I want a Passat V6 2.5L TDI to drive in the US

Seaweed

New member
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Location
Connecticut
I rented at TDI Passat wagon while in Germany on a business trip. It was the V6 2.5L TDI version. It was quite impressive. I want to have this car new or used.

Does anyone know how to get one to the US? Is it legal (emmissions)? Is it expensive to do? Where should I go or who should I talk to?
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
Sorry to say, but in short your chances of getting this car into the US are slim to none.

First, the NHTSA will not allow any car to be driven on public roadways unless crash tested for the US. This does not mean that because any other Passat has been crash tested that the 2.5L model will be allowed to pass - it means that the 2.5L Passat as it is built must be certified in crash tests. This would cost a lot in terms of having to pay a private organization the sum of $200,000 to $300,000 to pretty much destroy 7 or 8 or even more of these cars to get it to pass crash tests and be certified by the NHTSA.

Second is the EPA involvement. The 2.5L engine is not offered for sale in the US, so it is not rated for emissions, whether or not you have testing done in your area. In order for a car to be certified for emissions ratings, it must be built for consumption inside the US (i.e. the car must roll down the assembly line with the intention from the start that the car will be sold in the US). This doesn't happen for the 2.5L Passat, so the EPA will not allow your car to be imported to the US, and most states will not even allow the car to be registered (they can tell what car it is by the VIN on the dash) for use on public roads.

Third reason is the fact that by the same VIN almost no insurance company will insure a car that cannot be legally operated on public roads.

These restrictions leave two options. US Customs will allow cars to be imported that have "significant historical value" which sorry to say the 2.5L Passat will probably not pass this test in the eyes of the Customs Department. Even then, the car would have to be destined for a museum of some sorts in order to satisfy that requirement.
Second option is to get that particular engine and install it in a cheap "junkyard" car with something as simple as a previously destroyed engine. This will cost money as the engine and likely transmission and a bunch of other suspension and steering parts must come with the whole front end clip. This can be done with enough time and patience - up to you how much of both you want to invest. This option will allow you to register and insure the car legally, because as far as the VIN is concerned both state and insurance company think you are driving a 1.8T gasser (or whatever engine).
 

mattjex

Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2003
TDI
Passat V6 2002 Silver
It wouldn't be so bad if you had never driven one, and didn't know what you were missing out on!!
I really love my V6TDI, and couldn't really ask more of it (well maybe a few more mpg, but hey, it could be my lead foot that causes that!)

I think that we are fairly lucky in the UK that we get them fairly soon after they are realeased in mainland europe, but there are cases where certain VAG divisions will not let specific models into the UK... Such as the 150BHP Seat Leon, or the Leon Cupra 4 (4wd 2.8 petrol v6)
...So all in all we are spoilt a little, but by no means do we get everything we want!
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Does anyone know how to get one to the US? Is it legal (emmissions)? Is it expensive to do? Where should I go or who should I talk to?
seaweed, be prepared to write a check...a very large check.

previous discussion
 

weedeater

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2001
Location
Reston, VA
TDI
Jetta, 2001, Baltic Green
1. I don't think it's NHTSA that cares, it's the DOT. Way back when, the way to deal with this was to have US-spec'ed parts (bumpers, instrument panel, lights, etc) installed on the vehicle here. Once installed, the car became a US car as far as the DOT was concerned.

2. The EPA also an issue. Once again, in the old days you would install any additional US-style pollution equipment necessary (air injection, cat, whatever). You then had to get the car to an EPA-approved lab (not your local emissions test station) and have it tested. This could cost a few thousand bucks and there is no guarantee that it would pass. If it did, you were set by the EPA.

3. You would have to pay a customs fee. I forget, 15% of the value of the vehicle? Something like that.

If you remember the movie 'Rainman', Tom's character was importing Ferraris for resale, basically doing the same thing. I read an article in the paper a few months ago about folks locally trying to bring in Porches, MBs and other high end cars that aren't sold here. Their problems were (as I remember) with the EPA taking months to deal with their certifications during which they could not license or use their cars.

Bottom line: It can be done, but it's expensive, and generally not worth it for cars like this.
 

jjvincent

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2002
Location
Bethlehem, PA
TDI
Jetta, 2K, Green
Back in the 80's it was MUCH easier to import euro spec cars. Since the DM was weak compared to the Dollar, euro spec cars were cheaper than their US counterpart. There was a flood of these Grey Market cars back then. Most of them were junkers that couldn't pass inspection in Germany. Then the cars sat on a boat for a month (coming to the US) and it started to rust out everything underneith the car (euro cars werent sprayed with cosmoline). The importers would buy one set of parts to convert 20 similar cars. He would put the parts on one car and get it certified. Keep changing the parts over until all 20 are done. Most people who bought those cars ended up getting in trouble down the road. Many wouldn't pass emissions and many had rusted out exhausts. Just go price the complete exhaust for a Porsche 930 and you'll see how the great deal for the car didn't look so great. Since the importers were passing one over on the EPA and NHTSA (by not converting the cars). Guess what, the rules started changing by the late 80's and it made it so expensive to get a car converted that it was not economically viable.

The place in Santa Fe NM that imported G-Wagens legally charged a premium for the vehicles. The could import 50 per year and the cost of a conversion was around 40K. As you can see, a V6 TDI Passat can be imported, but only someone with money coming out of their "you know what" would do it. Look at the previous discussions and actually call some of the importers. Import that V6 TDI Passat and then come back and let us know how much time and money it took to do it.

In addition, you'll have to prove to the DOT that the parts on the euro Passat are the exact same as in the US model. This can include complete bumper assemblies, lights, windows, airbag system, interior switches, seat belts, tires, brake lines and probably some other things. Whatever parts that are not the same (usually designated by part numbers) has to be changed to US spec. As you can see, this can take a while and can start to cost a small fortune. By the time you're done you could probably buy a second car with the money that you spent for the conversion.

I just wish someone would do this. It would be neat to read about it. I just don't want to spend my money. I'm just too cheap.
 

Steve York UK

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Location
York, UK
TDI
SEAT Ibiza Sport 130hp TDI Black
Why not bring one in as a tourist on foreign plates? Surely this is allowed in the US (the old Soviet Union used to allow it)?

Then, while touring the US some dastardly brigand swaps your nice diesel motor for a gas engine while you are asleep. Dismayed, you return to Germany (or wherever) and sell the car.

Somebody in the States has got your nice V6 diesel engine and is driving around pretending to be in a gasoline engined car.

Would he get caught?

Steve
 
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