Importing EU cars to USA???

Question

Basically the USA is retarded, they sell Volvo's here and only offer gasoline engines that get at best 27mpg(2.0L) while in Europe they offer diesel and gasoline, the diesel engine gets 55mpg(1.6L TDI)...

How can I import a car like that into the USA? Even though the car is identical to one in the USA, I wouldn't be surprised if the DMV required you to go through h**l just to get it registered here, in that case could I just swap engines?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

**Please don't post an answer to this question just to tell me that diesel engines are bad for the environment or something, because that is just misinformation anyway. All new diesel engines in Europe burn cleaner than any gasoline engine in the USA.**

Answer 1

A model sold in Europe that is not sold in the USA usually cannot be imported because it doesn't meet emissions standards, and/or safety standards.  It isn't anything to do with the DMV, safety standards are federal.

So, first you contact the factory making the Volvo to see if a dealer is even allowed to sell the vehicle for export to the US.  Then, you have to contact US customs to see if the vehicle you want can be legally imported.  THEN you check with DMV to see if it meets state standards, remember California has tighter restrictions than other states.  If it is importable, then you have to figure out a way to buy it and ship it.

And, of course, if the engine is not one used in models here you have to worry who is going to be able to do repair work.  Not to mention, you would have no warranty.

I am not saying it can't be done, I am saying it may or may not be possible (and legal).

I know you won't like the answer, but, believe me, there are models that can't even be imported into Canada from the US, or the US from Canada because of different standards.

Note:

Importing just an engine to swap into a car here still means ensuring the engine is legal on the road here, so you still end up talking to US customs, as well as the DMV to ensure the vehicle would be allowed on the road.

I suggest it is likely that, if Volvo doesn't have licence to bring in a vehicle with that engine, that it may not meet US specs, so you quite likely cannot bring it in unless you have licence to build it into a "show only" vehicle, not a road one.

Good luck