Stories like this are common throughout Russia: three years ago, an acquaintance bought a Toyota Harrier in Vladivostok with 60,000 km mileage for a very reasonable price, but six months later, after selling it with the steering wheel converted, he lost almost a third of the cost. It would seem that the solution is simple — find parts from the European version, contact a workshop, and that's it. In practice, everything is much more complicated.
Operating right-hand drive vehicles is legal in Russia, but any intervention in the design related to safety requires approval. Moving the steering wheel is a serious change, and according to TR TS 018/2011, work on the steering mechanism, brakes, and load-bearing elements of the body must be examined in an accredited laboratory and согласование with the traffic police. Formally, the procedure is clear: application to the traffic police, expert opinion, work in a certified center, technical inspection, and obtaining SCTS. State fees — about 2300 rubles.
But the actual operating schemes of car services often differ. The client is only given an act of work performed, promising that this is enough. In practice, such a document has no legal force: a traffic police inspector can issue a fine of 500 rubles and demand that the violation be corrected.
The financial side is even more serious: the work of specialists costs from 80-100 thousand rubles, parts — instrument panel, steering rack, pedal unit, wiring harnesses, windshield wiper mechanism, and airbag mount. The main difficulty is the engine shield: the left- and right-hand drive versions are different, it has to be dismantled, cut, re-welded, and reinstalled, which changes the rigidity of the body.
As a result, the total budget for a mid-range car reaches 200-300 thousand rubles, for a Toyota Harrier — 250-280 thousand, for a Nissan Skyline GT-R — more than 400 thousand. Insurers are wary of converted cars: a detected design mismatch can lead to a reduction in payment or refusal, especially in the event of an accident. Large technical centers often refuse orders for a complete conversion, leaving the choice to highly specialized workshops or private individuals without licenses, where legitimate paperwork is almost impossible.
Conversion is justified only in rare cases: collectible models, the availability of complete factory documentation for the left-hand drive version, and access to original body elements. Some cars, like the Land Cruiser 100, allow you to do without replacing the engine shield, which simplifies the task.
But in most cases, 2025 statistics show: a complete conversion with оформлением documents costs a third or half of the car's cost, so it is more profitable to sell the right-hand drive and purchase a left-hand drive аналог, even with a small surcharge.
