Cars from USA

[Quant]

Has anyone looked at importing cars from the US?

With current exchange rates, many cars are much cheaper across the borders, even with the GST & PST, and a couple of hundred dollars in fees and excise. I calculated the savings to be anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

[CSR]

um wtf....

CAN deals plz

[JustMike]

At one time, it was not possible to do this (because of NAFTA rules). They may have changed. Check with the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency for details.

BTW, wrong forum.

[walleye*guy]

Second - only cars greater than (I believe) 10 years old can be imported into Canada without modification.
You have to meet Canadian day-light running light and other safety issues - it will end up eating any savings you might make with the state of the US buck. :|

[pfdude]

And if buying new, don't forget about the warranty.

[actng]

man all the info above is incorrect.

1. It's 15 yrs or older cars that are exempt.
2. Warranty on my car is north america wide.
3. goto http://www.riv.ca for more info.
4. you suck, this is in the wrong forum.

[Cough]

Wrong forum. Please ask a mod to move.

[Enthrash]

In short, you can import ANY *new* car to Canada from the USA so long as it meets Canada standards and has been tested by Transport Canada. This usually means, so long as you can find it legally here, they will allow you to import it (after making any req'd minor modifications for metric speedos etc).

But hey....don't take my word for it:

Here are some relevant sites:

What can you import? Go here....
Tranport Canada:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/menu.htm

Also, an award winning gov't program:
http://www.riv.ca/english/html/how_to_import.html

(This is what your car will be "enrolled" in once you get past Canada customs)

Complete list of admissable vehicles:

http://www.riv.ca/english/US_vehicle_admissibility.pdf

General article regarding importing from overseas:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/mj/import.htm


Anyhow, this is probably more than you'll ever want to know. But it's actually quite easy, affordable and rewarding. I don't know why more people don't do it :).
Rich...

[Rehan]

From http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?14@107.mwSmcmR4JG8.13@.ef08332/63 :

Yesterday I received a quote of $46,640 from a US dealer on a loaded (all options) yellow SSR. Using currency exchange rates, the equivalent Canadian price should be $60,600. Instead it's $80,000. Something's rotten here.


This morning I received a call from a GM Canada public relations representative in response to my query about the MSRP price disparity. She advised that GM Canada and GM USA have different marketing departments and each operate their own way. She had no information on why the disparity exists, but said that to enforce it, GM cancels all warranty on any vehicle imported into Canada from the US. She went on to quote the party line that dealers are independents, and can sell for prices of their choosing. She admitted, though, that GM Canada sets the MSRP.


This would make an interesting consumer awareness story, especially for Canadians. I hope someone picks it up.

I don't know how accurate that comment about the warranty is. I imported a 2-year-old US vehicle into Canada several years ago and have had no problems getting repairs done under warranty. But it would be best to check with the manufacturer again.

Edit: similar warranty policy mentioned here (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?14@107.mwSmcmR4JG8.18@.ef1455c/11).

[Quant]

I don't know why this is off-topic, since you can save thousands of dollars. That would be a HOT deal. Not wrong forum.

I moved here from the US four years ago in Aug 2000, and imported my 1999 model (2 year old) car here. Full waranty coverage from Chrysler. No customs duty. A couple of hundred dollars in Excise & fees.

I intend on doing the same thing again with my new car in two months. I have calculated potential savings of $9,000. Definately a hot deal.

[Rehan]

I don't know why this is off-topic, since you can save thousands of dollars. That would be a HOT deal. Not wrong forum.

I moved here from the US four years ago in Aug 2000, and imported my 1999 model (2 year old) car here. Full waranty coverage from Chrysler. No customs duty. A couple of hundred dollars in Excise & fees.

I intend on doing the same thing again with my new car in two months. I have calculated potential savings of $9,000. Definately a hot deal.
The issue may be different for US residents vs. non-residents. For example, US residents are not allowed to import "new" vehicles from Canada into the US. Perhaps there's a similar rule for Canadian residents buying in the US.

Also, apparently the warranty cancellation policy (for imports from Canada to US) was something introduced within the last couple of years. So info from before that may not apply.

[Enthrash]

This morning I received a call from a GM Canada public relations representative in response to my query about the MSRP price disparity. She advised that GM Canada and GM USA have different marketing departments and each operate their own way. She had no information on why the disparity exists, but said that to enforce it, GM cancels all warranty on any vehicle imported into Canada from the US. She went on to quote the party line that dealers are independents, and can sell for prices of their choosing. She admitted, though, that GM Canada sets the MSRP.

Funny....I wonder what a Judge would have to say about such a policy. As they say....put what you want on a piece of paper, but it won't necessarily make legal.

I liken the remark to those old GM policies of voiding your engine warranty if you put an after market air filter. A law suit or two later, this policy vanished :).


Rich...

[Enthrash]

The issue may be different for US residents vs. non-residents. For example, US residents are not allowed to import "new" vehicles from Canada into the US. Perhaps there's a similar rule for Canadian residents buying in the US.

Also, apparently the warranty cancellation policy (for imports from Canada to US) was something introduced within the last couple of years. So info from before that may not apply.

What would stop anyone from having an American resident simply purchase the cars legally in the US, and sell them a day later to a Canadian.

Perfectly legal. A day later it is a "used" car, if only for a day or two.

At the end of the day, car companies are ripping people off while they can. I think they will inevitably drop their prices because people usually find ways around obtuse rules invented to protect often unreasonable profit margins.

Rich...

[Rehan]

Funny....I wonder what a Judge would have to say about such a policy. As they say....put what you want on a piece of paper, but it won't necessarily make legal.

I liken the remark to those old GM policies of voiding your engine warranty if you put an after market air filter. A law suit or two later, this policy vanished :).
I don't know how well it would hold up in court, but this issue did get some press a couple of years ago.
http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0206/01/autos-503566.htm

At https://www.autoremarketing.com/ar/newsmag/story.html?id=934 it says, "In 1999, American Honda was one of the first automakers to void warranties on cars imported to the U.S. from Canada. Today, most automakers have enacted similar polices in an effort to curb the gray market."

[Rehan]

What would stop anyone from having an American resident simply purchase the cars legally in the US, and sell them a day later to a Canadian.

Perfectly legal. A day later it is a "used" car, if only for a day or two.
That's the 'legal grey market' that the manufacturers were discouraging when the Canadian dollar was weaker. So they may do the same (by cancelling warranties) for imports in the opposite direction (if they don't already do that).

[Rehan]

FYI, from http://www.honda.ca/Honda/YourHonda/FAQ/Section1.htm?L=E#fromUS :

The reciprocal warranty agreement between Honda Canada and American Honda only covers owners who relocate from one country to the other, or owners from one country who are travelling on business or vacation in the other country. If a vehicle that was originally sold new in the United States is brought into Canada, its warranty only applies to the owner that purchased the vehicle while living in the U.S. and who imports the vehicle into Canada for their own personal or family use.
So a Honda purchased in the US by a Canadian resident (or even a US-market Honda purchased in Canada) would not be covered under the warranty.


And http://www.jlwarranty.com/graymarket-body.htm lists the warranty policies for cross-border sales...I think it's primarily geared towards Canada-to-US exports, but there's some information for US-to-Canada also.

[Fobulous]

just came back from Miami this weekend. Saw a black Scion tC... what a beautiful car that is. I'd import THAT to Canada if given the opportunity

[Gee]

Personally I think the hassle is not worth the savings.

Canadian cars are built for Canadian Winters. Enough said.

[Likestuff4free]

1) American cars have km and mph on speedo, no reson to switch, if you did youd have to replace the odometer, making the car car worth severall thousand less because you cant tell the TRUE milage

2) with domestic TRUCKS hidden in the sales agreement (at least in 1998) was an agreement saying saying you couldnt resell for 6000 km / 6 months
due to ford and gm basically maing the car chaeaper duie to weak dollar

3) Certain car (Mitsubishi's, certain ones anyways) can never be imported due to the fact they wont pass canadian safety crash standards

[TenzoR]

just came back from Miami this weekend. Saw a black Scion tC... what a beautiful car that is. I'd import THAT to Canada if given the opportunity

maybe you can I keep on seeing the xB (the box van) around in Ottawa ..or maybe it was on Vacation

[Rehan]

from High dollar spurs cross-border shopping revival (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1100213409765&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037):

Now, the Canadian Border Services Agency says it's fielding a large number of calls on its toll-free line from Canadians who want to buy vehicles in the United States.
Unfortunately, the article doesn't say anything further on the topic.

[Rehan]

I've contacted some manufacturers regarding their warranty for USA->Canada transfers. The question asked was:
"I live in Canada, and I'm interested in purchasing a _____ vehicle in the USA. If I go there to purchase the vehicle and then bring it back to Canada with the proper paperwork for importing, would the full warranty for the vehicle be valid in Canada? Do you have a written policy related to this issue?"

I'll edit this message to post replies as I receive them.


Acura / Honda (from here (http://www.honda.ca/Honda/YourHonda/FAQ/Section1.htm?L=E#fromUS)):The reciprocal warranty agreement between Honda Canada and American Honda only covers owners who relocate from one country to the other, or owners from one country who are travelling on business or vacation in the other country. If a vehicle that was originally sold new in the United States is brought into Canada, its warranty only applies to the owner that purchased the vehicle while living in the U.S. and who imports the vehicle into Canada for their own personal or family use.
BMW:The New Vehicle Limited Warranty is transferable from the United States to Canada. The Maintenance Plan which is offered in the US and includes engine oil services, as well as inspections, is not honored in Canada.
DaimlerChrysler:While we appreciate your interest in our products, we must respectfully advise that DaimlerChrysler's U.S. warranties do not apply to vehicles registered in Canada.
Ford:"The New Vehicle Limited Warranty and the Emissions Warranties described in this booklet apply to your vehicle if: a) it was originally purchased through the Ford Worldwide Direct Marketing Operations Military Sales Program; or b) it was originally sold or leased by Ford Motor Company or one of its dealers in the United States or U.S Federalized Territories, and it was originally registered/licensed and operated in the United States, U.S. Federalized Territories, or Canada. If you meet either of these two requirements, you do have warranty coverage when you travel with this vehicle outside the United States, U.S. Federalized Territories, or Canada. In some cases, however, you may have to pay the servicing Ford dealer in a foreign country or U.S. Federalized Territory for a repair that is covered under the U.S. warranty. If this happens, be sure to save the paid repair order or invoice. You should present this document to a U.S. Ford Motor Company dealer for warranty refund consideration. Refer to www.Ford.com for additional customer assistance reference information."
Hyundai (10 year warranty (http://www.hyundaiusa.com/Vehicles/Accent/Warranty.asp)!)Each country honors each others warranties. Just make sure you get all the information needed from Hyundai head office in the United States. The reason behind this is that your vehicle will always be a US product and furtermore you as a client will always be a Hyundai USA client. What we mean by that, is you are subject to USA recalls, if there is a recall for the Canadian Market it doesn't apply to you unless the USA company comes out with it. Make sure to find out if you are able to keep a mailing address with their company, because maybe they only keep USA residents mailing information on file, so make sure to keep up to date with the information provided for Hyundai USA vehicles.
KiaEach KIA Distributor worldwide provides warranty coverage which reflects local market conditions and complies with federal government and consumer legislation.

In the United States, the warranty coverage consists of:
5 year/60,000 mile Limited Basic warranty
5 year/100,000 mile Anti-perforation warranty
5 year/unlimited Roadside Assistance
10 year/100,000 mile Power Train warranty

The warranty is not transferable to subsequent owners of the vehicle, therefore, only the original owner of the vehicle is eligible for warranty coverage.

In Canada, the warranty coverage consists of:
5 year/100,000 km Comprehensive warranty
5 year/100,000 km Power Train warranty
1 year/20,000 km First-year adjustments
8 year/130,000 km Major emissions components
5 year/unlimited Anti-perforation warranty
5 year/100,000 km Roadside Assistance

In Canada, it is legislated that warranties must be transferable to subsequent owners of the vehicle. A vehicle purchased in the United States but brought to Canada, will have a Canadian Warranty of 5 years or 100,000 kilometers, which ever occurs first, from the original warranty start date.

There are indeed, distinct advantages to the Canadian warranty.
Toyoto Canada:As distributor of new vehicles in Canada, Toyota Canada Inc. does not
recommend the import of Canadian specification Toyotas to other
countries. In order to register a US vehicle in Canada, compliance
verification is required.

With regards to warranty coverage, we would like to take this
opportunity to explain that Toyota Canada Inc. and Toyota Motor
Sales, U.S.A. (TMS) are separate business entities, as such, we
suggest contacting TMS's Customer Relations directly at the
following:
[snip]
Toyota USA (from here (http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=155)):Q: If I take my Toyota outside of the U.S.A., will I still have warranty coverage?

A: As noted in Toyota's Owner's Manual Supplement, warranty coverage is applicable to any vehicle registered and normally operated only within the mainland United States, Alaska and Canada.

If you are touring or relocating outside of the mainland U.S., Alaska, or Canada, the local dealership may not provide warranty service because the local Toyota distributor may have no obligation to provide warranty service to your vehicle. Additionally, your Toyota vehicle may not comply with the regulatory and/or environmental requirements of certain countries.

[Rehan]

I'm tempted by combination of the Hyundai warranty and the prices they're currently offering. Dealers are selling off the 2004 models now, so prices are relatively low...plus there's a $1500 cashback offer plus a $1000+ cashback offer for current Hyundai owners (like me). Someone posted on the edmunds.com forums yesterday:

Got one of those special letters from Hyundai today--the ones that look like something important, like a recall. It was an offer from my dealer to sell me a new Hyundai for less than what their employees pay. $4500 discounts on Elantras--or under $13k for a fully-loaded Elantra GT automatic. Another dealer advertised an automatic package 2 GLS for $9495 this past weekend (with loyalty rebate).

Hmmm...

[Gellar]

I emailed a few VW dealerships and it was kinda mixed, this is what I got from the first one

The US warranty will be honored in Canada. The 07 Jetta's bumpers and daytime running lights do meet US law requirements so I am fairly certain they would for Canada as well. All Jetta production is assembled in Mexico. The parts are 40% German, 30% Mexican, and 30% combined from many places.

the 2nd said this

Due to franchise agreements that we have with Audi and VW, we can not sell NEW cars for export into Canada. We can sell used cars. If you purchased a car from us we would have to have the vehicle registered and titled in the United States.

[CheapScotsman]

FYI ... there is a whole thread in the Hot Deals forum on importing cars from the States:

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307601&highlight=import

[mrfrostyman]

and this thread is just shy of 2 years old.

[Neb]

wHY would anyone revive a 2 yr old thread? :) to answer a few questions. Check out the big one in Hot Deals.

[Gellar]

haha whoops

the only reason i replied here was cuz i saw a link to this thread from the thread you guys are talking about. thought maybe someone was compiling info! forgot to check the dates, sorry

[frank358fr]

Does Mazda keep there warranty in canada?
Thanks

[onecoolloser]

wHY would anyone revive a 2 yr old thread? :) to answer a few questions. Check out the big one in Hot Deals.

Does Mazda keep there warranty in canada?
Thanks

Revived again. Call head office and let us know.