Toyota FJ60 Land Cruiser Import to USA: 2026 Cost Guide
The FJ60 is the do-anything family wagon that finally put Toyota's legendary 4x4 within reach of ordinary buyers, and Japan is where the cleanest, diesel-powered examples still live.
A Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 costs about $35,950 all-in to import on the Japan → USA route in 2026 — a $28,000 purchase plus roughly $7,950 in shipping, 2.5% duty, compliance and registration.
- Route
- Japan → USA
- Est. all-in cost
- ~$35,950
- Duty & tax
- 2.5% duty
- On a purchase of
- $28,000
Built from 1980 to 1990, the 60 Series traded the FJ40's spartan charm for room, comfort, and a proper back seat, all riding on the same bombproof solid axles and 4.2-liter straight-six. It is the vintage Land Cruiser you can actually road-trip.
The real draw from Japan: factory diesel variants like the naturally aspirated 2H and the turbocharged 12H-T (BJ60/HJ60) were never sold in America, and rust-shy JDM trucks often survive in far better shape than salt-belt US examples.
When Toyota launched the 60 Series in 1980, it reinvented the Land Cruiser as a genuine family wagon: four doors, a folding rear bench, and creature comforts the FJ40 never offered, all wrapped around the same ladder frame, live axles, and 4.2-liter 2F six. The carbureted FJ60 gave way to the fuel-injected FJ62 in 1988, and both earned a reputation for shrugging off decades of hard use. Today it is the affordable, usable gateway into vintage Land Cruiser ownership.
Values have climbed steadily as FJ40 prices went stratospheric, pushing buyers toward the roomier 60. Clean, unmolested FJ62s now command serious money, while rougher project trucks and JDM diesels sit lower. Whatever you chase, inspect the frame rails, rear wheel arches, battery tray, and floors for rust, listen for worn front-axle birfields, and confirm the carburetor or 3F-E injection runs cleanly. Documented service history and an unbutchered interior are worth paying up for.
Importing one is refreshingly straightforward: the 25-year exemption means no compliance conversions, and as a station wagon it clears customs at the 2.5% passenger duty rather than the 25% truck tariff, a distinction worth confirming on your entry paperwork. The pitfalls are on the ground. Plan for auction fees, marine shipping, port handling, and a stateside title, and check your state's registration rules first, since California and a handful of others make directly imported 1980s vehicles a real headache.
How much does it cost to import a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60?
Every line below is a researched 2026 estimate in USD. We start from the $28,000 purchase price, add marine insurance at about 1.5% and ocean freight, then 2.5% US duty on the declared value, and the broker, compliance and registration fees. Change the purchase price and everything else scales only modestly.
| Vehicle (purchase price) | $28,000 |
| Export agent & auction fees | $1,200 |
| Ocean freight | $3,000 |
| Marine insurance (~1.5%) | $420 |
| As a passenger wagon it takes the 2.5% US car duty, not the 25% truck rate | $700 |
| Customs broker & port handling | $830 |
| EPA / DOT entry & compliance paperwork | $300 |
| Inland transport & registration | $1,500 |
| Estimated all-in landed cost | $35,950 |
Into USA the duty is light, just $700, so tax is the small part of the bill. It is shipping (about $3,000), compliance and registration that make up most of the roughly $7,950 you add on top of the $28,000 purchase price — around 28% before you turn a wheel.
How to import a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60, step by step
- Agree the purchase and secure the title/export paperwork in Japan (an export agent or auction house usually handles de-registration).
- Book ocean freight — roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) is cheapest, a sole-use container is safest for a high-value car.
- Confirm eligibility from the build month — the US 25-year DOT exemption is calculated month by month, not by model year.
- Clear US customs and pay the 2.5% duty, then file EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 at entry.
- Arrange inland transport, then title and register in your state — a few states add emissions or kei-vehicle checks.
Is a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 legal to import? Rules & compliance
Any FJ60 or FJ62 built between 1980 and 1990 clears the federal 25-year rule, so it is exempt from FMVSS and EPA conformity and enters on DOT Form HS-7 (Box 1) and EPA Form 3520-1 (the exemption for vehicles 21 years and older). As a passenger station wagon it falls under HTS heading 8703 and carries the standard 2.5% passenger-vehicle duty, not the 25% "chicken tax" that hits cargo trucks. State registration is a separate matter; California is notoriously strict about directly imported 1976-and-newer vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 legal to import to the USA?+
Yes. Every FJ60 (1980-1987) and FJ62 (1988-1990) is well over 25 years old, which exempts it from federal safety and emissions standards and makes it legal to import and, in most states, register. Confirm your own state's rules, as California and a few others are difficult for direct imports.
How much import duty do you pay on an FJ60 Land Cruiser?+
Because the FJ60 is a passenger station wagon, U.S. Customs classifies it under HTS heading 8703 at a 2.5% duty rate, not the 25% chicken-tax rate reserved for cargo trucks. That rate is applied to the vehicle's declared purchase value.
What is the total estimated cost to import a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60?+
About $35,950 all-in for a $28,000 example — the purchase price plus roughly $7,950 in freight, insurance, duty, compliance and registration. Your figure shifts with the exact price, route and exchange rate.
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