The most common right-hand-drive compliance failures on Chinese cars are converted-RHD vehicles (rejected or heavily scrutinised in Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland), LHD headlamp beam patterns that dazzle oncoming traffic, rear fog lamps on the wrong side, and speedometers without mph. Always verify factory RHD from the VIN-decoded build sheet, not interior photographs.
Key Facts Table
| Check | Failure point | Markets that enforce |
|---|---|---|
| Factory vs converted RHD | Steering rack, pedal box, airbag geometry | KE, TZ, UG, AU, NZ, IE, UK |
| Headlamp beam pattern | LHD low beam kicks up right | All RHD markets — #1 failure |
| Rear fog lamp position | Left-only on Chinese domestic models | UK, IE, AU, several African |
| Speedometer units | km/h-only or Chinese-only menus | UK, IE (mph required) |
| Wiper sweep | LHD pattern leaves unswept area | AU, NZ explicitly check |
| Homologation | RAV/SEVS (AU), IVA (UK), KEBS/QISJ + 8-year cap (KE) | Check before deposit |
The nine checks before you pay
- Factory RHD confirmation from the VIN. 2. Headlamp E-mark photos. 3. Rear fog lamp position. 4. Cluster units. 5. Mirror asymmetry. 6. Wiper sweep. 7. Airbag anchoring mapped to RHD positions. 8. Country homologation pathway. 9. For EVs: charging port (GB/T vs Type 2/CCS2), UN38.3 battery certification, state-of-health report.
FAQ
Can an LHD Chinese car be converted to RHD? Technically yes, but Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK reject or heavily scrutinise conversions for registration. Buy factory RHD.
CarSourceHub RHD Availability
Our published stock list is left-hand drive. Right-hand drive units are sourced to order and are not held in stock: after a confirmed order the typical lead time from sourcing to ready-for-shipment is 4-8 weeks, depending on the model, trim and factory-RHD availability at that moment. Send us the model, market and destination port and we confirm availability, factory-RHD build confirmation and a firm FOB price before any deposit.