I am looking to buy a 2015 5.0L F150. It is a 49 state truck and I am curious if it has a cadalytic converter which will pass the visual inspection and if it will pass smog.

Thanks

Bill

 

You may want to ask down in the CA state section. There are a few active members in this section from CA, but you will prob get a faster response from a broader set of folks by asking there.

 

Pretty sure that's a no-go. This is where to get your answer:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1...t_facts/ffvr29

 

I brought up the same thing and people were saying there's no such thing as 49-state cars, 2015 models and afterwards are all the same because the federal standards have caught up with California's.. which wasn't even true.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-model-2.html

As for visual inspection, the DMV does NOT care about that. It simply MUST have the sticker explicitly saying "California Emissions" on it. If it has been in an accident and the hood was replaced, you can order a sticker for that, but Ford will ask you for the VIN. If the VIN is California-compliant, they'll send you one. I am speaking from experience. The sticker is usually under the hood.

 

If it has > 7500 miles on it, it's considered a used vehicle, and the rules are slightly different. You might want to check what the differences are between a 49-state F-150 and a 50-state F-150. In the computer biz, it might just be a SMOP (Small Matter of Programming).

 

It's very rare for it to be just a program. I've had costs range from $500 to $6,500. A lot of times, it was just a little part that doesn't do much. Some had a lot of labor, requiring the removal of the engine to put the small part in.

Best thing to do is call Ford and see how much it costs to make a 2015 California-compliant and if they can make it legal, they should also be able to obtain the necessary sticker that goes under the hood. That's the ONLY thing that will make it pass the DMV requirements. Passing the smog test will not cut it. It's stupid, I know.

Rules aren't different, 0 miles or 7,501 miles, it's still non-compliant. If he's a California resident, no way. We used to charge $300 smog impact fee but that was unconstitutional so we banned them outright instead.

 

Frankly, it's not worth the hassle buying a non-California F-150 as a California resident.

Trust me on this.

 

Not being a California resident, I'm just curious. Suppose in a fit of insanity I decide to move from New York to California. Will I be able to register my current 49 state legal vehicles after the move? Or do I get a Post Office box in Nevada and register my vehicles there?

 

Moving here from out of state the rules are different.

 

GlueGuy's correct... moving to California is different. You have to show proof you were indeed residing out of the state before registering your out-of-state vehicle in California. You will have no problem.

I don't know why people will go that far just to get a 49-state car. Just get one here in California.. but there are at least 4 or 5 other states that also sell California-compliant trucks. Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts for sure... I looked under the hood and all had "California emissions"

 

Many of the dealerships on the Arizona/California border sell California emissions vehicles.

 

You're right. A lot of dealerships have that readily available but at the dealership in Henderson (Nevada), we made the mistake of getting an F-150 that didn't have it. So it is staying there, we cannot register it in California.

Always.. look.. under.. the.. hood..