Nissan Silvia S15: Which Manufacture Months Become US-Eligible in 2026

Published 2026-08-18 ・ 10 min read ・ Japan Vehicle Data

S15 Silvias built in August 2001 became eligible for US import this month. If you have been watching S15 prices or planning a purchase, the window you are in right now is the one that matters for 2001-built cars — and the final tranche of 2001 production is clearing through December 2026.

This article covers: what the 2026 unlock cohort is, the month-by-month eligibility table, how to confirm where your specific car sits, and what comes next in 2027.

How the clock works

The US 25-year exemption under 49 CFR Part 591 runs from the month of manufacture, not the model year. A vehicle manufactured in August 2001 becomes eligible in August 2026 — not on 1 January 2026.

This distinction matters more for Japanese cars than for almost any other market. Japan does not use model years the way the US does. A car sold and registered in Japan as a “2001 model” may carry a factory build date of October 2000 or March 2002. The Japanese market designation tells you nothing reliable about the build month.

The full mechanics of how the rule works — including what CBP accepts as evidence and the asymmetry that can save you a port hold — are covered in the pillar article. This one focuses specifically on the S15.

S15 production timeline

Established production period: January 1999 – August 2002.

The S15 Silvia was launched in Japan in January 1999 as the seventh and final generation of the Silvia line. Production ran until August 2002, when Nissan ended the S-platform alongside the broader restructuring that followed the Renault-Nissan alliance. Total production is widely cited at approximately 43,000–65,000 units; the figure varies by source and whether limited-run variants are included. No publicly available source breaks production down by month.

Available variants: Spec-S (SR20DE, naturally aspirated), Spec-R (SR20DET, turbocharged, 6-speed), Spec-S Aero, Spec-R Aero, and the Autech Varietta convertible introduced in 2000. Australia and New Zealand received limited exports badged as the Nissan 200SX.

Source note: Production start (January 1999) and end (August 2002) are consistently reported across manufacturer documentation summaries, the 2027-eligibility-calendar research conducted for this site, and multiple authoritative JDM-import sources including wcshipping.com and projectjdm.org. Month-by-month production volume data is not available in any public source reviewed; we have not obtained it.

The 2026 unlock cohort: 2001-built S15s

2026 is the year that 2001-manufactured S15s clear the 25-year threshold. Each month of 2001 production unlocks in the corresponding month of 2026.

Precision note: Sources differ on whether eligibility opens on the first day of the 25th-anniversary month or on the exact calendar anniversary date. The practical difference is small but real. Do not schedule a vessel to arrive in the first days of your unlock month. Leave schedule slack. This article is not customs or legal advice; confirm timing with your importer and customs broker.

The complete S15 eligibility arc

For context, here is where 2026 sits in the full S15 timeline:

The 2002-built cars are the final tranche, and they complete eligibility in August 2027. That month closes the book on the S15 entirely — the same month that also completes the R34 GT-R, the FD3S RX-7, and the A80 Supra. The 2027 eligibility calendar covers this cohort in detail.

What this means for prices

The S15 market has been moving in anticipation of US import eligibility since 2024. Turbocharged Spec-R examples in good condition are currently trading at roughly $50,000–$60,000 and above; naturally aspirated Spec-S manuals run approximately $25,000–$30,000 and above. These are market observations from import brokers active in mid-2026, not a price guarantee.

The price-relevant dynamic to understand: the unlock does not happen all at once. Earlier cars (1999, 2000 production) were already available when 2025 buyers were shopping. The September through December 2001 cars are still clearing over the next four months. And the 2002 cars — which include the final-year production and potentially the most sorted late-build examples — do not enter the US market until 2027.

Buyers who understand manufacture-month eligibility can target specific tranches. Buyers who rely on “model year” estimates may pay a premium for a car that is not yet clearable, or miss a car that already is.

How to verify your car’s manufacture month

This is the most important practical section. The S15’s manufacture month is not encoded in the Japanese chassis number (chassis numbers are model code plus sequential serial — there is no year digit). Japanese vehicle paperwork records first registration date, not manufacture date. These are different things.

For an individual S15, the main verification paths are:

1. The compliance plate / door jamb plate. A build date plate — a small riveted alloy tag, approximately 8 cm long — is located on the radiator support on both JDM and export-market S15s. It may show the date in Japanese Imperial calendar format (e.g., H11 = Heisei 11 = 1999; H13 = 2001; H14 = 2002). This is the most direct evidence, but the format requires translation — see Japanese imperial calendar conversion guide if the date is in era notation.

2. Japan’s MLIT recall database. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism publishes every recall with chassis number ranges cross-referenced to production periods. If your chassis serial falls within a recalled range, the published production dates bound your build month. The MLIT recall cross-reference method is explained step by step here.

3. What CBP accepts. CBP has a hierarchy for what it will accept as manufacture date evidence when the date is disputed. The MLIT recall method is one of the stronger entries in that hierarchy because it draws on manufacturer-submitted government records. If you need to establish a specific car’s date for customs purposes, work with a licensed customs broker who knows the S15 chassis.

For detailed guidance on reading Japanese paperwork, see how to read Japanese vehicle documents.

The condition data point

This site’s analysis of 147 Japanese S15 owner maintenance logs found several failure patterns not consistently covered in English-language guides — including a fuel system cluster that represents a fire risk on modified cars, and differential issues that appear in the data at higher rates than the standard buyer checklist suggests. The S15 owner-reported issues analysis covers this data with sample size, collection method, and limitations stated.

Manufacture-month eligibility gets a car to the port. Condition data helps you decide which car.

Limitations

The following limitations apply to this article:

1. No monthly production volume data. We do not have and did not find any publicly available breakdown of how many S15 units were built in each month. The production period (January 1999 – August 2002) is well-established; the monthly distribution is not.

2. Production start month inference. “January 1999” as launch month is consistent across all sources reviewed. However, it is possible that factory assembly began in late 1998 for pre-production or dealer-stock units. No evidence of pre-January 1999 production was found; treat January 1999 as the established start.

3. CBP eligibility date precision. Whether eligibility opens on the first day of the 25th-anniversary month or on the exact anniversary date is not uniformly confirmed across CBP communications. Do not book logistics assuming day-one availability.

4. This is not legal or customs advice. Import eligibility involves NHTSA, EPA, CBP, and state-level considerations beyond the 25-year age threshold. Consult a licensed importer and customs broker for your specific vehicle.

5. Price data is observational. Market prices cited are drawn from import broker commentary in mid-2026 and are not a forecast or guarantee.

6. Sources not directly retrieved. Nissan’s original production records and any manufacturer-published monthly output figures were not directly obtained. Production period data is sourced from secondary sources that reference manufacturer documentation.