Guidebook for Chinese Used Car Export Country Comparative Guide: Chapter 2-2

The initiation of used car exports is a significant action to propel the high-quality development of foreign trade and effectively stabilize the growth of trade activities. It also acts as a vital means to stimulate vitality in the domestic automobile consumer market and foster the sound development of the automotive industry. In April 2019，the Ministry of Commerce，the Ministry of Public Security，and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the "Notice on Supporting the Development of Used Car Export Business in Maturity Condition Areas，"which states that "export vehicles must conform to the market entry standards of the importing country. If there are no established entry standards in the importing country，the export vehicles should comply with the relevant standards of the region exporting the used cars. Relevant regions are required to establish and refine the inspection norms for used car exports, clearly defining inspection items and qualification criteria."

To ensure the sustained and healthy development of used commercial car and trailer exports，safeguard the image of Chinese automobiles，and guarantee the quality and safety of exported cars，this document has been formulated.

1.   Scope

This document specifies the quality requirements，inspection procedures，and necessary considerations for the export of used commercial cars and trailers.

This document applies to the quality control of used commercial cars and trailers exported from our country.

2.   Normative Reference Documents

The contents of the following documents are incorporated into and for man integral part of this document through referenced citations. For dated references，only the edition cited applies. For undated references，the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

   GB/T 3730.1 Terms and definitions for types of motor vehicles and trailers

   GB 38900-2020 Items and methods for safety technology inspection of motor vehicles

3.   Terminology and definitions

The terms and definitions defined in GB/T 3730.1，as well as the following terms and definitions，apply to this document.

3.1  Significant accident vehicle

Vehicles that have suffered structural damage due to severe collisions，as well as those that ave been involved in incidents such as submersion or fire.

3.2  motor vehicles-hood

All forward-opening body panels located in front of the windshield can be moved outward，serving the purpose of covering components such as the engine，luggage compartments，storage spaces，and battery

3.3  oil (liquid) leakage

A component surface that has visible oil (liquid) stains forming droplet-shaped patterns.

4.   Quality Requirements

4.1  Vehicle and Document Information

4.1.1  Vehicles should not meet the requirements of the relevant national mandatory scrapping regulations for motor vehicles and should be more than one year (excluding one year) away from the stipulated required service life.

4.1.2  The Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) should match the information recorded on the Motor Vehicle Driving License(or Temporary Vehicle Registration Plate) ，and the Certificate of Motor Vehicle Registration. The embossed VIN should not show signs of tampering，such as chiseling，patching，grinding，use of spacers，repainting(except where the painting is part of the original design and manufacturing process to protect the VIN) ，or unauthorized re-stamping. For vehicles with questionable uniqueness，the VIN recorded in the Electronic Control Unit(ECU) should also be cross-checked.

4.1.3  The content recorded on the engine/drive motor identification or the visible engine number/drive motor number should match the information stated on the Motor Vehicle Driving License(or Temporary Vehicle Registration Plate) and the Certificate of Motor Vehicle Registration. Moreover，the embossed engine number/drive motor number should not exhibit any abnormal conditions such as chiseling，patching，grinding，or unauthorized re-stamping.

4.1.4  The vehicle's exterior appearance and registered passenger capacity should correspond to the images on the Motor Vehicle Driving License and the information recorded on the Certificate of Motor Vehicle Registration，and there should be no illegal modifications made to the body shape or vehicle structure.

4.2  Vehicle Accidents

4.2.1 The cabin or cargo compartment reinforcement beams，longitudinal and transverse frame rails，and connections between the frame and suspension system should be free from deformation，cutting，welding，or reshaping.

4.2.2 There should be no evident signs of water immersion inside the driver's cabin or the cargo compartment.

4.2.3 The vehicle should not display any noticeable sign of fire damage.

4.3  Vehicle Appearance

4.3.1 Should meet the following requirements：

     a) Passenger doors，driver doors，and luggage compartment doors，among other types of vehicle doors，should open and close smoothly，maintain good sealing properties，and show no signs of water leakage.

     b) Door locks and emergency door opening devices should be intact and function properly.

     c) Hood (or bonnet) latches should function properly for both locking and unlocking.

     d) Sealants trips around the glass should not show signs of significant aging or breakage.

4.3.2  If the vehicle is not within its period of validity for the safety technical inspection，it should also meet the following requirements：

     a) The body exterior should meet the requirements outlined in clauses 6.4.1.1 and 6.4.1.2 of GB 38900-2020：

     b) New energy vehicles should meet the requirements specified in clause 6.4.1.4 of GB 38900-2020：

     c) Cargo bed sides(栏板) should meet the requirements outlined in clause 6.3.4.3 of GB 38900-2020

     d) Cargo compartments/tankers should meet the requirements specified in clause 6.3.8.2 of GB 38900-2020：

     e) External lighting and signaling devices should comply with the requirements laid out in clause 6.4.3.1 of GB 38900-2020.

4.4  Powertrain

The following requirements should be met：

     a) The engine and drive motor should be securely fixed and free from cracks or oil leaks.

     b) Engine lubricating oil should not t contain n coolant contamination or emulsification.        

     c) Transmission belts and fluid lines should not have any signs of breakage or damage.

     d) The battery should not exhibit any signs of broken terminal posts，external damage，or leakage.

4.5  Cabin and Cargo Compartment

4.5.1  The following requirements should be met：

     a) The steering wheel，gearshift lever(or shift buttons) ，and gear position indicators should not have any noticeable damage，except for normal surface wear and tear.

     b) The interior rearview mirror should not be damaged，should have functional adjustment capability，and should remain in place effectively.

     c) Seats should be securely fixed in place and their adjustment functions should operate correctly.

     d) The cab or compartment mounts should be structurally sound and functioning properly.

     e) The mechanism for opening and locking the cab tilt feature should function properly.

4.5.2  For vehicles not within the validity period of their safety technical inspection，the following additional requirements must also be met：

     a) Automobile seat belts should meet the requirements outlined in clause 6.5.1.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     b) Vehicles equipped with emergency hammers s should comply with the requirements specified in clause 6.5.8 of GB 38900-2020.

     c) Vehicles equipped with emergency cut-off devices S should meet the requirements stated in clause 6.5.15.1 of GB 38900-2020.

     d) Vehicles equipped with manual mechanical power cutoff switches should conform to the requirements outlined in clause 6.5.17 of GB 38900-2020.

     e) Vehicles equipped with secondary brake pedals shall comply with the requirements specified in clause 6.5.18 of GB 38900-2020.

4.6  Chassis

4.6.1  The following requirements should be met：

     a) Lubricants，coolant，power steering fluid，and similar fluids should not exhibit any leakage.

     b) Air storage tanks should be securely installed without any noticeable deformation or cracks.

     c) Shock absorbers should be secure and effective，with no signs of oil leakage，and shock absorber springs should not be damaged.

     d) Retarders should be connected reliably； electromagnetic retarders should not have any noticeable oil stains on their exterior or between the stator and rotor，while hydraulic retarders should not exhibit any oil leakage.

     e) Towing apparatus should be locked securely without any abnormal wear or cracking.

     f) Semi-trailer support devices should not show any significant deformation and must provide reliable support.

     g) The lift axle structure should be intact，and the lifting function should operate

     h) For gas-fueled vehicles，the cylinders，pipelines，and joints should be securely fixed with no leakage. The cylinder body should be free from frost or water droplet condensation.

     i) The Manual Service Disconnect(MSD) switch should appear intact，be fully engaged，and have its anti-loosening device in a locked position.

4.6.2  For vehicles that are not within their period of validity for the safety technical inspection，the following additional requirements should be met：

     a) Rear axle leaf springs should meet the requirements outlined in clause 6.3.5.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     b) Tyres should comply with the requirements specified in clauses 6.4.4.1 and 6.4.4.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     c) Protective devices should meet the requirements detailed in clauses 6.5.7.1 and 6.5.7.3 of GB 38900-2020.

     d) Steering system components should conform to the requirements outlined in clause 6.7.1 of GB 38900-2020；

     e) Transmission system components should meet the requirements set forth in clause 6.7.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     f) Running gear components should satisfy the requirements specified in clause 6.7.3 of GB 38900-2020.

     g) Braking system components should comply with the requirements detailed in clause 6.7.4 of GB 38900-2020.

     h) Other components should meet the requirements set out in clause 6.7.5 of GB 38900-2020.

4.7  Dynamic Operation

4.7.1  The following requirements should be met：

     a) During dynamic driving，there should not be any fault messages related to Anti-Lock Braking System(ABS) ，Electric Power Steering(EPS) ，or any other systems that are critical to driving safety.

     b) Electric vehicles(pure electric vehicles，plug-in hybrid electric vehicles，and fuel cell vehicles) should not display any alarm signals related to the electric drive system，high-voltage insulation，or power battery systems.

     c)The engine and drive motor should operate smoothly，produce no abnormal sounds，and have as table idle speed.

     d) On dump trucks，mixer trucks，and similar vehicles，the mounted equipment should operate normally and not experience any jamming during operation.

4.7.2  For vehicles that are not within their period of validity for the safety technical inspection，additional requirements must also be met：

     a) The steering system should meet the requirements specified in clause 6.6.1 of GB 38900-2020.

     b) The transmission system should meet the requirements outlined in clause 6.6.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     c) The braking system should comply with the requirements detailed in clause 6.6.3 of GB 38900-2020.

     d) Instrumentation and indicators should meet the requirements stipulated in clause 6.6.4 of GB 38900-2020.

4.8 Instruments and Equipment

Vehicles not within their period of validity for the safety technical inspection should meet the following requirements

     a) The tare weight/unladen mass must meet the requirements outlined in clause 6.8.1.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     b) The service brake performance must meet the requirements specified in clause 6.8.2 of GB 38900-2020.

     c) Parking brake performance shall meet the requirements set forth in clause 6.8.3 of GB 38900-2020.

     d) Headlamp high beam light intensity must comply with the requirements detailed in clause 6.8.4 of GB 38900-2020.

     e) For vehicles with non-independent front axles(including those with dual steering axles，but excluding vehicles with static axle loads greater than or equal to 11，500 kg which are not suitable for instrumented equipment inspection) ，the lateral skid value of the steering wheels should not exceed 5 meters per kilometer.

5.   Inspection procedures and precautions

5.1  Inspection Process

Used commercial car and trailer export quality inspection agencies should carry out their operations as shown in Figure 1.

5.2  Accept an application

5.2.1  The applicant submits an application and provides basic vehicle information along with copies of the vehicle's registration certificate (or temporary vehicle license plate) and the Certificate of Motor Vehicle Ownership. Basic vehicle information includes the Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) ，power type(conventional gasoline-powered vehicle，new energy vehicle) ，engine number/drive motor number，vehicle type，brand，model，manufacturer，production date，indicated mileage，and the validity period of the safety technical inspection.

5.2.2  The institution accepts the application and informs the applicant to send the vehicle for inspection.

5.3  Vehicle verification

According to requirement 4.1，inspect and verify the vehicle's information and accompanying documents，completing Appendix A accordingly. Should the vehicle fail to meet the pertinent specifications detailed in section 4.1，immediately generate a report deeming the vehicle as not meeting quality standards.

5.4  Identification of Significant Accident Vehicles

According to requirement 4.2，assess whether the vehicle has experienced severe collision，flooding，fire，or other major accidents，and record the findings in Appendix A.If the vehicle does not meet the relevant requirements under section 4.2，it will be classified as a major accident vehicle and a report indicating it as failing to meet quality standards will be issued directly.

5.5  Technical Inspection

According to requirements 4.3 through 4.8，perform a technical inspection on the vehicle and fill out Appendix A

5.6  Photography

5.6.1  Vehicle Basic Information Photos

Take one photo each of the Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) ，engine number/motor number，and odometer reading.

5.6.2  Appearance Photographs

Take one 45° photo of the vehicle's left front and one of its right rear，each at a 45-degree angle.

5.6.3  Other Photographs

Additional photographs taken as deemed necessary by the inspector for other parts of the vehicle.

5.7  Issuing Quality Inspection Report

5.7.1  After completion of the vehicle quality inspection，fill out Appendix B.

5.7.2  The results of the quality report are divided into qualified and unqualified.If all items in the quality requirements are qualified，it is judged as qualified，otherwise it is judged as unqualified.

5.7.3  The authorized signatory signs the quality report and stamps it with the official seal of the institution.

5.7.4  The quality report is valid for 4 months and expires automatically.

5.8  File Archiving

Quality reports，motor vehicle driving licenses(or temporary vehicle license plates) ，motorcar registration certificates，and other relevant documents including photographs shall be electronically archived，with a retention period of no less than six years.