Used Toyota Altezza Buying Guide: 25-Year Import Checks

A used Toyota Altezza is a legal and sensible buy in the U.S. only if it was built at least 25 years before the month it enters the country and arrives with full import paperwork. Toyota sold the Altezza in Japan from 1998 to 2005, and the same car was sold abroad as the first Lexus IS, according to its model history. As of November 2026 that puts roughly the 1998 to late-2001 builds inside the window. Anything newer is not eligible under the age exemption, no matter what the listing says. A JDM Altezza also has no U.S. recall record on the NHTSA lookup, so that is a gap you cover with paperwork and a lift inspection.

Why the build date decides everything

NHTSA counts the 25 years from the month of manufacture, not the model year, and EPA has a separate age exemption for emissions. Ask for the Japanese export certificate, which shows the first registration, and check the build plate. If a seller is offering a 2003 Altezza as legal, walk away or get a lawyer involved, because cars imported improperly can be seized. Read the official NHTSA importing guidance before you send money.

Paperwork to ask for

A legally imported Altezza should come with the CBP entry summary, an NHTSA HS-7 declaration, an EPA 3520-1 declaration and the export certificate with a translation. Once it is titled in a U.S. state, it gets state records and can show up in NMVTIS. A seller with a title but no import file is asking you to trust that a past owner did it right. Our grey-market import title guide and Japan import title brand page cover what a state might add to the title.

RS200 and AS200 differences

The RS200 used the 2.0-liter 3S-GE four-cylinder and was offered with a manual, while the AS200 used the 1G-FE inline-six. Check that the engine matches the trim on the export certificate, because engine swaps are common in this scene. On an RS200, ask for a cold start and listen for tappet noise. On any car, check for oil leaks around the cam covers and listen to the diff on a slow, tight turn.

Right-hand drive and mileage

Every Altezza is right-hand drive, which changes how you pass and how you use drive-throughs. Our right-hand-drive used car guide covers insurance and daily-use tradeoffs. The cluster reads kilometers, so convert the export-certificate reading and compare it to the dash. A swapped cluster or an auction sheet that does not match the odometer is a red flag. Ask for the Japanese auction sheet if the importer has it.

Parts, service and insurance

Many mechanical parts overlap with the first Lexus IS sold abroad, which helps, but body panels, JDM lighting and interior trim usually come from Japan and take time. Find a shop that will work on a right-hand-drive import before you buy, and call your insurer with the chassis number, since some carriers want an agreed-value policy or will not cover JDM cars. Then check your state DMV's first-title steps for imports. A few states ask for a VIN inspection, and some want copies of the federal forms. Line all of that up first so the car does not sit in your garage on a trip permit.

When to walk away

• A build date inside the last 25 years, sold as legal.
• No HS-7, no EPA form and no export certificate.
• Kilometer readings that do not line up across the papers.
• Rust on the rear arches or floor that the seller calls surface.

Questions to ask the seller

• What month and year was it built, and can I see the export certificate?
• Who imported it, and do you have the CBP, HS-7 and EPA paperwork?
• Which states has it been titled in since it landed?
• Can I take it to an independent shop before money changes hands?

How to price a used Altezza

Price the paperwork and the condition before the badge. A clean RS200 manual with a full import file and an auction sheet is a different car from one with a swapped engine and a vague history. Subtract real quotes for any rust work, suspension bushings and missing JDM trim, since some parts take weeks to ship. Budget for a pre-purchase inspection.

What the report costs

As of early November 2026 a CARFAX bought direct usually costs around $44.99, and AutoCheck sits a little lower. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Our guest price has been about $5.50 a report, about $4.50 for members, and about $6.75 for a CARFAX and AutoCheck bundle. Confirm the price at checkout, since it can change.

So once the car has a U.S. title, pull a report on that VIN and keep it with the import file.

Sources

• NHTSA: importing a vehicle
• EPA: importing vehicles and engines
• NMVTIS title history (U.S. DOJ)
• Toyota Altezza and Lexus IS history