by Kei Trucks Price Importing VS Buying Locally
A typical 25-year-old kei truck priced under 62137 mi (100,000 km) will cost $5,500 to $8,500 to import, not including door delivery, with an average door delivery cost of $1.25 per mile after 300 miles. A typical 25-year-old kei truck under 62137 mi (100,000 km) costs between $6,000 and $12,000 when bought locally in the USA. A brand-new 2025 Kei truck will cost between $20,000 and $25,000 in the U.S. Other than condition and make, how far you live from a major port will significantly affect the price.
In this guide, we will use the Kei truck marketplace to determine whether importing or buying locally in the USA is right for you.
Kei Trucks Price Main Factors
- The Year: The rarity and how sought-after a Kei truck is are not the main factors in its price. A 25-year-old or older Kei truck costs significantly less than a newer one, with overall import costs being 7 to 12 times higher or more to get the U.S. government to release a newer truck.
- Import or Buy Local: The Kei trucks price difference between importing and buying local is $1,000-$2,000 or more, with importing being the cheaper option. We will expand more on the differences between importing and buying local in this article.
- Features: All features will result in a noticeable increase in the price of a kei truck. The majority of trucks do not come with 4WD, and less than 10% of 25-year-old trucks come with A/C; other features like superchargers are rarer.
- Condition & Mileage: As the workhorse of Japan, where a weekend-warrior truck owner does not exist, everyday wear and tear is common. A Kei truck's price typically starts to depreciate the most at around 100,000 km (62,137 mi).
Importing To The USA: Pros & Cons
A typical 25-year-old kei truck will cost between $5500 and $8500 to import to the USA.
Pros:
- The Kei truck price can be as much as $2,000 lower if you import the vehicle.
- All Kei trucks in Japan have been subject to mandatory government inspections within 2 years of being on the road. This includes all safety-related components, such as CV joints, but does not include the engine.
- The selection will be the entire Japanese marketplace, which you can imagine is much larger than the USA. This will increase your chances of receiving what you are looking for.
Cons:
- Delivery to your door typically takes 3 to 4 months, for exporting, shipping, importing, and auto transport in both Japan and the USA.
- The process is more of a hassle than buying locally, especially without a proper export and import broker.
- You won't be able to test-drive the vehicle. However, it comes with a JP roadworthy inspection within 2 years of the vehicle's last time on the road.
Buying Local In The USA: Pros & Cons
A typical 25-year-old kei truck costs between $6,000 and $12,000 when bought locally in the USA. A brand-new 2025 Kei truck will cost between $20,000 and $25,000 in the U.S.
Pros:
- You will have the keys in hand three months earlier with less hassle than with an import.
- The ability to have a test drive. Mainly not for the condition, as Japan has strict maintenance requirements for road vehicles, but also to see how the Kei truck feels to the operator, given how different it is from other vehicles in the USA.
- If you live within the Kei truck driving distance to a dealer with its own repair shop, you can benefit from warranties and maintenance.
Cons:
- The price of a Kei truck can be $2,000 or more higher when buying locally than when importing.
- Many of the Mini trucks available, mainly from private sales in the USA, have been subjected to stresses they were not engineered to withstand—for example, improper maintenance, off-roading, exceeding their payload capacity, and fast speeds on American roads.
- You will see a smaller selection, which is not ideal if you have a specific vehicle in mind.
