March 14, 2023 | Washington, DC
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has notified two registered importers that they will no longer be allowed to legally import vehicles into the United States through the Registered Importer program due to serious and systemic violations of federal safety requirements.
The two companies are Bisbee Importing in Davison, Michigan, and Metro Auto Importer in Clinton Township, Michigan.
“Registered importers are in positions of public trust,” said Ann Carlson, NHTSA’s Acting Administrator. “These companies have the responsibility to ensure that the vehicles they bring into the country meet all U.S. safety standards and do not pose unreasonable risk to others on the road. When registered importers abuse that trust, NHTSA will act to protect the American public.”
For Bisbee, NHTSA initially suspended the company’s registered importer status after determining the company had knowingly submitted false and misleading certifications of conformance for vehicles imported from Canada. After additional investigation, NHTSA determined that over 29,000 vehicles were imported without the required conformity packages and revoked the company’s registered importer registration. These compliance issues spanned multiple years.
Metro Auto Importer was similarly suspended after NHTSA determined that the company had knowingly submitted false and misleading certifications of conformance for vehicles. NHTSA continued to investigate and determined that revocation was appropriate for the company since it repeatedly failed to submit the required conformity packages. This included at least 2,900 vehicles, including 370 vehicles while the company was aware it was under investigation.
As former registered importers, both Bisbee Importing and Metro Auto Importer are still obligated to notify owners and remedy safety-related defects and noncompliances of the vehicles imported through the Registered Importer program.
The Michigan Department of State provided critical assistance to the investigations, including support from its field investigators. NHTSA also worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which has been informed of the revocations.
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