Frequently Asked Questions

A kei truck is a light commercial vehicle built to Japan's kei (light vehicle) class regulations, which cap engine displacement at 660cc and limit overall length and width. In practice it is a compact four-wheel pickup around 11 ft long and 4 ft 7 in wide, with an enclosed two-seat cab and a flat cargo bed, frequently available with selectable four-wheel drive.

In Japan they are working vehicles used in agriculture, construction and local delivery. Buyers outside Japan typically use them for farm and property work, landscaping, campground and park maintenance, construction sites, and hunting or outdoor property access.

The Suzuki Carry is the most widely produced Japanese kei truck, in production since 1961. It uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine, is available in 2WD and selectable 4WD, and has the widest parts availability outside Japan of any kei truck.

The Daihatsu Hijet is Daihatsu's kei truck and offers the widest range of factory body types, including three-way tipping dump beds, the Jumbo extended cab, and refrigerated box bodies. It uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine.

The Honda Acty is Honda's kei truck, distinguished by a mid-mounted engine beneath the cargo bed. That layout places more weight over the driven rear axle, which owners report as improved traction on loose surfaces.

The vehicle price in Japan is only part of the cost. A landed total combines the vehicle price, Japanese auction and handling fees, export documentation, ocean freight, destination port and customs charges, duty, and inland delivery. Because freight and duty vary by route and country, we quote an itemised estimate per vehicle and destination rather than publishing a single figure.

Decide your specification, confirm your country's import eligibility, then source the vehicle through the Japanese auction system or dealer stock. Review the auction sheet and photographs before purchase. After buying, the truck is de-registered, an export certificate is issued, and the vehicle is booked onto a vessel to your port, where your customs broker files the entry.

Either by roll-on/roll-off, where the truck is driven aboard and parked, or in a shipping container, where it is secured inside. Roll-on/roll-off is usually cheaper for a single running vehicle; a container offers more protection and allows parts to travel with the truck.

From Japan: the export certificate issued at de-registration, with a certified translation, plus the invoice and bill of lading. For the United States, your broker also files DOT form HS-7 and EPA form 3520-1 at entry. Your own country may require additional documents — confirm with your customs broker.

In the United States, a vehicle at least 25 years old measured from its month of manufacture may be imported without meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Eligibility rolls forward month by month. The rule is specific to the United States; Canada uses a 15-year threshold and Australia and New Zealand operate separate schemes.

Federal import eligibility and road registration are two different questions. Meeting the 25-year rule allows the vehicle to enter the country. Whether it can be titled, registered and driven on public roads is decided by your state, and states differ — some register them normally, others restrict them to farm or off-road use or to roads below a stated speed limit, and several have changed position in recent years. Check your state's current requirements with your DMV before buying.

Comfortable cruising is typically 45–55 mph, with most trucks capable of roughly 60–70 mph depending on gearing, drivetrain and whether the original speed limiter is intact. They are suited to farm, property, campus and secondary-road use rather than sustained interstate driving.

Right-hand drive vehicles are legal to operate in the United States and most buyers adapt within a week or two. The pedals are in the usual order. The habit worth building is checking the left-side blind spot at junctions.

Yes. Tell us the model, drivetrain, transmission, body type, year range and budget, and we search Japanese auction and dealer listings for matches. You review photographs and the auction sheet before anything is purchased.