Absolutely. Even if you clear customs through gray channels, local commercial insurance companies will refuse to cover third-party liability insurance due to the vehicle not complying with national traffic laws; additionally, the vehicle will definitely fail the annual safety inspection at the local DMV.

A proper inspection relies on equipment, not just eyes. The inspector should use a paint thickness gauge to measure 50-60 points across body panels; original paint is typically 80-150 microns. An OBD diagnostic scanner reads stored and pending fault codes across all control units, and for EVs it also reads battery state of health and charge cycle counts. The car must go on a lift for the underbody check: frame rails, suspension components, oil leaks and accident repair marks are only visible from below. A battery tester checks starting voltage and charging system health, and a tread depth gauge documents tire condition. Ask for the report to include raw readings and dated photos rather than a simple pass/fail summary - that is what makes it verifiable.

Our legal red line is that the amounts on the China Customs declaration, export license, commercial invoice, and bank receipt must be consistent across all four documents. We firmly refuse to engage in the illegal act of issuing "false low-value invoices" to assist buyers in evading customs duties in the destination country.