Warranty issues for cars imported from the US
To help out with the loooong thread about importing vehicles from the US, this thread will be dedicated to warranty issues for imported cars.
I'll start off with some information I gathered here a couple of years ago. It's not complete and I know that some of it has changed since then, so please post any corrections in this thread and I'll fix this first post with the updated info.
Acura / Honda (from here) as of Aug 15, 2007:
I'll start off with some information I gathered here a couple of years ago. It's not complete and I know that some of it has changed since then, so please post any corrections in this thread and I'll fix this first post with the updated info.
Acura / Honda (from here) as of Aug 15, 2007:
BMW:If I purchase a used Honda in Canada that was originally sold as a new car in the United States, will Honda Canada provide any warranty coverage?
No. 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.
DaimlerChrysler: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.
Ford: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.
Hyundai as of Aug 16, 2007"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."
KiaGood day,
Hyundai Auto Canada and Hyundai Motor America are two separate companies operating in their own countries. The warranty on vehicles purchased by Canadian residents in the United States is not transferable to Canada. It is possible to obtain warranty repairs on U.S vehicles in Canada, however, the cost for the repairs will be assumed by Hyundai Motor America.
Hyundai Motor America is presently honouring their warranty on vehicles that have been imported to Canada. Please be aware that this may change in the future. In addition, roadside assistance on US vehicles is not honoured in Canada.
Regards,
Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Subaru (as of Aug 16, 2007 for 2008+ models):Each 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:If a Canadian citizen purchases a Subaru vehicle in the U.S. with the intention of immediately registering the
vehicle in Canada, they must be notified by the selling dealer that the Subaru Limited Warranty specifically
states, “Any and all repairs must be performed by an authorized Subaru Dealer in the United States.”
Therefore, Canadian residents who purchase a Subaru in the U.S., then registers the vehicle in Canada, will
have two viable options for obtaining warranty repairs:
1. Return the car to the U.S. for all warranty repairs at an authorized Subaru dealer at no charge: or,
2. Have the car repaired at an authorized Canadian Subaru dealer, pay for the repairs, then submit a
copy of the Repair Order marked Paid for reimbursement to SOA through the CDS department at:
Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru Plaza
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034-6000
Attn: CDS Department
Toyota USA (from here):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]
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.