Hey there
@tdihopeful When you want to import a vehicle into the USA it must be certified as "compliant to all USA standards".
That means the vehicle must meet all of the FMVSS standards for that car, including Crash Standards.
All of these rules make it so you can only import cars that were also sold in the exact same configuration as their USA counterpart.
Any slight variation in the car that's scrutinized by a FMVSS regulation will make it difficult to import. Unless it's 25 years old.
And then, there's also the cost of getting your car EPA certified. Any car that's not older than 21 years old must also get an EPA test.
I don't think you could even import a LHD B5 Passat into the USA without it being identical to its USA counterpart which you would then have to prove.
That's why the 25 year is so often talked about in the JDM scene. Once the car is 25 years old, the importation gets A LOT cheaper.
That's why every year you see an article titled
"It's 2021, click here to see what cool cars from 1996 can you now buy!"