7 Japanese Cars Whose Newer Builds Cannot Yet Be Imported To America Under The 25 Year Rule, And The Year Each One Becomes Eligible

Every car lover knows the feeling of staring at a Japanese sports car that was never sold here and wondering why you cannot just buy one. The answer is a federal rule with a simple number in it: 25.

A blue sports car and a silver sports car parked side by side in a garage.

As the JDMBuySell guide to the 25-year rule explains, NHTSA’s exception is written into 49 USC 30112(b)(9) and 49 CFR 591.5(i)(1), where the importer declares “the vehicle is 25 or more years old.” Such a vehicle can be imported “without regard to whether it complies with all applicable FMVSS.”

The clock runs from the individual car’s build date, not its model year or launch date, so a car built on December 15, 2000, becomes eligible on December 15, 2025. Using the JDMBuySell eligibility calendar, here are 7 cars whose newer builds are still waiting, and when each one’s turn comes.

Some cars have only just crossed the line. The calendar notes the Toyota Chaser’s production ended in June 2001, so those cars reached 25 years in June 2026, and 2001 builds of the Honda Civic Type R and Integra reach the line during 2026. Everything below sits just beyond today’s date.

A word of caution before the list: a car on this page is not locked out for good. Earlier builds of the same model may already be eligible, and only the newer ones must wait.

1. Toyota Supra (JZA80), Late Builds Reach 25 In 2027

The JZA80 Supra’s production ended in August 2002, according to the calendar. Cars built in 2002 reach 25 years during 2027, with the last builds getting there in August 2027.

In practical terms, that means a buyer in 2026 looking at a late-2002 Supra has a short wait, not a long one. The legal question comes down to the build date on the car, not the year people remember it from.

2. Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), The Same 2027 Window

A March 2002 release forecast production of the FD3S RX-7 ending in August 2002, the calendar says. That points to the same 2027 timing as the Supra, though a forecast is not a last-build record.

3. Nissan Fairlady Z, Fifth Generation, From July 2027

Full-scale production of the fifth-generation Fairlady Z started in July 2002. Cars built from that month onward reach 25 years from July 2027.

That means a car built in July 2002 qualifies in July 2027, while one built in December 2002 qualifies in December 2027.

4. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GT-A, 2002 Builds

The Lancer Evo VII GT-A was added to the lineup in February 2002. Its 2002 builds reach the line during 2027.

5. Mazda RX-8, Where 2003 Builds Arrive In 2028

RX-8 sales began in April 2003. The calendar adds 25 to the manufacture year, so 2003 builds reach eligibility in 2028, and a sale date is not a build date.

Put simply, the wait for an RX-8 is about a year longer than for the 2002 cars above it, because it is a 2003 model year start.

6. Honda S2000 With The 2.2-Liter Engine, 2030

The S2000’s engine changed in November 2005. Cars from 2005 builds reach the line during 2030, the calendar says, though the change date is not necessarily the earliest build of the larger engine.

7. Honda S2000 Production End, Around 2034

Honda planned for S2000 production to end by June 2009. The calendar says 2009 builds would reach the line during 2034, but that was a plan announced in advance, not a last-build record.

Taken together, the list shows the rule in action. Each year, a new batch of cars from 25 years earlier crosses the line, so the cars that look out of reach today are simply waiting for their anniversary.

The wrinkles matter more than the dates. NHTSA counts by exact build month and year, but the EPA applies a separate 21-year test based on calendar years, and CBP’s tariff heading also uses a calendar-year test. JDMBuySell gives the example that a December 2001 car entered in February 2026 meets the tariff year count, but is not 25 years old under NHTSA until December 2026.

Duty adds to the bill. As of October 12, 2026, JDMBuySell gives a combined 12.5% Section 301 duty for an ordinary Japanese passenger car at a 2.5% base rate, with fees and state taxes extra.

Registration is a separate hurdle that depends on the state. JDMBuySell says California’s DMV states some imports cannot be registered there, and a title lacking federal and U.S. emissions labels is branded “NON-USA.”

Two more cautions from the same guide. Canada uses a different age test, and a car’s admission to Canada does not satisfy U.S. requirements. And the EPA requires the vehicle to be in its original, unmodified configuration, with engine swaps restricted, so a modified import can run into trouble even when the age is right.

If there is no dated manufacturer label, the guide says an invoice showing the first sale date, or a registration document at least 25 years old, can prove age. Before you buy or ship anything, confirm the exact manufacture month and year with NHTSA and EPA, because rules and fees change.

Steel Horse Rides