Years, specs, prices and problems
The Suzuki Carry kei truck is Suzuki's mini truck, sold in Japan since 1961. The engine sits under the seats, and many have 4WD with a low range (extra-low gears) for mud, snow and hills.
Engine657cc
Hauls772 lb
4WD modelDD51T
You can importUp to 2001
Photo: Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons ↗
From what owners say (more below).
19.3 ft
10.8 ftDrawn to scale: length, height and wheelbase. The trucks are our illustrations, not photos. Sources: Wikipedia ↗ (Carry), Ford spec sheet ↗ (F-150 SuperCrew 4x4). The shortest F-150 is 17.5 ft.
Kei truck size, weight and payload: all five trucks → · Camper? What a shell leaves →
See the version, the engine, and if you can bring it into the US.
Year-by-year guides: 1993 Carry 1997 Carry
Most Carrys for sale in the US are 1991–1999 trucks (DC51T and DD51T). The wider 1999 trucks are old enough to import too, and more turn 25 every month.
DA71T, DA41T, DA51T · DB = 4WD
Spot it in a photo: small round headlights set in a black band across the nose, with SUZUKI between them.
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons ↗
DC51T (2WD), DD51T (4WD)
Spot it in a photo: round headlights in the white body (no black band) and a black bumper with orange lights.
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons ↗
DA52T, DA62T, DA63T · DB = 4WD
Spot it in a photo: big squared-off headlights that wrap around the corners, and a body-color bumper with a grille.
Photo: Tennen-Gas, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons ↗
Older Carrys (1961–1985) are rare in the US. 2013 and newer (DA16T) can't be imported until 2038; the big-cab Super Carry came in 2018.
The grade name is on the export certificate, and often on a badge on the truck. These are the 1991–1999 grades.
Sources: Global Suzuki ↗, Wikipedia: Suzuki Carry ↗, Mazda Scrum ↗, Mitsubishi Minicab ↗.
Gas mileage, top speed and hauling first: the numbers buyers ask about most.
| Spec | 1991–1999 (DC51T, DD51T) | 1999–2001 (DA52T, DB52T) |
|---|---|---|
| Gas mileage | About 34–39 mpg (Japanese catalog figure)Real driving is lower | About 34–41 mpg (Japanese catalog figure)Real driving is lower |
| Top speed | Suzuki doesn't publish one. Dealers and owners report about 50–65 mph for stock 660cc trucks.Most owners cruise at 45–55 mph. | |
| Hauls | 772 lb (350 kg) in the bed: the legal limit for kei trucks | |
| Bed size | A little narrower (the whole truck is 4.6 ft wide) | Not confirmed for these yearsToday's Carry (2013 on): about 6 ft 4 in × 4 ft 7 in |
| Length × width | 10.8 ft × 4.6 ft | 11.1 ft × 4.8 ft |
| Engine | 657cc 3-cylinder (F6A) | 657cc 3-cylinder (F6A); a turbo version until May 2000 |
| Weight | About 1,430–1,590 lb | About 1,430–1,720 lb |
| 2WD / 4WD | DC51T = 2WD, DD51T = 4WD | DA52T = 2WD, DB52T = 4WDSome 4WD trucks also have an extra-low first gear (marked EL) for crawling. |
| Gearbox | 4- or 5-speed stick, or 3-speed automatic | 5-speed stick or 3-speed automatic |
| Year changes | Front disc brakes on all trucks from Sept. 1993. New wheel bolt pattern (4×100 mm) from July 1995. | New wider body in Jan. 1999. The K6A engine replaced the F6A in Sept. 2001. |
| Wheels | 12-inch on most trucks. Owners say 12-inch tires are hard to find in the US, so many move to 13-inch. | |
Sources: Suzuki Carry data from Wikipedia; gas mileage from Japanese catalog listings (Carsensor). Suzuki never rated the Carry in mpg for the US. Weight and size converted from metric.
Kei truck top speed, and where you can drive one →
TapClick a box and type. The cost updates as you type.
Gas price: EIA weekly US average, regular gas ($4.153), week of Nov. 2, 2026 (EIA ↗). Carry: about 34 mpg (owner-reported; Japanese catalog figures are 34–41). Pickup: EPA fueleconomy.gov: 2025 F-150 4WD, 2.7L V6, 20 mpg combined (EPA ↗).
Kei truck MPG for all five trucks, and fuel injection by model →
F6A (trucks built until about September 2001): has a timing belt that must be changed. Ask for the receipt; if there is none, plan to replace it.
K6A (from September 2001): has a timing chain, so there is no belt to change. Only trucks built by November 2001 can be imported now, so few US Carrys have it.
How to tell: the engine code is on the export certificate. Sources: Wikipedia ↗ (K6A from Sept. 2001), Suzuki K engine ↗ (chain-driven), timing belt kits sold for 1991–1999 Carrys (Oiwa Garage ↗).
US sellers asked $4,050 to $13,000 for the 24 Carry trucks we found in November 2026. Half asked under about $7,200.
Miles barely move the price: a 95,777-mile truck asked $6,900, a 13,750-mile one $8,900. If you import one yourself, add shipping, a 25% import tax and fees.
What sellers are asking (24 Carry trucks)
What they really sell for: at Cars & Bids ↗ auctions, a 1994 Carry with about 20,000 miles sold for $10,600 and a 2000 Carry 4x4 with about 20,900 miles for $4,700 (March 2026). Autotrader Classics ↗ showed 38 Carrys asking $6,800 to $17,499, $9,522 on average (Nov. 9, 2026; its list can include vans and newer trucks).
Kei truck prices for all five models, by dealer →
Asking prices for this Suzuki kei truck seen Nov. 7–10, 2026 in 10 states. Not offers or guarantees. Tap a place for that state's dealers and road rules.
Not as of November 2026. Suzuki has announced no US Carry, and a new kei truck doesn't meet US road-safety rules, so most states won't plate one until it turns 25. Videos about an "$8K Suzuki kei truck for America" are not based on any Suzuki announcement.
In Japan, a new 2026 Carry starts at ¥1,350,800 including Japanese tax, about $8,550 at the Nov. 9, 2026 exchange rate. For road use in the US, the trucks to buy are the 25-year-old ones above.
Sources: Suzuki Japan price list ↗ (in Japanese), exchange rate from frankfurter.dev, 25-year rule: 49 CFR 591.5(i).
Every Carry you can import is over 25 years old. Condition matters more than miles. Check these first.
Your ticks are saved on this phone only. Take it, or a printout, to the seller.
Your DMV asks for these to title an imported kei truck. See what your state asks for ↓
Common issues reported by importers, parts sellers and owners. Not Suzuki data.
4 owner reviews from YouTube comments, told in our words.
Owner who also had a GatorYouTube comment · see the original ↗Says the Carry beat the Gator side-by-side in every way: it cost less, hauled more, broke down less and got stuck less often.
Owner of a Carry, a Raptor and a 2500YouTube comment · see the original ↗Made the Carry the daily driver: about 62 miles a day at about 34 mpg.
Owner of a 1994 CarryYouTube comment · see the original ↗Painted it "Tonka style" a year after buying it. Now it looks too nice to work, so a second truck is next.
Carry ownerYouTube comment · see the original ↗Added central locking and power mirrors: cheap add-ons that make the truck much nicer to live with.
Watch an owner review: 5 Things I HATE About My Kei Truck! (Suzuki Carry) ↗ (WayBeforeTheFame, YouTube, 6 min)
| Truck | Engine sits | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
 Honda Acty | In the middle, under the bed | Easy engine access, smooth ride |
 Suzuki Carry | Under the seats | Simple and tough; easy to find |
 Daihatsu Hijet | Under the seats | Jumbo cab version has the most room |
 Subaru Sambar | At the back | 4-cylinder; more knee room than the Acty |
 Mitsubishi Minicab | Under the seats | Often costs less; fits a 6-ft driver, owners say |
TapClick the blue button. Your answer shows up right here.
Many are. The 4WD codes are DD51T (1991–1999) and DB52T (1999 on). DC51T and DA52T are 2WD.
DD51T is the code for the 1991–1999 Suzuki Carry truck with 4WD. The same truck with 2WD is the DC51T. The code is on the export certificate; ask the seller to show you where it is on the truck.
Suzuki doesn't publish a top speed. Dealers and owners report about 50–65 mph for a stock truck, and most cruise at 45–55 mph.
Japanese catalog figures work out to about 34–41 mpg. Real driving is lower; one owner who drives about 62 miles a day reports about 34 mpg.
It depends. Since 2018, the Super Carry is the big-cab kei version of the newest Carry, which can't be imported until 2043. "Super Carry" trucks sold in other countries, such as the Maruti Suzuki Super Carry in India, have bigger engines and are not kei trucks.
Not yet. A kei truck must be 25 years old, counted from the month it was built. A 2002 Carry becomes eligible in 2027, on its 25th birthday.
Yes. Some Carrys have a dump bed that tips up to unload (Suzuki sold factory dump versions). They are rarer than flat beds and can ask more: one 1997 4WD Carry dump with an electric-hydraulic bed was listed at $10,950 by a Florida dealer (now sold), while our flat-bed listings had a middle price of about $7,400.
Not as of November 2026: Suzuki has announced no US Carry. Videos about an "$8K Suzuki kei truck for America" are not based on any Suzuki announcement. A few US sellers bring in new ones (a 2025 Carry was listed at $26,344 in Christiansburg, Virginia), but a new kei truck doesn't meet US road-safety rules, so in most states you can't plate it until it turns 25. For road use, buy a Carry built 25 or more years ago.
Yes, a used one that is 25 or more years old. Dealers in many states sell them, and you can import one yourself. The price section above lists 24 Carrys for sale in November 2026, from $4,050 to $13,000.
It depends on your state. A Carry can be imported once it is 25 years old, but each state decides whether it gets road plates: some plate it like any car, some allow it only on slower roads, and some don't plate it at all. Pick your state above to see the rule where you live.
In Japan, a new 2026 Carry starts at ¥1,350,800 including Japanese tax (Suzuki Japan price list), about $8,550 at the Nov. 9, 2026 exchange rate. That is a Japan price, not a US price: the new Carry isn't sold in the US. Used US Carrys asked $4,050 to $13,000 in our November 2026 survey.
Owners like it as a simple, tough truck that is easy to find parts for and cheap to run (an owner reports about 34 mpg). The downsides they mention: a tight, loud cab with the engine under the seats, and slow highway speeds. See "Is it for you?" at the top.
Make sure you can plate it where you live, then take the inspection checklist to the seller.