Car and Driver Article from May 14, 2013

Exclusive: Feds Declare War on Imported Land Rover Defenders

 

So... instead of going after drugs and weapons being smuggled into the U. S. of A., there's a crackdown on Land Rovers.
Way to go, America.

 

The government trying to save me from myself. If I want to drive a death trap, I should be able to drive a death trap.

 

Defenders are built to drive across deserts and jungles, withstanding attacks from lions and rhinos. Yet our illustrious government wants to call them "death traps" because the air bags don't conform to the lowest standard of people too stupid to wear seat belts.
As I said, way to go America.

 

They aren't cracking down on importing. They are cracking down on people trying to play the system to get around the 25 year rule. VIN swapping being one commom way.

 

I think there biggest concern isn't the legit defenders that are sold to americans but the stolen ones with the fake vins. How many defenders may have been some blokes pride and joy only to be nicked from the car park and sold to a rich beverly hills doctor.

 

From what I've read the are primarily after people importing Defenders under the 25 year rule that aren't 25 years old. The most egregious examples being people who've taken an old Defender VIN and put it on a nearly new Defender.

 

They are in fact trying their best to stop all Defenders. I have two that have been tied up in Newark customs for almost six months that will most likely have to be re-exported. They have changed their interpretation on many of the import regulations and now read them in the strictest way possible.

They sent me a denial on one of my vehicles with a list of "modifications" that made it an illegitimate vehicle. This list contained everything I would consider a repair that is common to a 25 year old vehicle including a repaint that wasn't the original color, older series III style doors installed after the originals rotted out, and a disc brake kit fitted to the rear axel. They even considered repairs to the chassis a "modification." Customs with the help of the EPA and DOT have made it extremely difficult to impossible to import any defenders anymore. They will go through each vehicle with a fine toothed comb and find each and every part that was not with the vehicle when it left the factory and declare it a modification which renders the vehicle illegal for import.

Even if they do let the vehicle through they will charge you for all of the inspections and hold the vehicle as long as possible. The entire time the importer is responsible for storage charges and per-diem charges on the container.

This is just another very sad example of how our government has gone so wrong.

 

Many of those changes also result in reg changes in the UK when made there. What we in the US consider common and make here without issue, isn't the case in the UK.

 

I feel so much safer knowing no Defenders will be lurking below deck whilst the freighter makes passage up the Savannah River to our fine port, past the giant tanks of LPG at the Elba Island terminal. And that my shoes must be removed for sniffing by TSA every time forever when I board a plane, because I once bought a one way ticket last minute, to fly to Atlanta and drive a truck load of equipment back.

Yep, government resources could be better spent.