Importing Car into Canada from US

gaylenw

You should be able to go to the dealer and have them go into the ECU and change it to KM. It is all software and only takes a small programming change. That is the word from a riend of mine that has worked for Dodge a number of years. He said it doesn't matter what Brand or Model you have.

sergelbergeron

It would be great to find a way to turn switches on-off. I have been searching for this on the Prius. Toyota has put it on their computer and they say I need relays - I found that these are not $2 relays. I went to Can Tire and they won;t touch the Prius - so I am faced with paying $350 to get them done at Toyota. As for the change in the mpg vs L/100KM - I haven't found a way but if someone does I would be interested.

vinnyd13

If you find a way to change everything to Metric, please let us know. I'm sure there are a bunch of us here who would like to do the same thing.

Or, if this post is deleted, please email me : vgdistef at hotmail dot com.

Thanks.

maluna

The Ohio Certificate worked fine and I have returned home with the vehicle and a stamped Form1 but now not sure if I can get to the next level. Take a look at the VAFUS list on MPV section 5.4 tonight (Dec3) and tell me -- has this changed! Toyota Highlander Sport 2008 (after Sept.1) WhAT! Last time I talked to RIV agent they told me I would not need letter from Toyota manufacturer as long as it was a Sport or LTD. So I purchased Nov 21 and picked up today. Have they changed this? Did something happen to the Highlander section over the weekend? How do you guys read this? Am I valid with the Form1 stamped? ...">link titleor have I just joined the borderless club?!
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/VAFUS/list/Section5_4.htm

northernkiwi

We bought this vehicle in early Sept and brought it across the boarder without any hassle. At the time there was no info on VAFUS for Toyota Prius for 2008. We assumed that, since the 2008 model was comparable with the 2007 that the approval for the 2008 would be the same as for the 2007.
The CBSA reversed the figures for the date of build and recorded it as being month 07 of year 08.
Of course RIV would not issue form 2 until the VAFUS cleared this model for admission to Canada. We waited and got caught in the Nov 1, 2007 fray. Initially all 2008 Prius' were not admissible. Subsequently this was modified to allow pre Sept 1, 2007 builds to be acceptable.
We waited and waited for the form 2. I called about the status of my case and got the usual bumpf about inadmissibility and, once I said it was Aug 07 build that it would be forthcoming etc. etc. I kept chasing the status of my case, wrote emails to Cannon, my MP, the leaders of the the Liberals & NDP. I also contacted Jan and via him got in touch with Serge. I got a std response from the assistant to the MP and just a mere acknowledgement from the Liberals and NDP, no response from Cannon.
Anyway, one of the RIV clerks let loose that my vehicle was inadmissible since it was an Oct build. He had trouble explaining how it could be imported on Sept 16 before it was built! I faxed a copy of the MSO, the dealers detail on the invoicing and a photo of the US compliance label - fortunately the photo came out clear. I continued to keep calling about the status of our case and then found that they had not put the fax on file so we were back to square one and had to refax all the stuff again. Finally, on Sunday, we got our Form 2. Today CT did the inspection (we had the selling dealer make the mods for the DRL) so the inspection went smoothly.
Getting the vehicle plated was a piece of cake except that the registry office put the vehicle down as running on butane - we will have to go back and get that corrected.
Anyway, all that is needed is the Canadian Compliance sticker.
My thanks to this group for your support and encouragement, the providing of news and sharing your stories. We trust that all of you are successful in completing your purchase and import of the vehicle of your choice into Canada - at massive savings. My appreciation also is extended to Jan and Serge who have personally gone to a lot of trouble for all of us who got caught up There are others whose names are not publically known who also deserve thanks for their efforts as well.

thecannyscot

Northern Kiwi,

Exactly what changes are required to the DRL's. I have a 2008 Highlander Sport pre-Sept 1 built that I will be bringing in soon. It has DRL's so what is required?
You mentioned that you had the deler do the mods.
Thanks,

vinnyd13

Nothing is required for the Highlander Sport. I just imported one in Oct. No modifications necessary.

thecannyscot

Thanks Vinnyd13. I thought maybe the DRL off option had to be disabled.

netdog

maluna:

I think you're in the clear. The compliance letter is only required for the Highlander base model but the sport and limited models look safe. At least that's how I read it and what I've read from other posters here.

netdog

netdog

thecannyscot:

If your vehicle already has DRLs then no mods are required. If it doesn't have the DRLs then it's a simple mod that you can have done at the time of your compliance inspection at Canadian Tire for roughly $170 or you can have them put in for much cheaper elsewhere.

netdog

cobrar5

Here is the latest OUTRAGE! Dealers in the US have been giving recall letters for free to there Canadian customers. ALL it takes is typing in the last 8 of the VIN number and it prints out...tough huh???

Ford now charges $225.00 for that
GM now charges $$235.00 for that!

The letter are coming from the SAME system! It just will have a Canadian stamp. This is a exact quote from GM. GMCL has advised TC, that effective immediatley that they are the ONLY authorized issuer of recall clearance letters via its agent VVS. US dealers can and have been printing off VVS as well.

Since they cant BULLY you into buying from over priced Canadian dealer they are making some Vacation funds for them selfs this way! :mad: :confuse:

darfer

Hey Cobrar5 at least Ford and GM will sell you a Letter. I wish we could buy one from Honda. We are still in a fight with Honda, one day they say no, then they say yes, and the next day they say no. We still have that Honda Pilot sitting in Sweetgrass, because we don't really want to give up on the Compliance Letter, as of yesterday it was No again. Still interested in taking it off our hands. jamdar@telus.net

olivben

I'm planning on buying a new vehicle in Mass and I'm having difficulty arranging temporary licensing in Mass and/or ME. Does anyone understand this process, how do I legally transport this vehicle between MASS and Houlton. Thanks

thecannyscot

Thanks Netdog.
jrwinder's post below confuses me as he imported a Highlander Ltd that has DRL's. So what mods would he talking about?

the cannyscot

jrwinder post
I just got my inspection form 2 in morning thru email. Canadian tire did the inspectins. But DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS STILL AN ISSUE. In limited vehice there is switch called " DRL Off". it means If I want i can off day time running lights. That option should not be there as per canadian tire .Canadian tire charged me extra $ 170 bucks to fix it. I just cannot switch off DR lights. Everything else was ok and my car passed the inspection. I went directly to BCAA to get insurance and got my new plates right away. They took all originals like CO origin, bill of sale etc and gave us acopy of all documents. Finally I have car which is legal and registered in canada. I hope to get complaince label in next two weeks. But I am not worried any more.

darfer

olivben, you should be able to go to your local Vehicle Registry in Canada and get a Temporary Registration plate.

edi_wan

olivben:

Do this at the time of purchase:
To be a bit more clear, if it is a new vehicle in Mass, the dealer should be able to provide you with a temporary US plate (piece of paper) that is stuck on the back window driver side. This should allow you to get from the states to the border.

Do this after the purchase but before you go to pick it up:
For travelling in Canada, you need to obtain insurance from your insurance company for the vehicle (i think all they need is the VIN). Once you have proof of insurance, you take that with you along with the VIN (which should be on the insurance anyways) and bring it to a local registry where you can purchase a temporary CANADIAN plate that you stick to the front passenger side windshield. The one that we purchased in Canada was $25 for 7 days. This allows you to drive it from the border to wherever you live in Canada.

Hope this helps!

wrajinder

I have no idea How many times I told to all of you that " YOU DO NOT NEED ANY LETTER FOR COMPLIANCE FOR HIGHLANDER SPORTS & LTD MODELS". Do not worry just send your recall letter & form1 to RIV @ given numbers. You will receive your form 2 in 2-3 days by email. Just stop worrying about complaince letter about cmvss114. Highlander base and ltd models already meet these standards. MY OWN VEHICLE IS OCTOBER /07 BUILT . So ther is no problem about pre or aster septembder for highlander sport and limited models. Congratulation for your new vehicle

wrajinder

Cannyscaot & net dog,

I have highlander ltd model. DRL was already in it when I bought this vehicle. But My candian tire inspector was really old grumpy peron and was very stubborn. In USA you always have an option to switch off DR Lights . But In canada That option has to be removed. So the old guy added some peiece and charged me $ 170 for that. Now I also know many other people who brought theihighlander from USA and candian tire passed their inspections without any changes. Do not worry about this issue. This all depends upon inspector at candian tire. best of luck.

controlfreak1

This latest news is awesome. Got the news the same day as my wife's X-Mas party and the good luck continued into the evening - I won the 50/50 draw for a pot of $190.00 plus my wife won a door prize of 2 Canucks tickets vs Colorado with dinner before hand (company parners have season tickets and often give them out to employees as special door prizes). On top of that, the power went out 1/2 hour after dinner was finished so the evening only ran 2 hours tops and I was home in bed early rather than listening to speeches all evening. Truly a glorious day!!

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Now it looks good for bringing home our CR-V that we have a deposit down on. My next worry is the warranty. Anyone have any late news about Honda's warranty coverage in Canada on imported vehicles? How about on exported vehicles being brought back into the states for warranty coverage (we only live 5 minutes from the border)? Have read alot online but just wondering if there was anything new or any lawsuits that were being settled in this regards.

netdog

To anyone who is uncertain where to direct your anger over this immobilizer issue, please read the minutes of the first consultation session regarding the proposed amendment which took place this monday Dec 3. Our members prepared minutes under at "http://www.carswithoutborders.com/consults-on-changes-to-regulation-114/". It summarizes the positions that various stakeholders took during consulations that took place last week regarding the proposed amendment. By and large, most stakeholder groups supported the proposed amendment including consumer groups, aftermarket groups, insurance companies, and most provinces. The only group that was resoundingly opposed to it and in favour of the status quo were the auto manufacturers and their associations.

TC is not immune to criticism over this issue as this situation certainly could've been prevented but what is clear is that they've recognized that the introduction of CMVSS114 has had unintended consequences and by means of this proposed amendment and a shortened consulatation period (15 days instead of 60) they have demonstrated their resolve to correct it.

This one amendment will not fix all of the problems with the current process but with your support it will become law and correct perhaps the biggest problem that most of us are currently faced with and allow us to purchase and register these vehicles.

The full text of the proposed amendment is at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2007/20071201/html/regle14-e.html

Please register your support for this amendment to the following coordinates:

Daniel B. T. Davis
Chief
Regulations and Standards
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate
Transport Canada
330 Sparks Street, 8th Floor, Tower C
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N5
Telephone: 613-998-1956
Fax: 613-990-2913
Email: Davisda@tc.gc.ca

netdog

darfer

Congrats on all the Luck. From what I understand, as soon as the Honda is imported into Canada, it becomes a grey market vehicle, and as far as Honda is concerned your Warranty will be void. Here is Honda's customers service, 1800-999-1009. I myself have been fighting with Honda for 4 weeks now, I need a Letter of Compliance, as my Label of compliance is missing from a Honda Pilot we purhcased in Virginia. They are a bugger to deal with, rude and not cooperative, I would like to sue their butts off for not giving me what I need. I believe the only law suit is regarding the pricing of New vehicles. Make sure your CRV has a compliance Label.

thecannyscot

Thanks jrawinder. I'll try and get a young non-grumpy guy at Canadian Tire!!!!

bav_fan07

Has anyone successfully imported a BMW lately? I know BMW changed the rules and put on all these new barriers:

$500 for a re-call clearance letter for the RIV
$350 for a Letter of Admissability that must be shown to customs when crossing (otherwise customs will not let you cross - this has to be from BMW Canada apparently)
BMW Canada Authorized retailer HAS to be the one make modifications to the car and they can charge you whatever they want.

Has anyone gone through this process yet? if so would you mind sharing your experiences? What did BMW charge you?

Also anyone have any idea how we can fight this type of bullying?

beaurocratsuck

Hey Netdog,
You say the only group resoundingly opposed to the amendment were the auto manufacturers and their associations.

The Carswithoutborders minutes don't imply that. They say GM and the CMVA attended Tuesday's session and had no opinion and the manu. associations blamed TC and were more inclined to keep the status quo. Soft language.

Is the "resounding opposition" your interpretation or do you have some other facts not reflected in the minutes.

tri_biker

It's pretty clear that while many of us, specifically the folks leading the charge at "Cars Without Borders" (note: special thanks to Robert Lamb), are focused on resolving the CMVSS 114 issue, it is part of a larger issue with respect to competition in Canada and the use of non-tariff trade barriers by retailers and their parent companies. This issue is larger than this forum, but as consumers (all of us), we need to make our voices heard. My latest example...

While picking up my morning coffee at STARBUCKS, I took a moment to look at some merchandise. Up until yesterday, every item at Starbucks was priced (on the sticker) in both CDN dollars and US dollars. Not anymore. Just a Canadian price. Does anyone think they lowered the Canadian price to the lower US pricepoint? NO!!! They simply removed the US price and left everything at the much higher Canadian pricepoint.

When I mentioned this intriguing price change to the Barista, and inquired as to why, he looked at me like I was from another planet.

Perhaps it is time I vote with my dollars and tastebuds and start drinking Timmy's instead? Sure, I am just one consumer, but this site has demonstrated to me that the voice of a few can be heard by many and a groundswell revolution can be started!

While we have all chosen to single out car companies and their dealer outlets, this issue applies to a myriad of products and retailers -- clothing, insurance, food, sporting goods, etc. Hopefully the Competition Bureau will put some effort into this once they have solved the Caramilk secret and returned competition to the chocolate bar market in Canada. What a farce!!!

We all know Cannon could improve things at TC, but what are Flaherty and others in the House of Commons doing to protect consumers and promote true competition in a North American Free Trade marketplace? Frankly, their US counterparts should be hitting them over the head on this too....

tri_biker

For those of you in CMVSS 114 limbo, who haven't closed on vehicles you have put a deposit on. How many of you haven't converted the balance of what you owe into US dollars?

With the recent decline of the CDN dollar, the true cost of your vehicle in limbo has gone up. I'm not naiive to think that anyone will get compensated for this, but this is just another example of how this mess continues to cost consumers.

For those of you looking to save some money, don't convert your $$ at your bank branch. Use the discount brokerage arm, as they don't usually charge an admin fee (which can be as high as 2.5%). It is typically free to set up an account. I saved between $400 and $1,000 going this route.

olivben

Thanks. I'm being told by the dealer (and I confirmed with Mass motor vehicle) that I (and the dealer) cannot get a temporary permit in Mass. The only thing to do is register it which I assume means I would have to pay the tax in Mass (and then the tax again at the border and when registering in Canada). So it would seem my choices are run without plates or pay double tax. Neither option is any good.

tri_biker

Get it shipped to the border? While it will cost you some $$$, you won't have to make a trip to Mass and pay for the trip home.

netdog

beaurocratsucks:

"... GM and the CMVA attended Tuesday's session and had no opinion ... "

This was on Tuesday which had very little turnout.

" ... the manu. associations blamed TC and were more inclined to keep the status quo."

This was on Wednesday which was attended by over 30 representatives from four groups including consumer groups, insurance and aftermarket groups, provinces and territories, and manufacturers and their associations. The first three groups were almost unanimous in their support for the current option, whereas the auto manufacturers and their associations either preferred the status quo or did not express an opinion.

I believe the minutes captured this accurately. And no, this is not my interpretation of the minutes, I participated in this session myself and the message regarding this group's position was quite clear.

Hope this helps,

netdog

bodble2

"Perhaps it is time I vote with my dollars and tastebuds and start drinking Timmy's instead?'

I think ultimately this is the only "vote" that will be heard by the retailers, be it Starbucks, or GAP, or BMW. As bav fan07 asked, how can we fight the bullying, we can only effectively fight with how and where we spend our $$. We hit them where it hurts, and sooner or later they have to come around. Of course, it is easier said than done, because they are fighting us with collusion. They figure if they all employ the same tactics, then we have nowhere to turn for our coffee, cars, magazines, etc, etc.

woodytwo

You can do what a friend of mine did. Contacted his insurance company and they indicated that the vehicle could be insured on the day that he picked it up. The buyer indicated that the state of Mass would not issue temp plate for purpose of transportation. So what he was going to do was use the Ontario plates from his current vehicle on the new vehicle in Mass. Insurance company said that he would still be insured but may get caught with driving a vehicle without valid plates. He took the chance, drove 200 miles to NY state and was able to obtain temporary plates there which were good for 30 days and good in Ontario. Take the chance and drive safely within the speed limits. BTW, Ontario will not issue you a temp permit unless you produce the original documents. So another way is to purchase the vehicle, have the docs couriered to you and then obtain your Temp plate in Ontario. I don't like this way since you have to buy the vehicle sight unseen. There are two options for you to consider. god luck.

woodytwo

Sorry. You don't need God: just Good luck. Sorry for the typo.

woodytwo

Hi.

Does anyone know if RIV will/has take(n) a Dealer's letter indicating "no recalls outstanding", with his corporate seal, and a printout of the Vehicle Inquiry Report also indicating "no recalls outstanding"?

I've got my form 1 but am waiting on form 2 for a vehicle built prior to Sept 1.

sergelbergeron

We have some cases with the same problem. (Robert Lamb is also one of them) BUt we need to get his car out of his garage. We (carswithoutborders) have a small team trying to figure the angle to fix the Honda warranty. It may have to go the legal route but if you want to give us your e-mail I can give your name to the contact who is looking at this at CWB. The more cases we have of the same Honda warranty - I believe it will give us more power.
serge@bergeron.ca

netdog

One poster on RFD - WOW recently approached the Competition Bureau concerning restrictions on importing cars from the U.S. and the difference in car prices between Canada and the U.S. and their response was basically that this was not an anti-competition issue but suggested that it might be an anti-trade issue and even provided the following contact info to take up the matter:

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
enqserv@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
1-800-267-8376

This sounds like a reasonable route to go to fix these warranty issues and other barriers to the free trade of vehicles across our border. Can we mobilize to mount enough pressure on them to seriously look into the matter? Just thinking ahead...

netdog

beaurocratsuck

Whats your prediction on the outcome of the proposed amendment

netdog

"Whats your prediction on the outcome of the proposed amendment "

Guarded optimism.

netdog

mdbuffy

everyone should go after them...they are all politicians who need to get elected. They have a reason to provide a quick solution. There are too many people in the CWB situation to ignore it....and it has opened a Pandora's box of information that never was known to many before just knew we were paying more than we should have been.

The Treasury Board contact info can be found at link title

These are the guys that need to make a decision to let the CWB cars in...
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, M.P. Ambrose.R@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable John Baird, P.C., President of the Treasury Board Baird.J@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, P.C., Minister of Industry and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernier.M@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, M.P., Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable David Emerson, P.C., Minister of International Trade Emerson.D@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable James Flaherty, P.C., Minister of Finance Flaherty.J@parl.gc.ca

Mr. Steven Fletcher, M.P. Fletcher.S@parl.gc.ca

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada Harper.S@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Robert Nicholson, P.C., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Nicholson.R@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Bev Oda, MP Oda.B@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Jim Prentice, M.P., Minister of Industry Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Charles Strahl, M.P., Deputy Speaker Strahl.C@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Vic Toews, P.C., President of the Treasury Board Toews.V@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Peter Van Loan M.P., President of the Queen's Privy Council VanLoan.P@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, M.P., Minister of National Revenue OconnG@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Secretary of State (Agriculture) ParadC@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Jay Hill, Chief Government Whip HillJ@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Senator Marjory LeBreton, Secretary of State (Seniors) lebrem@sen.parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence MackaP@parl.gc.ca

Sorry, don't know how to make e-mail addresses work.">link title

imports4all

Has anyone on this thread had (or heard of) any experience of a Canadian snowbird buying in U.S. using his U.S. residence to get around the prohibition on selling to Canadians? You would end up paying the state tax and licence fee, but save on transport costs (eg. Florida where you have to license it if you aren't shipping it directly home).

Has anyone heard of any problems using this strategy, especially getting back across the border with U.S. plates on a Canadian's vehicle? Would CBS hassle you or put you on a watch list to make sure you don't keep the vehicle in Canada more than the 30 days or whatever that you have before you have to get Canadian plates?

bobbyjoe6

This ebay forum thread is pretty much all about BMW importation and all the *wonderful* things BMW Canada is doing to help us:

http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jspa?threadID=500022243&start=0

I've put a down payment for a X3. Will probably be heading down to US about a week or two.

Still trying to find out what a "Letter of Admissibility" looks like. If anyone has any info, please post so BMW Canada gets as little money as possible.

easym1

Does anyone know how up-to -date is the NHTSA Recall List? If it is, RIV or TC can simply go to the site in their computer to check this right?

controlfreak1

I'd be interested in joining and contributing my time as much as able to the furthering of this cause. We're going through with the CR-V purchase one way or the other but will hold off purchasing third party warranty for now and will re-address it if the Honda warranty issue can't be resolved. I'll drop you an email once the consultation period is finalized and the amendments are in place and we have fully purchased our vehicle.

Thanks again to you guys and all of your work on the resolution to the current issue at hand. Now on to the next chapter, eh? It seems there will always be one more hurdle to overcome.

woodytwo

I've purchased a GM vehicle. The USA warranty will not be honoured in Canada until 12,000 miles have been accumulated. This is about 12 to 16 months of driving for me. Seems stupid to me. So I will join you in writing some letters to MP's.

maluna

I have no idea How many times I told to all of you that " YOU DO NOT NEED ANY LETTER FOR COMPLIANCE FOR HIGHLANDER SPORTS & LTD MODELS". Do not worry just send your recall letter & form1 to RIV given numbers…

Yes wrajinder, I just wanted to see you say it one more time!
OK, I have now received the 'RIV Inspection Form' to take to CT. It does not say FORM 2 anywhere on it on it. It says 'Vehicle Inspection Form' and tells me to take Form 1 to accompany it when I go for the inspection.
I'm just checking with you guys to be sure I have the right stuff.

Thanks, Maluna

altaboy

Hif you are in calgary go to the Marlborough Cdn Tire. Dont go to westhills.
Service manager @ westhills cdn tire is a great guy but he knows the drill (as he has imported a pilot himself). Marlborough inspector - young guy, didnt make me have my DTRL off disabled - easy japanesie.

altaboy

I use Globex Foreign Exchange. Large firm, reputable, good rates & only $15 wire.

beaurocratsuck

Whats your prediction on the outcome of the proposed amendment "

Guarded optimism.

I was hoping you would say I'll bet my house the amendment becomes law

altaboy

worked fine for me. here is vehicle recall summary i have been successful with
2008 gmc duramax = GM vehicle inquiry system printout showing "no outstanding campaigns" under recall section
2007 honday odyssey exl = faxed printout from honda ownerlink website. Form2 indicated no recall letter required
2008 honda ridgeline = same as odyssey
All vehicles built pre-sept.1

netdog

I am confident enough to bet YOUR house that it becomes law. How's that?

netdog

defrederick

As expected, I received my "NOTICE OF DELINQUENT FILE" today from the RIV. They have the nerve to say "We have not yet received confirmation..." as if we don't know that they are so messed up they have no idea what they've received.

Since the letter was "signed" by Gary Moriarty, the Deputy Registrar, I decided to Google "Gary Moriarty" to see if I can find an email address for him. I did stumble upon this presentation, however, that he gave to the NAATA in September. It's an interesting read for anyone looking for some background on the RIV.

The presentation contains his direct line: 416-626-2800 x4307.

I also found his email on this forum (thanks civicexportit): gmoriaty@riv.ca. I suspect that gmoriaty@adminserve.ca might also work.