u/Working_Light4588

Today was started extra early. I had many many places to go and boxes to check.. Today was the day I would get my Sambar registered in the state of Hawaii.

Registering a vehicle in Hawaii properly is a very tedious process that requires you to jump through some hoops (if shipping a car here wasn’t hard enough as is). Registering a vehicle in Hawaii, imported from Japan, while also being a Kei class car that’s old as dirt is like jumping through more hoops while on fire. If importing the thing wasn’t enough thrill for you, don’t worry, the city and county of Honolulu make it exciting.

Stop 1:

Wake up early, hydrate, caffeinate, defecate, pack a bag with extra water and snacks, gas up your vehicle, put air in its tires, and make sure you have all your forms. There are a few ways to get your new import from A to B without a license plate and registration. I made my plans and headed out to my first stop, Weigh Station.

You need to first head to a DMV approved weigh station for vehicles. I looked online and the only one I could find was Toledo Scale (1914 Hau St, Honolulu). This step is very quick and takes only around 5 minutes, just drive on the scale and pay $40. They will give you a weight certificate which is your golden ticket to the inspection facility.

Stop 2:

Once you have your weight certificate (and only after you obtained it, don’t try to go before like me), find an inspection facility that is DMV approved. I chose Oscars Auto Service (345 Mokauea St, Honolulu) which was 2min from Toledos. Make sure the facility you choose 1. Doesn’t require an appointment 2. Is familiar inspecting Kei trucks and the whole import process.

The inspection facility will check the following items: Headlights, Brights, Turn Signals, Windshield Wipers + Fluid, Tint, VIN, Odometer, Horn, Speedometer, Brake Lights, Cracked Windshield/ Mirrors, and Tires (they may check additional items, these are the items my guy looked at). Make sure you have all your documents for your truck, in case your inspection worker asks to see one or two.

Make sure your tires are 1. Not bald and actully have tread 2. No cracks or leaks 3. Have a stamped “DOT” on the sidewall. If your truck’s tires are not stamped with DOT (which all imported Kei trucks should probably not have because they originated from Japan), you will fail the inspection (come back when you have approved tires).

JDM Hawaii (Sky Auto) is 6 min down the road from Oscars and will most likely have your size + a mechanic on site to switch out your old tires for new DOT approved tires.

The inspection facility once you pass will give you a very important piece of paper in exchange for $25. This piece of paper will say you failed the inspection, but only because you do not have registration. Hold on to this paper and show it to the DMV later.

Stop 3:

The next stop is very important and often overlooked. You have to take your Kei truck to the VIN confirmation station. This location is at (1112 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu). This location is only open to do VIN checks from 8-9am and 3-3:30pm. This step is free, and they will give you a certificate to present to the DMV once your VIN is confirmed on the body and on your export certificate (English translated copy).

Stop 4:

Ahhhh… finally… the DMV. I bet you are actually excited to be here after all the other steps and stops. From my research (correct me if I’m wrong), the only DMV location that offers titling/ registration of exports is the Ala Moana Satellite City Hall site. This one is located in the Ala Moana shopping mall on the first floor by the escalator and Indian Restaurant.

Make sure you have all forms ever for this step, and you have an appointment for the DMV. Appointments can be made on the AlohaQ website.

Stop 5:

Back to the inspection facility you went to originally! Now that you have your fresh new tags and registration, head back to your inspection facility so they can pass you and issue you a sticker for the back of your vehicle (needed to operate in Hawaii). If you go back to the site which you went to first, and show them your original receipt saying failure, this second inspection room will be free.

Done!

Enjoy your new ride!

Check out my blog: https://subterfugethoughtmachinations.blogspot.com/

Importing a Japanese Kei Truck into the US (1997 Subaru Sambar KS4)

June 24, 2026
I live in Hawaii, and when I moved here I noticed many small Japanese trucks around the island. I did some research on what they were, and to my surprise, I quickly discovered my fascination with their utility and style. So like any sane person, I began the process of importing one from Japan.

I started my import process by researching all the Kei truck models and which ones I liked most. I am 6’ 7” so my options were limited to the models that had the largest cabin space. I found that the Subaru Sambar Gen V had the most head and leg room out of all the Kei trucks (take this with a grain of salt, every form says something different. The Gen V Sambar seemed to me at the time the largest). 

Besides the cabin space, I chose the Subaru Sambar for a few other reasons.

1. It has a rear mounted engine (located in the bed of the truck by the tailgate). This is useful for weight distribution, ease of access to work on, and the overall heat dispersion of the engine (most other Kei trucks have engines in the front of the chassis which tends to heat the cabin up considerably).

2. It is the only truck in its class that has a 4 cylinder engine (most Kei trucks are 3 cylinders). I am not a mechanic or even that educated on engine specs. However, I am a simple man and more is always better right? 

3. It looks pretty damn cool.

Once I figured out which car I wanted, I started shopping. There are a few websites I became acquainted with through my research that sold Kei trucks online + provided the shipping of Kei trucks to the USA. Below are the websites I would check daily to see what models were currently available:

1. CarfromJapan
2. BeForward
3. Mitsui

 

These websites pretty much all offer the same service: 

EBay style listing of cars, click to purchase, pay the website the price of the vehicle listed, and choose your shipping location and method. 

Once payment has been verified, an agent will contact you which will provide you updates on the ships location and documents needed for the process. I went with CarfromJapan for my Kei truck, they listed a vehicle which fit my needs. If I had to do it over again, I probably would have gone with Mitsui. Mitsui seems like they offer better pictures + videos of their listed vehicles. This is huge since you are purchasing a relatively expensive item from a foreign country without ever seeing it in person.

While you shopping, here are some tips:

1. These websites sometimes list the same vehicle, check to see which site has the cheapest price.

2. The “total+ CF” price is what you want to base your search on, the vehicle price listed does not include shipping. Shipping prices are determined by what port you select. You can choose what style of shipping you want, I would go with RO-RO (roll on, roll off). This style has the shipper physically drive the truck on/ off the ship, this is nice because it’s 1. cheap and 2. means your truck can at-least get from point A to point B without breaking down.

3. You will have to pay a 25% “chicken tax” on all foreign trucks coming into the US. This is some bureaucratic nonsense that you have to pay. So be mindful on the price of vehicle you chose because you’ll have to pay Uncle Sam 25% of that vehicles purchase price for them to release you the vehicle. Vans have a similar tax but it’s not as high, do your research, but buying a van will save you from a steep 25%.

4. In Japan, used cars are sold at auctions (for the most part), so each car listed “should” have an auction sheet that you can view if you have the VIN. This is extremely useful because you can see exactly what is wrong with your truck and there is even a grading system. This system goes from 5 (perfect condition) to 1 (POS) and there are a few letter grades like R (repaired). 3-3.5 are the most common grades. If your website listing vehicles says there is no auction sheet available for your vehicle because it was bought directly from the original owner, do not believe them. Go to JapanStat.com, enter the VIN, and look up the auctions records yourself (it costs around $5 USD). CarfromJapan lied to me and said it was purchased from the original owner, but I looked it up (way too late) and it was bought at auction a week before I purchased it on the website.

5. Ask for additional pictures and videos of the vehicle (if they let you). Important areas to see are the undercarriage, engine bay, bed, and tires. Ask when the vehicle was last serviced/ what things are wrong with the vehicle (they will say it’s the best running truck ever made, so get specific).

Once you pick out your vehicle and purchase it on the website, a few things will happen: 

1. An agent from the company will contact you and ask you provide proof of payment (screenshot). They will verify, then send you the invoice of the vehicle. This is a very important document, create a folder on your computer labeled Kei Truck (or whatever) and save it there. This folder will soon be filled with many documents..

2. Your agent will work behind the scenes to arrange the shipment of your vehicle. This takes some time in addition to the time it takes for your ship to travel from Japan to your port. Expect around 3 months on average between the time you click buy, and the vehicle is ready for pickup at your port.

3. Eventually your agent will get everything arranged and they will then send you your Export Certificate. This is the document your agent receives once the vehicle title has been turned into Japan (you will not receive a physical title because Japan keeps that, you will only receive an export certificate for titling purposes in your home state). This export certificate should come in Japanese as well as an English translation. Make sure you have an English translation of the export certificate (ask your agent for that while you wait for your vehicle to ship). If your agent can not provide an English translation, there are a bunch of websites that offer this service. Just make sure they stamp it saying it’s an authorized translation of the original. 

4. Your agent will inform you when your truck will be loaded on a ship, before that ship departs, you will need to fill out an ISF 10+2 form. In order to fill out the ISF form, you will need a Bill of Lading (provided by your agent). It is very important for you to fill out and submit your ISF PRIOR to your ship departing Japan. This is the most time imperative step of the whole process. How do you fill out/ send your ISF? I used Eezyimport.com to fill out my ISF and other forms. They act as a broker between you and CBP, you pay them and they send all of your documents and review them so there are no delays. You also pay for all your customs bonds and fees through them too, it is a really good platform. You can also use other online services, do your research.

5. Before you can fill out your ISF form, you will need Power of Attorney granted to Eezyimport.com to conduct business on your behalf. This is an easy process that costs around $15. Once your ISF form is filled out and your vehicle is on the ship and that said ship is sailing to your port, you can breathe. 

6. Eventually (a week or so before your ship arrives in port), you will receive an email from your shipping company containing your Arrival Notice. This is a very important document that allows you to start on your CBP 7501 (Entry Summary form). This form needs to be completed promptly before your ship arrives in port. I used Eezyimport.com as well for this step. This is the big form that can give you a lot of issues, that is why I also used this website again. You provide them the requested documents and they do the rest.

7. While you wait for CBP to approve your 7501, you can create a Delivery Order in Eezyimport.com for your shipment. This is free and is a formal form that you fill out and hand the port worker at your port that makes it look like you are a truck driver just picking up an order. This streamlines the process of you picking up your truck (apparently, I have never picked up a truck from the port before).

8. After filling out your 7501 and paying all the fees and bonds, you should receive an email from the port you are shipping your vehicle to. They will want you to provide them your BOL and confirmation that CBP has “released” your vehicle and all the bonds/ fees are paid. Once you prove these said things, you will work with your port to schedule a pickup date.

Every port is different, so do your research. My port gave me three days from my ships arrival to pickup my truck before they send it to a holding lot where you have to pay a mandatory $250 holding charge. Pick up your truck asap so you don’t have to pay this. 

Every port is different so do your research. My port required me to have a TWIC credential in order to drive on port to pick up my truck. This credential can be obtained at your local government TSA building after making an appointment online. It cost around $125 and also gets you TSA precheck. It took about 2 weeks to receive my credential, so do this step (if needed) while your truck is still in Japan prior to its boarding on the shipping vessel).

A few days out from my ships arrival, I reserved a U-Haul trailer so I could pick up my vehicle on the port. You do not know the condition of your vehicle and your vehicle is not registered yet in your state. This means you should not drive your vehicle from the port back to your home. I did some research and found that the U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer fits the Subaru Sambar Truck great so I went ahead and rented it for one day. 

A few more things to note:

1. Your port may require you to have a neon safety vest while walking around the port.

2. Your Kei truck might be out of gas/ unable to start. Bring a spare gas canister with fuel for your truck and some jumper cables when you go to the port to pick up your truck.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your website agent, your broker, or an AI. I asked many questions and verified numbers, documents, and timelines prior to submitting things incorrectly. I still however, made mistakes. That is why doing things early and asking questions a long the way can save you time and headaches later.

So how much did it cost me to in total for all my expenses? Below is a breakdown of everything I paid:

Expense Item
Amount
FOB Truck Price
$986.00
Shipping
$2,100.00
Buyer Protection Fee
$95.00
Entry Summary Bond Fee
$159.00
POA (Eezyimport)
$15.90
TWIC Card Fee
$124.00
ISF filing fee
$81.42
Entry Summary Filing Fee 
$99.18
U-Haul Trailer plus Hitch
$112.98
Entry Summary Bond 
$150.34
CBP Duties (Chicken Tax)/ Eezyimport Processing Fee/ Harbor Maintenance Fee
$396.63
Insurance (Hagerty)
$20.66 per month ($248) per year

Total = $4,568.45

Thank you for reading my post, feel free to message me or comment if you have any questions or need clarification on anything I mentioned or failed to mention. I based all my efforts on countless Google searches, but mainly the below guide:

https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/portfolio/diy-how-to-import-a-jdm-kei-class-mini-truck-into-the-u-s/

I also watched and took notes on the below video:

https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/portfolio/diy-how-to-import-a-jdm-kei-class-mini-truck-into-the-u-s/

I plan to update this post in the next couple of days. Please standby for additional information to come,

Mahalo!