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Jimny in the US

60K views 35 replies 17 participants last post by  ack 
#1 ·
Hi! I've just moved to US, but my car didn't. Because of the love for my car and recession+bad market in my country this year, I'm planning to bring my 1.3 2008 Jimny to the US soon.
But spare parts availability is a big question for me. I've called a couple of nearby dealers, and they say that they can get spare parts only for cars to be sold in the US.
Many spare parts from the Samurai are compatible though and Jimny is a very reliable car.
Still, can anyone advise if there is a way to get the spare parts shipped from Japan, not European dealers?
Are there any fellow Jimny owners in the US?
 
#4 ·
most new samurai parts that I buy are maruti parts from india. Up untill last year they were still making the Gypsy. Now that Maruti is no longer government held, I don't know if they will continue to make it... I hope they do. I'd like to see them eventually come back to the U.S. especially with that DOHC fuel injected engine.
 
#5 ·
jimny in US..

As much as I'd like to give you good news about bringing your Jimny over here to the US, I don't think it would be worth it.

The costs invloved in getting it through Customs and getting it to meet US specifications would be very high.

There are a LOT of Samurai owners in the US (myself included) who would JUMP at the opportunity to own a Jimny, but those safety standards and memories of the last time Suzuki US introduced competition to the Jeep Wrangler makes that a LONG-SHOT possibility.

Sorry.:mad:
 
#6 ·
Thanks

So, you're sure that Jimny won't meet the US safety requirements? I have a friend who is a customs broker who can help me with customs clearing my vehicle.
The biggest challenge for me are the spare parts - I don't want to pay 3x price for importing them from Europe.
Of course it's cool to have a unique car, and I just love it, but common sense tells me that I won't even be able to insure it... or will be forced to pay unreasonably high.
But I'll try to check with insurance companies here in NY, though...
I couldn't find any Jimny owners in US or in Canada, even for the Japanese 0.6 Turbo version...
 
#7 · (Edited)
So, you're sure that Jimny won't meet the US safety requirements? I have a friend who is a customs broker who can help me with customs clearing my vehicle.
The biggest challenge for me are the spare parts - I don't want to pay 3x price for importing them from Europe.
Of course it's cool to have a unique car, and I just love it, but common sense tells me that I won't even be able to insure it... or will be forced to pay unreasonably high.
But I'll try to check with insurance companies here in NY, though...
I couldn't find any Jimny owners in US or in Canada, even for the Japanese 0.6 Turbo version...
If it were possible at a reasonable price, lots of us crazy Samurai (SJ-413) Fanatics would be doing it!

My direct experience with owning a vehicle that was not purpose-built for use in the US was a 1973 Pinzgauer 710M:



Anyone who wanted one imported from Germany, Austria or Switerland could only buy a unit that was 25 years old or older as specified in a grandfather clause in the US vehicle import regulations. Mine was 26 when I bought it.

Recently, there were several companies importing Kei trucks (eg. Suzuki Carry) from Japan ranging in model years from 1988 to the late 90s. There were a few brand new Kei-type trucks that were imported from China for a while. The US government restricted their use to offroad only. In late 2008, The US government banned Kei trucks altogether. The main reason was that Kei trucks did not meet US automobile safety standards because of their construction.

BTW, Consiracy-Theorists need not stick their oar in this conversation. If Kei trucks were better-designed for for driving in the US than the Pinzgauer 710M, they would still be death-traps. Cute and offroadable as it may have been, that Pinz was one scary-handling vehicle on the Interstate. If anyone saw that episode of Top Gear where the boys were comparing vans, you saw what happened when a Suzuki Carry was driven through a slalom...

I'll happily admit that I may be comparing apples to oranges (Jimny vs Carry) in my above position, but the bottom line is that there are saftey standards in effect in the US that, based on the way us USAens drive our cars -mainly having to do with speed and power - would make it very difficult to successfully import small asian vehicles into the US.

I don't think that a Jimny has much of a chance getting through customs unless you really want to spend huge amounts of money on safety upgrades that may or may not pass the muster.

I am real sorry. :(

PS, I am not afraid to show myself to you all! That's me at the ripe old age of 55.
 
#8 ·
You could even stretch the comparison to the Smart car. While still apples and oranges, it's a more current example of small unsafe vehicles being imported to the U.S. It can be done, but the expense of the upgrades is ludicrous and the weight of the vehicle and loss of power due to emission restrictions has crippled the fuel economy of the vehicle. Making it an expensive, not so ecofriendly, poorer handling relative to the original non-U.S. version.

cost difference: $12,000-$24,000 U.S. dollars for european SMART car, $25,000-$30,000 U.S. dollars for an American version of the SMART car.
Fuel efficieancy difference: 46 city, 69 highway for a European SMART car, 33 city 41 highway for a U.S. version.

The U.S. version increases the top-heavieness of an already top-heavy vehicle making the U.S. version less stable but better capable to hold up in a collision. The U.S. safety tests done on the vehicle touting how safe they are were done in a test comparison with a simulated vehicle of the same size. How many people getting in a wreck with their smart car are going to be hit by another smart car? unlikely. The fact that the doors tend to blow off in roll over situations was glossed over by the argument that the vehicles Safety belt should be more than sufficient to hold the occupant in the vehicle without the door in a roll-over. My experiences in roll over situations is that arms and legs tend to find their way outside the vehicle if there are no doors or windows to keep them in. So just a little fuel for the conspiracy theorists, regarding the Large ammount of U.S. dollars invested and the U.S. Chrysler Corp having stake in the vehicle. Even if Jimny was still manufactured by GM and could be fudged through some of the safety tests, the U.S. version would be far more expensive than the $15,000 European version and much heavier and more restrictive in preformance.
 
#10 ·
importing non-approved vehicles, continued

We have had the Four-Two in the US for almost a year now. BMW went through a lot of engineering effort get that car to pass our engineering requirements for such an small car. Although they sold like hotcakes (translates to "very fast!") early on, they are not exactly clogging the highways right now. This is possibly because they retail for over $15,000.

That's a lot to pay for such a teeny-tiny car.

One thing folks have to remember - The US is not like Japan, India or other countries where either the population is large or open land is hard to come by. Everything here is big and/or far apart. Large comfortable cars and trucks are the rule not the exception. Driving something small more than 100 miles at a sitting can be very uncomfortable. Because of that, foreign automakers sell large cars here. The large imports in the US are mammoth compared to other vehicles in their originating country.

Is the US government going to allow a small import that could become a deathtrap when involved in an accident? No they will not. Further, auto manufacturers know that nothing kills a vehicle quicker than a poor safety record. The absolute Classic example of that was the Yugo.

Thus all cars, big or small, must be able to take an impact well in an acccident. Crush zones, air bags - things like that are required in New US-marketed vehicles. The Four-Two has them. I suspect that the 2008 Jimny does not since it is not designed for the US market.

Finally, take a look at this video at Ack's FAQ:

Ack's FAQ: Your 4X4 Portal To All Things Suzuki/Geo

The Samurai got it's bad name in the US not at the hands of federal safety requirements at the time. US Government reports on the Samurai's performance were classified as acceptable. It was killed off by a self-serving journalistic organization that passed itself off as a consumer watchdog.

I have a degree in journalism. I work at a TV Station that produces 48 hours of news programming every week. You would think that I would be a champion of journalism. That would be the case EXCEPT for the DESPICABLE, IMMORAL and UNETHICAL behaviour of Consumer Reports!

That's my journalistic side, NOT my Samurai owner's side speaking.
 
This post has been deleted
#11 ·
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#13 ·
just read a few pages at NTSHA and EPA, it's all there, and no, it not a problem with just suzuki. (all cars)
and you forget there are still class actions pending and going on Suzuki (jeep like) veh.
Every one will pay ! Not just Suzuki. (
<insert great lawyer joke here> heheheh

In most cases , to bring any new car to the US one must conform to all the NTSHA rules and the EPA rules and to the 50k mile test( alone, that is $4million (ask the Smart car importers how much it cost? , all documented clearly.)
Importing non compliant cars here is complex and very expensive not to mention , not possible in many cases.

Punishing is not the deal, just fly to any country and look.
I fly to SA every year and guess what , only restriction is on displacement.
ever car you can imagine is there, even old 57 chev , and old Toys 60s , 70,s 80s.
Im son in law has turbo 200nx Nissan. He has to pass the inspections.
not for smog, but for tire tread and lousy brakes. (lights too)
I'd like to import some cars from there! but it is impossible. Try it.
Bro.- in- law has GTO in SA.. for dirt cheap. (no rust in South Amer. desert)
$1 /lb to bring it back.
It would never be allowed in. As is.

That comment about Americans wanting, fast heavy cars is true.
4500 lbs and 300 HP. ( gas sucking pigs)
And they set the rules based on the crazy behaviour. ( it's not EU here)
It will change and soon.
Non-renewable resources ,dictate that.
When its all gone, every one will blame the car makers for not making , efficient cars.
Never will they blame them selves. ( they demanded it and bought it and drove it)

It is a huge committment bring a new car to this country.
besides the Gov, bs, there is parts, training, and the potential of the customers changing their minds and making all this , a waste of time and money.
Not to mention the gov. jerking the rug from under you.
Next the the carbon Cap and trade rug.

that is my take on that. hope it helps.

happy holidays and happy kicking.
 
#15 ·
I was just digging for news on possibility of the Jimny coming to the US(found no news of it being even a remote possibility) and found this old thread.

To answer Alt's question on safety standards, the US is different, and that is the reason a car can pass in other countries and not here. The standards may or may not make a car truly safer(compared to European standards), but they have to be followed nonetheless.

A case in point was the Holden Monaro, which is an Australian car. To be imported into the US(as the Pontiac GTO), the fuel tank had to be relocated to the trunk, so that it would be greater than a certain distance from the rear bumper. This served to make a generously sized trunk suddenly become pretty small. Putting a fuel-tank into the interior of the vehicle is hardly safer than leaving it outside the interior shell and a little closer to the bumper, but it was the cheapest/quickest way to meet the standard, so GM did it.

As for the Samurai, it had very minimal standards to pass up until 1996. 1996 would have forced a redesign of the Samurai to meet new crashworthiness standards as well as the new OBDII engine control and monitoring standards. That, IMO, is what truly killed the Samurai in the US, as Suzuki kept it coming, even as sales dropped to virtually nothing, until the tightening standards would have forced an expensive redesign for a market that had died.

I believe that it probably would not take too much to make the Jimny pass US standards, but whatever it takes seems too much for Suzuki to do it. That is too bad, because a new Jimny is the one vehicle I would consder buying new.
 
#16 ·
When I went to El Paso on January, I noticed that there are some Mexican cars with Mexican plates driving around there. I thought, if a Mexican car can drive into the US and drive around, why not import it to Mexico and then drive it to the US? I'm sure Mexico has less stringent regulations regarding car imports. Probably a naive question.
 
#17 ·
I have no idea what it would take for a US citizen to import and register a vehicle in Mexico. Probably doable with the right application of money...

Once all of that was accomplished, one could drive it in the US, but it would be at least as illegal as driving a vehicle registered in another state, in your state of residence. Most states have laws stating that you have to register your vehicles in that state, if you are living there.

One would certainly need to reseach the laws on the matter, so that you'd know what you are risking.
 
#21 ·
Rental cars move all over the place, so the plates often don't match the state they are in, but we are not talking about rentals here, we are talking about owning something.

In the US, if you are just driving around on a trip, it does not matter where your vehicle is registered, but it is in the laws that you have to have your driver's license in your state of residence, and also in the laws that your vehicles have to be registered in your state of residence. In this way, they ensure that they get the taxes and fees from their residents.

Now its one thing if you have a vehicle that is legally in the US. If I live in California and still have my Texas registration on one or more of my cars, the worst that can happen is they fine me and I have to register the car in California, but if I have a vehicle that cannot legally be registered in the US, and I get nailed for it, there is a good chance that the vehicle will be taken from me and I'll have no recourse to get it back.

Personally, I think it sucks. I feel that I should be able to buy any vehicle I want to, demonstrate that it can pass emmissions, and that it is not a danger to others, and be able to drive it. It really makes no sense to me that I can drive a 25 year old vehicle, that has tons higher emissions and is much less crash-worthy, but I can't import a Suzuki Jimny. I can ride a motorcycle, which has no crash-worthiness at all, but heaven forbid I get in a Jimny!

But that is the state of things, so I live with it. I'll drive my '88 Samurai and be happy about it, while wishing that I could have a Jimny. There are worse situations to be in, like having no Samurai or Jimny at all...
 
#23 ·
Some of us can remember when Land Rover pulled out of the north american market in the mid '70s.
People then tried to import a new LR from England.
Most of them ended up being 'off road only' since they could not be registered in ANY country in north america.
Once the dust settled and LR began to 'play nice' with USA they began to come in again.
My vote goes to those who say it will be a heart breaking task.
Sell the Jimny there and use the cash to get a good Suzuki in NY.
Outside that if you could hook up with a person wanting a Jimny for Offroad only purposes...bring it in and then sell it... to them.
But driving an unregistered or 'funny' registered vehicle in the USA will be ticket magnet if you get no accident and a HUGE lawsuit if you do. Those 'murican lawyers would almost follow you around to get in court with you. Know wat ah mean...wink wink nudge nudge.
 
#25 ·
I realise this thread has been asleep for some time, but ive got a few things i'd like to point out.
First, North America, Canada included, have these so called "super strict" safety regulations to keep our own poorly engineered domestic companies in business, if we let companies like Peugeot or Daihatsu in here domestic economy cars wouldnt stand a chance. While the Jimny is a kei truck or SUV, it is not at all comparable to a mini truck, as it is actually sold almost everywhere in the world excluding US and Canada, and does quite well in many countries. The point about being aloud to ride a bike but not a Jimny is absolutely correct, its really quite stupid. Infact actually, the worlds most successful mini/electric car is made and designed by a Canadian company in Toronto, but its not allowed to be sold here.... LOL
Another thing i would like to point out, is Alternator claimed that the Toyota 4runner and Tundra were only sold in US, not true. The 4runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Hilux, Fortunner, and Land Cruiser(120,150/or Land Cruiser v6 or Prado region depending) Lexus GX are all on the Toyota 120 platform, but most differ quite a bit. The GX and Land Cruiser are identical, The Fortunner and Hilux share many parts and cosmetic features and tub, mostly the same, FJ is more or less its own, sharing the short Prado frame, and the 4runner its mostly its own, same with Tacoma, these two havent been the same as a Hilux in some years, and the 4runner being sold as the Hilux Surf outside North America. The Tundra is made in the US, not Japan, and is only available in North and South America's if im not mistaken.
What is quite amusing, is if you go to Cuba or Dominican Republic, you can go for an offroad excursion/Jeep trip, but they dont use Jeeps, they use convertible Jimny's (the O2 model), because nobody anywhere else in the world thinks Jeep's are any good, they all know better.
 
#26 ·
"Amen brother", I lost my job at Amreican Suzuki Motor Corp as a District Manager for 12 months over Consumers Union B.S. back in the day. Don't forget that Chrysler and Ford were involved on this as well since Jeep sales tanked after the introduction of the Samurai, and Ford's competition was the Bronco II.
 
#27 ·
So has anyone ever gotten one in? I am currently working on trying to get back a 1992 SJ70. Call it a Jimny/Sierra/Samurai I'm not real sure of (it does say Samurai on the side but who knows if that was put there later). I am trying to call and find out all these restrictions. It is a RHD which the US HATES!!!!! Funny thing is while out of the country I bought 2 Samurai's, my RHD and a LHD for parts. The only part that didnt work was the steering box and the mount for it is welded on opposite sides on the Chassis. That is the only difference, yet I contacted the manufacturer to see if I could get a letter about the safety standards of the RHD and they said no because
"Vehicles entering the US must comply with E33 specifications and be homologated for the US market.
For a Samurai RHD sold in 1992 the model would not comply with the E33 spec or homologation required to enter the USA market."

No clue what that means. Moreover I have looked at the regulations of safety for a vehicle as old as mine and it requires head rests and seat belts. That is all I can find. I am confused because all US parts have gone onto the jeep, I cant imagine they used thinner aluminum for the body or chassis so I don't know where the difference in safety truly is. Any advice greatly appreciate or any info anyone can give me, I can give my chassis # if someone can look it up. I live on St. Kitts and we ran it here but nothing was correct, it said it was LHD etc. Maybe that would work towards my advantage because the plate under the bonnet and the chassis match up. Maybe I can import it as registered LHD since that is what it is classified here from the dealer :)
 
#28 ·
Not to bust your bubble Jeremy, but folks are right about how hard it is to import. I looked into it as I have been stationed in Okinawa a few times and wanted to bring back some nice rigs - no dice. It is not worth it and you may end up like a recent LR I saw on the internet being crushes as it did not pass muster (use your internet web browser and search for "land rover crushed by border patrol" to see what I mean).
 
#30 · (Edited)
Definitely necroposting here. Hypothetically speaking...

What if a Jimny was purchased and registered in Guatemala and driven back into the US? Obviously, a semi-newer one that is more likely to meet safety standards.

I know states like Missouri (where I live) have special inspection sites ran by the Missouri State Highway Patrol specifically for non-standard vehicles. As far as I know, if the MSHP says the car passes a safety inspection, it can get tags and be legally driven. For instance, I've seen more than a handful RHD cars that are obviously less than 25 years old and appear to have valid Missouri plates. One I used to see every morning was a Saturn station wagon and the other I saw very recently was an Opel (yes! an Opel! On I-55!). This is in St. Louis, where we also require emissions.

Feds or no feds, if Missouri State Highway Patrol passes a safety (and emissions, if required) inspection on the vehicle, it gets Missouri plates. Don't argue the possible Federal issues here, Missouri is always spitting in the face of the Federal government (see MO Gun Laws).

Other states, I imagine this could be extremely impossible. I imagine in a state like California or New York this might be some sort of felony punishable by 30 years in prison, $100,000 fine, and death. :)

Clearly, I'm not talking ocean transit and shipping here, which makes it prohibitively expensive. I'm talking about driving a car across land and being inside it, driving it, while it is running, at the border crossing.

Really, you get an adventure with a bonus car at the end?
 
#33 ·
I imported a '94 RHD Jimny from Japan to Canada, as long as the vehicle is 15 years old you can import it.
Now that it is legal in Canada, I wonder if it can be imported stateside??
I have drivin it in washington and Oregon a number of times, with a number of surprised looks from the locals.

Maybe you can import an imported vehicle from Canada.
 
#34 ·
Hi! I have seen pics of your Jimny Sport on the Auszooks forum. Cool!

You can drive your Jimny in the USA because every time you cross the border, you state that you are a Canadian National (or in your case possibly an Aussie with a work Visa) and this is your Canadian-licenced Jimny. "Your papers are in order - Welcome to the USofA."

Unfortunately the import rules apply universally - even if you import from outside North America through Canada.

Bummer. :mad:
 
#35 ·
I am fairly sure the 25 year rule is absolute unless the original manufacturer states the car meets the US standards for the year it was made.

But you can bring a car that is registered in another country into the US for 1 year. At the end of the year the car must be removed or destroyed. There are some exceptions for cars that are never used on roads. This could actually work for some people.

Does anyone know if a 1998+ Jimny body shell will fit onto a US spec Samurai frame/chassis? What are their wheelbases and tracks? Are the body mount points the same or similar? If it would work does anyone have a 98+ Jimny body shell (plus interior, etc) that they want to sell to me?
 
#36 ·
I am fairly sure the 25 year rule is absolute unless the original manufacturer states the car meets the US standards for the year it was made.
Yup.

It does not matter where it was imported from - Ukraine, Canada, Grenada, Australia, India. If it isn't older than 25 years, the vehicle will not pass the rules for importation into the US.
 
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