DA62T is a 2001 to 2002 Carry, a DA63T is May 2002 or later, a JB43W is a Jimny Sierra. Each model page on our site has a buyer's guide with the codes; start with the kei truck buyer's guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import a 2002 kei truck in January 2027?

Only one built in January 2002 or earlier. The rule counts 25 years from the date of manufacture, so a truck built in June 2002 is not eligible until June 2027. The build month comes from the export certificate or the maker's label, not the model year.

When is the Suzuki Carry DA63T legal to import?

Production started May 16, 2002, so the earliest DA63Ts turn 25 in late May 2027; later 2002 trucks follow month by month and 2003 builds wait until 2028.

Does the EPA 21-year rule change anything in 2027?

Not for the vehicles we import. Code E on Form 3520-1 is 21 years by calendar year, so from January 1, 2027 every 2006-or-older vehicle in original configuration clears the EPA side. The 25-year NHTSA rule still sets the date.

Will a 2002 kei truck be street legal in Texas?

Texas treats it the same as a 2001 or 1995 truck: SB 1816 treats a miniature vehicle as a motor vehicle for title and registration and allows it on public highways once titled and registered, with no vehicle age in the law. General information, not legal advice.

When do 2003 vehicles become eligible?

In 2028, month by month. That is when the second-generation Toyota Harrier (February 2003), the facelifted X-Trail (June 2003) and the Nissan Clipper kei van (August 2003) start to qualify.

Sources

Written by Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks

Farhad imports more than 300 kei trucks a year to Houston and meets buyers at the lot at 6100 Harvey Wilson Dr. He writes these guides from the paperwork our buyers take to the county tax office and the official sources listed on each page. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we will check it.

Ready to look? Browse kei trucks for sale in Houston, see what is in Houston now or arriving soon, or call or text (713) 385-9798.

All vehicles are sold by Wideway Motors LLC as is, with no warranty.