feeshta

Hey guys. I'm an American, but I currently live and work in Germany. Will be returning to the USA in a few years, probably between 2 and 3 years from now. I have a 2006 E55 Wagon that I really like, despite a few flaws. Currently the transmission is acting a little strange, which a specialist believes is due to worn internal clutches, and the rear main seal has a slight leak. I also suspect the bearing on the water pump has gone, but that will be replaced regardless. I wouldn't have a major problem investing the money to fix said flaws, if I knew for sure I could keep the car and bring it back to the states with me. If it's impractical to bring the car back to the USA, then I may just live with the faults as long as I can.

So, I was wondering if anyone knows how to go about figuring out the reality of the situation on importing a car of this vintage back into the USA? I've done some research, but I keep finding conflicting information, and I'm having trouble getting to ground truth. Does anyone know of a reliable source for information on this sort of topic?

anomadtoo

I'm assuming you are DoD related and have base access. When I worked in Wiesbaden the office on the base for importing/exporting vehicles and such was very knowledgeable on that topic. I honestly can't remember the details when I asked about it. Did you start there?

feeshta

Honestly, I had not thought to go talk to them. Their staff did not seem very knowledgeable (to put it kindly) and my experience with them involving the importation of my other car was....troublesome. They broke all 4 shocks (brand new Ohlins Coilovers with less than 400 miles on them) on my car in shipping, and scraped the hell out of the front bumper. Then they insisted they had no way of proving that the suspension wasn't broken when it went on the boat and refused to pay for the damage, and also insisted the car had scrapes on the front bumper when delivered (which it did underneath there they were not visible with the car on the ground) and refused to repair the large new easily visible scrapes and destroyed clear bra that large strips hanging off. Only way I got any relief was through my own private insurance, who only covered about 80%. I doubt I would be very popular around there, unless of course it's all new faces.

Edit: I am at Wiesbaden by the way, and it was the folks over in Mainz Kastel who I was referring to above.

superswiss

There are programs for service men aboard to purchase cars while stationed abroad and then bring them back to the USA, so that's definitely your best avenue. But to answer your question in general, for cars that are not at least 25 years old, you will need to bring them into compliance with US regulations, including getting it certified on your own dime if it is a model that was never sold in the USA. The latter is the most expensive case of importing a car. The E55 wagon was sold in the USA as far as I know, so you don't have to go through the certification and crash test the car, but you will have to bring it into compliance. Typically things like the headlights and taillights need to be replaced or adjusted to comply with DOT regulations. You may also wanna get the ECU reprogrammed to optimize it for the lower fuel grades in the USA. That's for example a step the VPC does when doing European Delivery. The factory programs the engine for the European fuel grades and then when the car arrives in the USA they reprogram it. I went through all this with my 2019 C63S Coupe. Another consideration is the Infotainment system if you want to fully use it. If your car has navigation for example, then you won't be able to use it unless you get the correct maps installed. There are potentially other things that need to be changed. The US crash tests are more strict in some areas and it's not unusual for the US spec models to have minor changes under the covers to be in compliance. For example my previous car a 2013 Audi RS5 had a different rear bumper construction for the US market to reinforce the rear part of the car. Not sure what that means if one were to import an EU spec RS5.

Here's probably a good place to start and get informed: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-impo.../importing-car

And this seems to be a comprehensive guide on the subject. If you google you can find more, too: https://usacustomsclearance.com/proc...g-cars-to-usa/

anomadtoo

oh man sorry to hear that; my experience was different in 2009-2014; and yes those contractors have turnover but over couple years. I'll ask around to my friends that were over there too (and still are).

anomadtoo

and in 2 years or so you decide to NOT ship it back with you, and decide to sell, let me know; I would be interested. I am applying left and right trying to go back for another 5 year tour (civilian); plus my wife is German and we visit every year so we could have a car there for our family of four when we want; keep it at her parents

feeshta

Yeah, I am aware of the issues involved, though fuel isn't actually a concern. That's largely a myth due to different octane measurement systems, which someone found a way to cash in on apparently. Diesel fuel is better quality here, or at least lower in sulfur which can mess up emissions systems, but gasoline is roughly the same, except they don't usually carry regular. It's either 90 or 93 octane typically, and I always run high test anyway. It runs fine on 90 though.

I'm just looking for a reputable source that would help me figure out exactly what needs changed to bring it to US spec. Lights are the common items, but I'm not sure about instrumentation and the like. For a while, starting in the early 2000s at least, the Euro manufacturers went to a "world car" philosophy. where they built everything to the highest standard needed where possible, and only changed things that could not be the same such as lights. Saved time and complexity on the assembly line which cuts costs. I suspect it may only be the lights that need changed, as you can change the instrument panel to MPH, but I would like to actually know for sure before I decide whether to plan on keeping it long term and investing a little money in upgrades/repairs

I'll check out these sites.

feeshta

I'll keep that in mind. It's a good car, with low mileage. Just a few things that need taken care of eventually. Where are you at now? We had a few guys at APG where I was previously stationed in who were in your situation, just waiting on their 2 years to pass.

feeshta

Finally found a list of authorized importers on the second link. Can't tell you how many different ways I have tried searching for that with no luck. Submitted a quote request to one in Baltimore. We shall see what they say. Thanks for the links.

hachiroku

From my past roommate, If you're active in the military, and have been stationed outside of America for a given amount of time and have owned a vehicle in that country, you can have the military import that car to America for you. The car will be legal for the time you are stationed in America. You will not need to abide by DOT or ARB regulations as your vehicle is deemed a military vehicle during your time in service. If you have done all this and no longer are in the service, the car will then be required to meet all federal and local laws and regulations or will no longer be deemed road worthy.

besides that anything 25 years or older is legal to import to the USA for all 50 states per DOT...

Emissions is another story if you're in California. you'll need to meet the 1976 or older to bypass emissions entirely. If newer than 1976, you'll be a bit SOL. if you are fairly wealthy, you can locate a ARB center and schedule an emissions test for legality. These are very expensive upwards of 10k and have a long wait list. Even with that, you may not be given an appointment as commercial ARB requests take priority, i.e. CARB certifying a K&N Intake System for the new Ford Mustang.

But, every state, county, and township has their own emissions laws so be sure you do your own research on this matter.

hachiroku

for cars that have been sponsored "legal" beyond the 25 year federal DOT requirement and CARB or ARB requirements entirely there is a PDF document on one of our government websites with this information. Most of the vehicles on this PDF are are deemed "similar enough" to USDM market vehicles and have been sponsored to meet legal requirements for import outside of the 25 year rule and/or emissions requirement.

feeshta

So the importer responded relatively quickly, and I have pasted their answer below. It looks like it's not easy for this model year. Basically you have to petition the Manufacturer for a statement that the car meets American emissions and crash standards form the look of things. They charge quite a bit of money to do this for you. I'll have to look what might be involved in that petition process, as I have several years and it may not be all that difficult.

The W211 is on the list of nonconforming vehicles mentioned, but not the E55 and not my model year. Only up to 2004.

So, I have some thinking to do.


Their answer.

Hello,

I do not recommend converting this car. It is not on the List of Nonconforming Vehicles Eligible for Importation (found here: http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/). It would need to be petitioned. You would want to get a letter from the manufacturer stating that the vehicle meets DOT and EPA regulations, and if not, what must be done in order for the car to meet those regulations. Mercedes Benz is not likely to supply that letter to you, so we would have to do a full petition. We would charge $2500 to $5000 (up to $10000) for the petition processing (just the petition, not conversion work), depending on what will be required during the course of the petition. The conversion depends on the manufacture date if before 9/1/2006 30K-60K, after 9/1/2006 more (we have to install the passenger occupant protection system).

Thanks,
Stacey

J.K. Technologies, LLC
3500 Sweet Air Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 366-6332
(410) 366-7655 (fax)
email: convert2us@aol.com
Website: www.jktechnologies.net

AeonTheTerrible

I made a thread in the w211 sedan section recently on converting a North American spec to European. A lot of what is necessary is simply switching those around to be EU to NA.

I know for a fact that your headlights will need to be changed. This will involve changing them to the DOT Standard. Retrofitlab out of the Netherlands has compatible projectors (EVO X-R) that are all DOT Standard. Note DOT is legal in Europe, but ECE is not legal stateside.

Perhaps a more minor issue is the front reflectors. Currently, the bumper mouldings you have are blank, perhaps with parktronic sensors if your car is optioned for that. In NA, they feature those amber reflectors, and to fit those, you will also need a US spec (A2118801212 Pass. side parktronic, A2118801112 driver's side for parktronic) moulding for each side. The swap is straightforward if you haven't got the sensors, but there are probably some extra steps involved if you do have Parktronic.

I am not entirely certain what the Euro models have in terms of exhaust, but the US models have two sets of cats (one before the O2 sensor and one after) so do make sure that your system resembles that.

I would check with a dealer to see what exactly the differences between the two are. I have had conversations with the people at Heidelberg and they seem to be decently knowledgeable in this respect +49 6221 3400 or if you are able to, call a dealer back in the states. Using this information, you may be able to use a private mechanic.

On the prospect of actually getting the car to the states and registering, all I know is that even if it is up to spec it's still a major headache...

superswiss

I'm very familiar with the different octane systems. I'm from Switzerland originally, but there are differences to be aware of. The USA uses the average between MON and RON, whereas Europe uses straight up RON. The US spec engines are tuned for 91, because that's the highest grade available in certain states, for example CA. But US 91 is only equivalent to about 95 RON in Europe. That's mid-grade for a European tune as you are supposed to fill with at least 98 RON. As you probably know Shell V-Power in Germany is a 100 RON, and BP Ultimate is something like 103 or so. If you fill on US 91 w/o a proper 91 tune, you will get reduced power and are not supposed to run the engine at full load. If where you are going you can get 93 or better 94, then you are closer to the 98 RON.

feeshta

I wonder if my car might already be tuned for lower test fuel, given that it was originally exported to Spain. There is literally no discernible difference when I run on lower octane fuels, I just run the premium out of habit as I have been driving performance cars for years. The car does have an aftermarket chip tune on it though, so that could already be affecting things.

feeshta

Pretty sure this exhaust system does have two cats, but I will check next time I have it on a lift. I also figured the lights would need to be changed, as that is a common difference. Thanks for the heads up on the retrofit site. I did a halogen to bi-xenon retrofit on my old 2000 540i a few years back, so I'm familiar with that process, though hopefully this requires less modification that that particular job did. I do have parktronic, one of the few examples of useful tech assistance I have seen, but I'm sure I could figure out how to manage the swap of those trim pieces.

Transport would be easy in my case, as the US government will ship it for me.

anomadtoo

I am in the Seattle area now. I left DoD a couple years ago and now with VA OIG. Trying to get back to Wiesbaden area or Stuttgart.