Import desk for US buyers of Japanese cars 輸入窓口

Rules checked · New guides every week

JDM Imports 101The import desk
CODE 27Chassis register 車台番号Nissan · 180SX

RPS13: Nissan 180SX

S13 platform, mid and late. 2.0 SR20DET (and SR20DE Type S from August 1996).

The code 型式
Code
RPS13
Make
Nissan
Model
180SX
Generation
S13 platform, mid and late
Variant
2.0 SR20DET (and SR20DE Type S from August 1996)
Prefixed forms 排出ガス規制識別記号
E-RPS13
01

Production in Japan

The first and last production dates recorded for RPS13 in Japan, with the source for each date and how far the dates can be trusted.

RPS13 production dates, confidence and sources
WhatDateSource
Start (Japan)Jan 1991カーセンサー カタログ 180SX 1989年4月~1998年12月生産モデル (MC: 1989年4月~1990年12月 / 1991年1月~)
catalog
End (Japan)Dec 1998カーセンサー カタログ 180SX 1989年4月~1998年12月生産モデル (MC: 1989年4月~1990年12月 / 1991年1月~)
catalog
ConfidenceMediumAt least one date comes from a Japanese catalogue or Wikipedia, not the manufacturer.

Notes as recorded

Not in the source model files; added per task. RPS13 from the January 1991 minor change (Nissan release 17 January 1991). Big facelift 22 August 1996. Production ended December 1998, sales ended January 1999 (ja.wikipedia; carsensor catalog ends December 1998). Carsensor also lists a rare E-KPRS13 variant. Sold in the US as the 240SX fastback (different engine).

Read this before you rely on the dates

The sources for this row disagree, so treat both dates as approximate until the car’s own plate settles it.

“Notes as recorded” above says what each source gives and where they part.

02

US import eligibility

Worked out from the dates above, as of November 13, 2026 (PT). Eligibility is decided by the specific car’s build date on its plate.

The two age lines 年式
First builds turn 25 NHTSA, 49 CFR 591.5(i)
Jan 2016
Last builds turn 25 NHTSA, 49 CFR 591.5(i)
Dec 2023
First builds clear 21 years EPA Form 3520-1, code E
2012
Last builds clear 21 years EPA Form 3520-1, code E
2019
Status today 2026-11-13
Every build is past 25 years

The 25-year line is the NHTSA age exemption for a vehicle not built to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (49 CFR 591.5(i)), counted from the date of manufacture. The 21-year line is the EPA exemption on Form 3520-1, counted by calendar year and limited to a car in its original configuration.

Eligibility is decided by the specific car’s build date on its plate, not by the chassis code and not by the model year. Two cars of the same code can sit on different sides of the line.

The form opens the eligibility check with this code filled in. General information, not legal advice.

03

Prefixed forms of this code, other codes of the same generation, and the other 180SX rows in the register.

Codes related to RPS13
CodeWhat it isWhere it goes
E-RPS13Prefixed form of this code: same car, checked with the prefix as stampedCheck this prefixed form →
E-KRPS13Same generation as this codeSee it on the Nissan page →
RS13S13 platform, early: Apr 1989 to Dec 1990See it on the Nissan page →

Every row in the register carries its dates and a source: all Nissan chassis codes or the full list by make.

04

Where next

The pages that finish the job for this code.

General information only, not legal, customs or tax advice. Dates are researcher readings of the cited sources and can be wrong; eligibility is decided by the build date of the specific car. Confirm current requirements with CBP, NHTSA, the EPA and your state motor vehicle agency before importing.