Import Problems

[das1983]

Hi all,
I recently purchased a 1975 FJ40 from a seller in CT, but was originally imported from Colombia in 2022. Duties and fees were paid by the consigner at that time. It was never titled or registered in the States- I asked multiple times why and the seller seemed sincere and honest when he told me he had a bunch of toys and very little time so he never bothered.
I tried to title it in NY, my home state, but I am running into issues with the CBP form. The CBP 7501 form is missing the last digit of the VIN, but the CBP 3461 does include the proper VIN. I've called Toyota NA to ask for a letter to say the vehicle is in compliance to re-start the customs paperwork but they refused. I have the DoT and EPA forms completed(simple since the vehicle is over 25 years old). CBP is nearly impossible to get a proper response from to move forward.
Does anyone here know the best route forward to get the vehicle on the road legally? Any legal knowledge? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[gilmorneau]

originally imported from Colombia in 2022. Duties and fees were paid

Do you have documentation of that? You may need it. If you don't have proof, you may need to pay import duty.

The CBP 7501 form is missing the last digit of the VIN, but the CBP 3461 does include the proper VIN.

What you need is a corrected 7501. The guys at the border messed mine up not once, but twice before they got it correct. They just tore up the "wrong" one and typed up a correct one for me. I'm glad I thought to check it at the time. Lesson learned.

I've called Toyota NA to ask for a letter to say the vehicle is in compliance

For anyone else thinking of doing this, Toyota isn't likely to be any help. No reason for them to take three minutes of their time or expose themselves to any liability for one old truck they know nothing about. In any case, technically speaking, an over 25 year old truck isn't compliant with EPA and NHTSA regulations, it's exempt from them.

I have the DoT and EPA forms completed

Good. You may need them.

CBP is nearly impossible to get a proper response from to move forward.

Not sure what office you've tried contacting, but the closest one to you that would routinely deal with imported cars is at the Port of Newark. If you end up going there, make an appointment since I think they're on Port property and you'll likely need an escort to get to their office. Call first and explain the situation and what you're looking for.

Does anyone here know the best route forward to get the vehicle on the road legally?

Either: You can try and get US Customs to issue you a new 7501 based on the information and documentation that you have, or you can call an experienced Customs Broker to deal with it for you. In either case, you'll need satisfactory proof that the VIN number you're aiming for is the actual VIN present on the car's chassis and/or ID plate. Brokers aren't terribly expensive and it might be a good place to start. PM me if you need a reference to one.

 

[lilevo]

Two part problem here.

One there's no title so you'd have to do a bonded title. Not a big deal, that solves the title problem

Two there's no import paperwork. Every state is different in their requirements, but we don't need any of it. We can solve both problems and get a bonded title issued for the truck.

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The end result is you would get a clean Wisconsin bonded title for the imported truck. With that I'm assuming you could just transfer it to the state of your choosing since it's like a normal vehicle title similar to any US car on the road.

Do you have the export certificate, or no? If you do then bonding is not necessary.