For more than three years, enthusiasts living on America’s Eastern seaboard and the south have been battling their states over the privilege to drive over 25-year-old vehicles on their states’ roads. The battle has now reached the Midwest as Michigan has become the latest state to revoke the registrations of legally imported Kei trucks. Enthusiasts aren’t wasting any time as they’ve already geared up to fight back.
If you haven’t been following this saga, I’ll bring you up to speed. For years, a number of America’s states have had rules on their books preventing 25 mph speed-limited mini trucks from driving on public roads. In the summer of 2021, the situation changed when the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a non-governmental group consisting of state DMV administrators and law enforcement, recommended member states start banning any and every vehicle not built to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
As a result of this recommendation, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and Georgia began changing their laws and policies to follow the recommendation. Each state is a little different. Maine passed a law that makes any vehicle not meeting FMVSS ineligible for registration. Rhode Island didn’t change its laws but decided to reinterpret existing laws to chase down every Kei-class vehicle owner in the state. Pennsylvania was a little nicer, grandfathering in existing registrations and allowing everyone else to drive their Kei vehicles occasionally as antiques. Georgia and Texas were revoking Kei registrations. Sadly, the battle in Georgia is ongoing, but enthusiasts in Texas scored a major win against the AAMVA by getting their DMV policies reversed.
Technically, the state of Wisconsin also bans Kei vehicles, but you can still get them registered for road use as antique vehicles.
Michigan Joins In
Reader Dogapult sent us a tip that Michigan has started the terrifying march of revoking the titles of Kei trucks and vans that the state previously titled and registered as road vehicles. Unlike Wisconsin, Michigan isn’t allowing these vehicles to be titled as antiques. Instead, the state is saying that these vehicles are unroadworthy and are for off-road use only. Dogapult’s tip has been followed up by a GoFundMe launched by Michigan enthusiasts with the intent on suing the state.
So, what’s going on in Michigan? Dogapult sent me one of the letters being received by Kei truck owners in Michigan.
The letter opens up by telling the enthusiast that the state made a mistake in issuing a title for road use for the subject vehicle. Michigan then says that based on laws pertaining to “mini trucks,” the state cannot issue a title for road use. Thankfully, Michigan is nice enough to quote the law it’s using to revoke the original title.
That law is MCL – Section 257.217i, Michigan Vehicle Code Act 300 of 1949:
257.217i Issuance of vehicle identification number and certificate of title for assembled vehicles; requirements; safety study; “assembled vehicle” defined.
Sec. 217i.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the secretary of state shall, upon an applicant’s payment of the proper fees and submission of all documentation required by the secretary of state, issue a vehicle identification number in the same manner as provided in section 230 and a certificate of title to an assembled vehicle that satisfies all applicable requirements of this act, if the assembled vehicle contains all of the following equipment:
The law then goes through a long list of items a vehicle needs to be legal in Michigan. A lot of it makes sense like at least one headlight on each side of the vehicle, at least one taillight, a license plate light, a horn, seatbelts in model year 1965 and newer vehicles, and brakes. One thing that’s a bit odd is that Michigan requires road vehicles to have a differential gear, which seems oddly specific.
The part that we care about is right here, emphasis mine:
(5) As used in this section, “assembled vehicle” does not include either of the following:
(a) A military surplus vehicle designated by the federal government as off-road use only.
(b) A gray market off-road minitruck.
(c) An all-terrain vehicle that has 4 wheels and is equipped with a straddle seat.
I searched Michigan’s books and could not find any of the post-2021 AAMVA language elsewhere. Granted, this is the law Michigan is claiming is applicable to their argument to revoke these latest titles. According to the document sent to us, the state doesn’t even give owners the chance to fight. Instead, they receive a corrected title in the mail that bans them from road use. Based on the effective dates of this law, Michigan has banned ‘mini trucks’ for several years, predating the 2021 AAMVA guidance.
Something we’ve seen in these recent bans is that some states seem to be confusing off-road mini trucks (above) with on-road Kei trucks (below). Americans have been importing mini trucks for decades. Until recently, most of these trucks were imported for off-road use only and have 25 mph speed limiters installed. These trucks were then used on farms, gardens, golf courses, or anywhere else someone wanted something more substantial than a golf cart, but didn’t need to go fast.
It makes sense to ban those kinds of trucks from the road because they physically cannot travel at speeds faster than 25 mph. The rise in popularity of cheap JDM vehicles has muddied the waters, sort of. The state of Michigan points to the Suzuki Carry, Subaru Sambar, Honda Acty, Mazda Scrum, and Daihatsu Hijet as examples of off-road mini trucks.
But here’s the thing, while many of these vehicles have been modified into low-speed vehicles and then imported into America, they were originally built as road-legal vehicles. My 1989 Suzuki Every van tops out at 70 mph, which is a similar top speed to a mid-1990s Honda Acty. Sure, that’s not fast enough for an interstate, but these trucks and vans handle just fine on regular roads and state highways. Certainly, they aren’t any worse than many of the absurdly slow classic cars they share Woodward Ave with in the summer.
Unfortunately, Michigan appears to be treating all Kei trucks and vans like they are the 25 mph mini trucks imported for off-road use, regardless of their actual capabilities.
Enthusiasts in Michigan are wasting no time in fighting back. They’re following the example set by enthusiasts in Georgia and have decided to sue Michigan to get their road-legal titles back. Michigan enthusiast and attorney Kevin Burton intends to take on the state. To aid in hopefully attaining victory, Alec Davies has launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund the battle.
In the GoFundMe, Davies says:
Kei trucks, vans, and other Kei vehicles imported through appropriate channels that have been issued valid titles should be able to remain on the road.
The State has retitled these vehicles citing safety and emissions concerns for mini trucks: an entirely different category of vehicle from Kei trucks. Mini trucks, like the Tiger Truck, are designed and intended exclusively for off-road use, with a 25mph speed restriction, often lacking the safety and emissions standards required of road-worthy vehicles. By contrast, the Kei trucks we are fighting to protect constitute a special class of small vehicles specifically engineered for on-road use in Japan. These trucks meet all of Japan’s safety, emissions, and size regulations, some of the strictest in the world.
Under the 25-year exemption rule established by the Import Vehicle Safety Act of 1988, these Kei trucks, once 25 years or older, should be considered eligible for use on public roads in the US, as would any classic vehicle.
The campaign has raised $730 of $10,000 as of the publishing of this article.
The Cause
If you’re a regular reader, feel free to scroll down to the end. If you’re one of the many people visiting from elsewhere, you might wonder where the heck all of this is coming from. Well, that boils down to the people of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). I’ve written about this organization several times in the past, but here’s the quick version of what you need to know:
The AAMVA is a non-governmental non-profit lobbying organization composed of motor vehicle administrators, law enforcement administrators, and executives from all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C. Among other things, the organization seeks standardization of laws across member states regarding traffic safety, vehicle titling, and driver licensing. AAMVA does not have legislative power but it does urge all member states to follow its “best practices.”
The AAMVA has been studying Japanese and Chinese Kei vehicles since at least the late 2000s. Back then, the AAMVA didn’t really know how to handle the flood of cheap 25 mph speed-limited off-road utility trucks that came in from China. The answer came courtesy of an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety opinion published in 2010. The IIHS crash-tested a Kei truck against a Ford Ranger and concluded that low-speed vehicles and mini trucks are unsafe and should be removed from the road.
From that point forward, the AAMVA has advocated against allowing Kei trucks from being allowed on state roads. In 2021, this guidance went even further, essentially telling states to ban any vehicle that doesn’t meet FMVSS. The AAMVA was serious about this, stating in its documentation that if banning a vehicle ran afoul state law, it urged lawmakers to change the laws until the ban became legal.
The AAMVA has recommended against allowing mini trucks on American roads for over a decade. Some states followed the guidance, banning low-speed mini trucks from their roads. However, many of those importing a vehicle older than 25 years old didn’t have a problem. The AAMVA’s 2021 guidance is its most destructive yet as it doesn’t just target legally imported Kei trucks, but literally every vehicle ever imported that complies with the infamous “25-Year Rule.”
That doesn’t just mean Kei trucks, but any gray market import. That means everything from roadsters imported from Britain, BMW wagons from Europe, JDM Toyota Crowns, giant Toyota Centurys, quirky buses from Europe, rare motorcycles, even those famous Nissan Skylines people drool over. The AAMVA wants all of them off of American roads. The organization is so serious about this that it tells member states that if its suggestions are illegal, the states should find a way to make them legal.
Yes, the AAMVA even wants that sweet BMW above to go away.
We’ve been trying to find out why, but nobody at the AAMVA wants to talk to us. David McChristian’s best guess is that somehow, America’s automakers feel threatened by the stream of old imports coming in through the border. We intend on finding the truth.
What You Can Do
Sadly, it’s clear that the spread of anti-import laws and policies will not stay contained on the eastern seaboard. Remember, the AAMVA recommends banning all gray market imports, not just Kei vehicles. Maine has followed that recommendation to the letter. There’s really nothing stopping that from spreading.
If you’re interested in helping Michigan, click here to donate to Michigan’s lawsuit fund. We’ve reached out to lawmakers in Michigan regarding its stance on Kei vehicles and will update when we hear back.
Thankfully, you can help in other ways, too. Find the pro-car politicians in your state and push them to fight to either reverse existing policies or keep the policies already in place. This is what enthusiasts in Texas did and look at the huge win it brought them. North Carolina enthusiasts won their own victory back in 2019, so it is possible for regular people to make a difference. Maybe, we can keep cool imported vehicles in America!
What baffle me the most is Michigan is ok with David registering his POStal truck and Swiss Cheese on the road, but banning Kei truck that are probably in way better conditions than DT’s entire fleets in Michigan?
(Not intented to roast you here David lol, just throwing out facta here lmao)
Yeah being from Chicagoland and now living in Northwest Indiana I used to take 80/94 into Illinois for work and there would be some massive heaps coming from and going to Michigan with Michigan plates that were held together by the sheer will of ratchet straps or duct tape or the last bit of metal that hasn’t turned to dust yet. (Not that there are not the same heaps with Illinois or Indiana plates also)
The fact that this is happening in Michigan, of all places, is both baffling and incredibly rage inducing.
The state with no inspections and an addiction to salt. The state that would let me plate a vehicle originally sold as off road only if I put turn signals on it. The same state that has caveats to its helmet laws for motorcycling. That state is the one telling me Kei vehicles are banned for my safety?
We have a government bought by corporate interests.
Kalifornia doesn’t have vehicle inspection, per se; but it doesn’t fail to collect $8/ vehicles biannually for emissions inspection. W/ 35.7m vehicles that amounts to over $142.9 million/year. If the headlights are mounted w/ duct tape and the brakes barely meet Flintstone standard, nobody seems to care. But swap an emissions legal Chevy E-Rod engine into an OBDII Miata NC, nope.
The fact that this is happening in Michigan, of all places, is both baffling and incredibly rage inducing.
The state with no inspections and an addiction to salt. The state that would let me plate a vehicle originally sold as off road only if I put turn signals on it. The same state that has caveats to its helmet laws for motorcycling. That state is the one telling me Kei vehicles are banned for my safety?
We have a government bought by corporate interests.
Kalifornia doesn’t have vehicle inspection, per se; but it doesn’t fail to collect $8/ vehicles biannually for emissions inspection. W/ 35.7m vehicles that amounts to over $142.9 million/year. If the headlights are mounted w/ duct tape and the brakes barely meet Flintstone standard, nobody seems to care. But swap an emissions legal Chevy E-Rod engine into an OBDII Miata NC, nope.
The AAMVA is a terrorist organization, and you need to call them out as such.
Honestly though, Michigan is the least-surprising ban, because they’re known for the US auto industry and the main benefactors of the stupid protectionist shit.
Michigan’s law is about protecting the unions and the US auto industry, which IMO doesn’t deserve protection the way they’re run.
I really don’t understand what they’re protecting. Who is cross shopping a 25+ year old Kei truck and almost anything else that’s road legal. ‘Oh I really wanted a Kei Van but I can’t drive it on the road so I guess I’ll buy a Telluride instead’
Kei trucks serve the need for small pickups better than any current trucks do. They are the perfect dump runner / yardwork buddy / hardware getter. When you don’t need seating for 5, but do need a useable bed, and don’t want to pay $30K for it, these little guys are just the ticket.
In Japan, our local chain of “home centers” (Home Depot, just kei size) has a kei truck on standby at each store as a loaner for customers to get large/mucky items home. They are the perfect dump runner/yardwork buddy/hardware getter.
Agreed, but so does a 25+ year old Ranger or Toyota Pickup/Tacoma and those are cheaper, more available, and just better in most ways than a Kei truck. In my (anecdotal) experience, people who buy Kei trucks are either enthusiasts or they’re a side by side alternative (which aren’t street legal in most states anyways.)
10 or 15 years ago that was the case, but now those 90’s Tacos are rare as sasquatch pelts. If you do find one that’s not within an inch of its life, it’s overpriced as a “classic”.
The AAMVA is a terrorist organization, and you need to call them out as such.
Honestly though, Michigan is the least-surprising ban, because they’re known for the US auto industry and the main benefactors of the stupid protectionist shit.
Michigan’s law is about protecting the unions and the US auto industry, which IMO doesn’t deserve protection the way they’re run.
I really don’t understand what they’re protecting. Who is cross shopping a 25+ year old Kei truck and almost anything else that’s road legal. ‘Oh I really wanted a Kei Van but I can’t drive it on the road so I guess I’ll buy a Telluride instead’
Kei trucks serve the need for small pickups better than any current trucks do. They are the perfect dump runner / yardwork buddy / hardware getter. When you don’t need seating for 5, but do need a useable bed, and don’t want to pay $30K for it, these little guys are just the ticket.
In Japan, our local chain of “home centers” (Home Depot, just kei size) has a kei truck on standby at each store as a loaner for customers to get large/mucky items home. They are the perfect dump runner/yardwork buddy/hardware getter.
Agreed, but so does a 25+ year old Ranger or Toyota Pickup/Tacoma and those are cheaper, more available, and just better in most ways than a Kei truck. In my (anecdotal) experience, people who buy Kei trucks are either enthusiasts or they’re a side by side alternative (which aren’t street legal in most states anyways.)
10 or 15 years ago that was the case, but now those 90’s Tacos are rare as sasquatch pelts. If you do find one that’s not within an inch of its life, it’s overpriced as a “classic”.
Just one more example of unelected bureaucrats – in this case, not even appointed or hired by the government – deciding things best left to the public. There are other “associations” like this making “recommendations” that no one hears about until the local government decides to apply them without so much as a public hearing. Thanks for making this fight more visible. While I don’t currently have – or want to own – a Kei car, I don’t think the state should be preventing others. And as you make clear, after the Kei cars, they’ll come for other imports.
Just one more example of unelected bureaucrats – in this case, not even appointed or hired by the government – deciding things best left to the public. There are other “associations” like this making “recommendations” that no one hears about until the local government decides to apply them without so much as a public hearing. Thanks for making this fight more visible. While I don’t currently have – or want to own – a Kei car, I don’t think the state should be preventing others. And as you make clear, after the Kei cars, they’ll come for other imports.
That headline in the graphic! 100 points to @mercedes
That headline in the graphic! 100 points to @mercedes
Had to chime in on this, it’s probably because having an operational diff, particularly on a heavy vehicle, helps prevent road damage when the vehicle turns. With a locked axle, not only is it bad for the tires, but it transmits the uneven force to the road surface as well.
Michigan has gone its own way in determining loading and axle regulations, resulting in the caterpillar-like multi-axle “Michigan Train” truck configurations. And while Michigan has some pretty bad roads in place, it could be a whole lot worse. There are concrete highway sections that are older than me, and I’m on the high side of the half-century mark. They have some seriously old roads up there, and yet, for their age, they’re still holding up.
But a locked differential is still a differential, and would meet the letter of the law.
As written this would appear to ban individually driven sides, such as one would find in a skid steer. Interestingly that would also outlaw hub motors on EV, which has appeared on a number of concepts over the year
Lots of SXS have a straight axle, no diff. Of course, more than a few drag racers have performed the Lincoln Locker mod, rendering the differential non-operational. In either case, the vehicle becomes hard to steer, in the sense that it will tend to plow straight ahead instead of turning. Imagine the fun on a snow covered street. Lockers in the Jeep/high performance car sense are designed to unlock when not on the gas.
That’s the weird part! Michigan doesn’t say it has to be operational diff gears, just that they have to exist. Technically, a car with a welded diff is obeying that part of the law. Our suspension engineer contributor, Huibert, also wonders how the diff gear requirement impacts EVs with hub motors.
I may be spending too much time here if I’m channeling 2 staff members per comment.
Or those mind reading courses are finally paying off.
It’s probably to prevent ATVs from being registered. Most of them don’t have a rear differential.
Had to chime in on this, it’s probably because having an operational diff, particularly on a heavy vehicle, helps prevent road damage when the vehicle turns. With a locked axle, not only is it bad for the tires, but it transmits the uneven force to the road surface as well.
Michigan has gone its own way in determining loading and axle regulations, resulting in the caterpillar-like multi-axle “Michigan Train” truck configurations. And while Michigan has some pretty bad roads in place, it could be a whole lot worse. There are concrete highway sections that are older than me, and I’m on the high side of the half-century mark. They have some seriously old roads up there, and yet, for their age, they’re still holding up.
But a locked differential is still a differential, and would meet the letter of the law.
As written this would appear to ban individually driven sides, such as one would find in a skid steer. Interestingly that would also outlaw hub motors on EV, which has appeared on a number of concepts over the year
Lots of SXS have a straight axle, no diff. Of course, more than a few drag racers have performed the Lincoln Locker mod, rendering the differential non-operational. In either case, the vehicle becomes hard to steer, in the sense that it will tend to plow straight ahead instead of turning. Imagine the fun on a snow covered street. Lockers in the Jeep/high performance car sense are designed to unlock when not on the gas.
That’s the weird part! Michigan doesn’t say it has to be operational diff gears, just that they have to exist. Technically, a car with a welded diff is obeying that part of the law. Our suspension engineer contributor, Huibert, also wonders how the diff gear requirement impacts EVs with hub motors.
I may be spending too much time here if I’m channeling 2 staff members per comment.
Or those mind reading courses are finally paying off.
It’s probably to prevent ATVs from being registered. Most of them don’t have a rear differential.
On one hand, it shocks me that Michigan of all places is banning these things, considering their lack of inspections, etc.
On the other hand, they are home to several OEMs who have unions that penalize employees for not driving said OEM’s brand in the factory parking lots (this is asinine).
This x1000
Came here for this
Does the punishment go beyond preferred parking for cars of the brand in question? I worked for a contractor that worked for Ford one summer in college, and the only thing I remember is that there was “Ford/Lincoln/Mercury” (yeah it was awhile ago) parking area closer to the factory, and a “everything else” parking area further away.
From what I’ve seen, many have close parking for that brand, farther parking for American brands, and farthest parking for Others… Ironically, people driving Tundras (American made) are likely walking where people in Mavericks (Mexican made) are right up front.
On one hand, it shocks me that Michigan of all places is banning these things, considering their lack of inspections, etc.
On the other hand, they are home to several OEMs who have unions that penalize employees for not driving said OEM’s brand in the factory parking lots (this is asinine).
This x1000
Came here for this
Does the punishment go beyond preferred parking for cars of the brand in question? I worked for a contractor that worked for Ford one summer in college, and the only thing I remember is that there was “Ford/Lincoln/Mercury” (yeah it was awhile ago) parking area closer to the factory, and a “everything else” parking area further away.
From what I’ve seen, many have close parking for that brand, farther parking for American brands, and farthest parking for Others… Ironically, people driving Tundras (American made) are likely walking where people in Mavericks (Mexican made) are right up front.
Maybe if the domestic market produced a truly small cheap truck people wouldn’t be forced to buy 25 year old imports?
also this
Wait. Who’s “forcing” what now? Are Kei trucks mandatory and I missed the memo?
When the domestic market dosen’t offer a “truly small cheap truck” (and no, the Maverick doesn’t count) what other options do you have?
I dunno, get something else that does it everything better and more efficiently if you need to accomplish a task? Kei trucks are a vanity/want product, not a need product. I get it, they look fun and are different, but so are homing pigeons. 😉
It’s just such a weird hill to die on, ya know, like a Kei truck.
… and a 500+hp Mustang/Charger/Corvette/Tesla/Raptor/etc is a vanity/want product, not a need product.
There. IFIFY.
I was wondering why I didn’t sleep soundly last night. You are a hero. Thanks.
Maybe if the domestic market produced a truly small cheap truck people wouldn’t be forced to buy 25 year old imports?
also this
Wait. Who’s “forcing” what now? Are Kei trucks mandatory and I missed the memo?
When the domestic market dosen’t offer a “truly small cheap truck” (and no, the Maverick doesn’t count) what other options do you have?
I dunno, get something else that does it everything better and more efficiently if you need to accomplish a task? Kei trucks are a vanity/want product, not a need product. I get it, they look fun and are different, but so are homing pigeons. 😉
It’s just such a weird hill to die on, ya know, like a Kei truck.
… and a 500+hp Mustang/Charger/Corvette/Tesla/Raptor/etc is a vanity/want product, not a need product.
There. IFIFY.
I was wondering why I didn’t sleep soundly last night. You are a hero. Thanks.
So these are all complete non-starters, yet I see a current generation 4Runner, Honda Prelude, and other modern trucks, vans, and other vehicles all driving around town with “Farm Use” Tags and nobody bats an eye. Not to mention the number of absolute death traps allowed on US roads by DMVs like Michigan that refuse to issue even the most cursory safety inspection.
AAMVA is going after a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of the vehicles on the road while blatantly ignoring the over single-digit percent of vehicles on the road that would legitimately fail a safety inspection, bringing them directly out of compliance with FMVSS standards.
The key difference being missed here I think is nobody, genuinely nobody, is going out an buying an imported vehicle without knowing what they’re getting into, but there are I’d wager millions of Americans that have no clue their vehicles are genuinely dangerous because they bought it from a sketchy used dealer or dude off craigslist that swears its mint, but the frame or unibody is nearly rusted through. What an absolute farce, and waste of lawmakers time and taxpayers money.
Haha yeah when I was in VA I saw a early 2000’s Ford explorer with farm use only plates like pickups? Sure a Ford explorer not so much.
They are supposed to be cutting down on “Farm Use” in VA anyway. I think maybe getting rid of it entirely.
It just meant the vehicle was for farm business, so if you really used a Ford Explorer for driving around the farm and maybe a trip to Tractor Supply to buy something related to your work as a farmer, it was OK. But it was of course abused.
So these are all complete non-starters, yet I see a current generation 4Runner, Honda Prelude, and other modern trucks, vans, and other vehicles all driving around town with “Farm Use” Tags and nobody bats an eye. Not to mention the number of absolute death traps allowed on US roads by DMVs like Michigan that refuse to issue even the most cursory safety inspection.
AAMVA is going after a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of the vehicles on the road while blatantly ignoring the over single-digit percent of vehicles on the road that would legitimately fail a safety inspection, bringing them directly out of compliance with FMVSS standards.
The key difference being missed here I think is nobody, genuinely nobody, is going out an buying an imported vehicle without knowing what they’re getting into, but there are I’d wager millions of Americans that have no clue their vehicles are genuinely dangerous because they bought it from a sketchy used dealer or dude off craigslist that swears its mint, but the frame or unibody is nearly rusted through. What an absolute farce, and waste of lawmakers time and taxpayers money.
Haha yeah when I was in VA I saw a early 2000’s Ford explorer with farm use only plates like pickups? Sure a Ford explorer not so much.
They are supposed to be cutting down on “Farm Use” in VA anyway. I think maybe getting rid of it entirely.
It just meant the vehicle was for farm business, so if you really used a Ford Explorer for driving around the farm and maybe a trip to Tractor Supply to buy something related to your work as a farmer, it was OK. But it was of course abused.
Really!? This is happening in Michigan? This place as far as I have seen so far is a lawless wasteland for all things automotive. There are no safety inspections, no emissions checks, pretty loose restrictions on the kit car/assembled roadster/dune buggy registration, and last I checked with minimal mods it’s even possible to get side by sides registered for general road use. They choose this as the place to crack down? If you drive around Michigan you’ll see all sorts of questionable vehicles on the road, from highly modified nearly racecars, to lifted bro dozers, to barely running rusted husks of cars. I guess kei trucks are a bridge too far.
Kei trucks are the easiest things to get on a soapbox about for AAMVA’s posterior-smoochers in any motor vehicle department, and make a power grab of it.
It may be interesting to see how this plays out, because generally speaking, cars and car-related industry and businesses can do no wrong, thanks to riding Detroit automakers’ interests. Even if any of the Big Three are concerned about 25-year imports cannibalizing some portion of their sales, the rest of the automotive and automotive-adjacent industry in the state isn’t likely to take this laying down. There’s money to be made in selling, repairing, and accessorizing anything with wheels and a motor, and a lobby is likely to spring up.
It will be interesting if this winds up in court, because there may judges and jurists there who will look at AAMVA’s arguments and then look out the window at all the rustbuckets, side-by-sides, jacked-up golf carts, kit cars and bikes, trail bikes, tractors and everything else that drives past the window on any given Tuesday, and say “So what’s any different about these?”
I’m interested to see the opposition vs support for this, I don’t see where this really benefits the OEMs which are in the state since it is restricted to 25 year old vehicles, is there really someone who will go, I can’t register my Honda Acty, I guess I’ll go buy a new f150? In the state though it isn’t just the OEMs, there is all manor of aftermarket and tuning companies as well as automotive enthusiasts. Many of whom came to the area to work for OEMs due to a general interest in cars, but look at the parking lots at least of some of the engineering building and you’ll see the entire range of enthusiast vehicles on display, track prepped Miatas, Camaros, 90s Japanese cars, off road vehicles, classics, even some of there kei trucks.
Really!? This is happening in Michigan? This place as far as I have seen so far is a lawless wasteland for all things automotive. There are no safety inspections, no emissions checks, pretty loose restrictions on the kit car/assembled roadster/dune buggy registration, and last I checked with minimal mods it’s even possible to get side by sides registered for general road use. They choose this as the place to crack down? If you drive around Michigan you’ll see all sorts of questionable vehicles on the road, from highly modified nearly racecars, to lifted bro dozers, to barely running rusted husks of cars. I guess kei trucks are a bridge too far.
Kei trucks are the easiest things to get on a soapbox about for AAMVA’s posterior-smoochers in any motor vehicle department, and make a power grab of it.
It may be interesting to see how this plays out, because generally speaking, cars and car-related industry and businesses can do no wrong, thanks to riding Detroit automakers’ interests. Even if any of the Big Three are concerned about 25-year imports cannibalizing some portion of their sales, the rest of the automotive and automotive-adjacent industry in the state isn’t likely to take this laying down. There’s money to be made in selling, repairing, and accessorizing anything with wheels and a motor, and a lobby is likely to spring up.
It will be interesting if this winds up in court, because there may judges and jurists there who will look at AAMVA’s arguments and then look out the window at all the rustbuckets, side-by-sides, jacked-up golf carts, kit cars and bikes, trail bikes, tractors and everything else that drives past the window on any given Tuesday, and say “So what’s any different about these?”
I’m interested to see the opposition vs support for this, I don’t see where this really benefits the OEMs which are in the state since it is restricted to 25 year old vehicles, is there really someone who will go, I can’t register my Honda Acty, I guess I’ll go buy a new f150? In the state though it isn’t just the OEMs, there is all manor of aftermarket and tuning companies as well as automotive enthusiasts. Many of whom came to the area to work for OEMs due to a general interest in cars, but look at the parking lots at least of some of the engineering building and you’ll see the entire range of enthusiast vehicles on display, track prepped Miatas, Camaros, 90s Japanese cars, off road vehicles, classics, even some of there kei trucks.
I’ve said it before — any time a motor vehicle department somebody starts one of these AAMVA-backed fights, it’s because they’re trying to curry political favor with AAMVA itself or AAMVA-backed, politically- and money- motivated lawmaking.
It has absolutely zero to do with anyone’s safety. (Except maybe the political safety/security of somebody, of course.)
AAMVA did one reasonably good thing in its lifetime, which is developing the nationwide, standardized commercial driver licensing system — which has, arguably, improved motor carrier and commercial driver operating safety. It’s probably high time that was split off into an entity whose sole purpose is for managing that system, and nothing else.
The rest of AAMVA can bugger right off, and nothing of value will be lost.
I’ve said it before — any time a motor vehicle department somebody starts one of these AAMVA-backed fights, it’s because they’re trying to curry political favor with AAMVA itself or AAMVA-backed, politically- and money- motivated lawmaking.
It has absolutely zero to do with anyone’s safety. (Except maybe the political safety/security of somebody, of course.)
AAMVA did one reasonably good thing in its lifetime, which is developing the nationwide, standardized commercial driver licensing system — which has, arguably, improved motor carrier and commercial driver operating safety. It’s probably high time that was split off into an entity whose sole purpose is for managing that system, and nothing else.
The rest of AAMVA can bugger right off, and nothing of value will be lost.
That’s a gorgeous BMWThe headline is a little confusing, and makes it sound like the State of Michigan is fighting (against) imported car bans, but the state is actually fighting to preserve or extend imported car bans. I got excited for a second thinking that Michigan was getting ahead of the needless banning and bad PR and actually honoring the timeframe of the federal ban, rather than contriving new ways to extend it.edit: headline as of this writing is “Michigan Becomes The Next State To Fight The Battle Against Imported Car Bans”
Ayyy, Michigan enthusiasts fighting the good fight :salute:
Somehow, the problem with our original headline didn’t stick out during headline testing. Thank you for pointing it out! I think headline 2 is clearer. 🙂
Thanks for being so responsive and open to feedback! Things slip by sometimes, it happens 🙂
I forgot that editing destroys formatting, so apologies for the garbled salad in my original post.
On topic, it is super disappointing and not at all surprising, sigh sigh sigh. I’ve been so excited to see more kei trucks popping up here in NC, I hope we don’t do some stupid “crackdown” but I fear we will before long.
That’s a gorgeous BMWThe headline is a little confusing, and makes it sound like the State of Michigan is fighting (against) imported car bans, but the state is actually fighting to preserve or extend imported car bans. I got excited for a second thinking that Michigan was getting ahead of the needless banning and bad PR and actually honoring the timeframe of the federal ban, rather than contriving new ways to extend it.edit: headline as of this writing is “Michigan Becomes The Next State To Fight The Battle Against Imported Car Bans”
Ayyy, Michigan enthusiasts fighting the good fight :salute:
Somehow, the problem with our original headline didn’t stick out during headline testing. Thank you for pointing it out! I think headline 2 is clearer. 🙂
Thanks for being so responsive and open to feedback! Things slip by sometimes, it happens 🙂
I forgot that editing destroys formatting, so apologies for the garbled salad in my original post.
On topic, it is super disappointing and not at all surprising, sigh sigh sigh. I’ve been so excited to see more kei trucks popping up here in NC, I hope we don’t do some stupid “crackdown” but I fear we will before long.
Yet you go out to any rural area and you will have dirt bikes, atv’s, side by sides, tractors, horse and buggies, e scooters/bikes, old man on a rascal, dog sled and a whole lot of other things on the road that do not go above 25mph and yes I know those are not registered as on road vehicles but you won’t see cops or such giving those people tickets (at least most the time). Where I am getting at with this? I don’t know get off my lawn and leave Kei cars alone as I want one in the future.
Yet you go out to any rural area and you will have dirt bikes, atv’s, side by sides, tractors, horse and buggies, e scooters/bikes, old man on a rascal, dog sled and a whole lot of other things on the road that do not go above 25mph and yes I know those are not registered as on road vehicles but you won’t see cops or such giving those people tickets (at least most the time). Where I am getting at with this? I don’t know get off my lawn and leave Kei cars alone as I want one in the future.