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if someone buys one in Maryland and drives it into PA - is the vehicle automatically illegal to be on PA roads?
Legally, yes. States have the sovereignty to pass their own highway laws and determine what is safe to drive on our roads, regardless of federal regulations.
California is a great example. Cars sold in California must meet their own emissions standards, which are the toughest in the country, and not all cars sold in the U.S. necessarily meet the CA standard.
Als, if someone rides a motorcycle from a state with no helmet law to a state with one, they had better have a helmet with them.
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He said a PennDOT official told him in March the department was "fully satisfied" with the vehicle
Mistake number one. If it isn't in writing, it holds no legal weight whatsoever. He should have gotten something in print.
Mistake number two. He didn't get a lawyer.