25-Year Age Research · KS / KV

Subaru Sambar (kei truck/van) U.S. Import Age Checkpoint

Earliest model age checkpoint: March 2015

The estimated checkpoint month for the end of this production run has also arrived. Verify the actual vehicle’s manufacture date.

These model-level dates are research estimates. They do not establish that a particular vehicle can be imported, titled or registered.

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Production range & estimated age milestones

Chassis code	KS / KV
Production start	March 1990(approximate)
Production end	December 1998(approximate)
Earliest production month + 25 years	March 2015
Latest production month + 25 years	December 2023

NHTSA’s 25-year period runs from the actual vehicle’s date of manufacture. Verify it using the manufacturer’s label or supporting documentation described by NHTSA. A model year or catalogued production range does not establish that date. This chassis’s production range is approximate.

Age is one requirement to verify

NHTSA’s 25-year provision concerns Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. It does not establish EPA emissions eligibility, customs clearance, or state titling and registration for a particular car. EPA has separate import requirements, including vehicle and engine-configuration conditions. Confirm how those requirements apply, especially if the engine has been replaced or modified. Check the official guidance before buying or shipping, and confirm the destination state’s requirements. Our state registration guide can help organize the questions to ask.

Budget the full import

JDM Import Cost Estimator

Auction price → landed cost: shipping, duty, broker, port and compliance fees.

Buyer's homework