Well, I did it and here is the checklist of things you gotta do to bring over a vehicle... with the internet it is so much easier to do. I bought my Toyota Tundra CrewMax for $44,000 USD brand new. Here in the GTA, the same vehicle was running around $60,000 CDN.
1. Determine the warranty ramifications - consult with the Canadian arm of your vehicle manufacturer and outline your scenario (they may chose not to honor it for the first six months or more however I believe Safety recalls have to be honored)
2. Notify U.S. Customs and Border Protection at your port of export and for that matter Canada Border Services Agency (Customs) at your port of import one week in advance of your purchase
3. To save yourself aggravation and qualify for the greatest discount insist on full purchase from the U.S. dealer (no U.S. financing required). If you need and qualify for a new car loan arrange it in Canada. Disclose what you are intending to do to your bank or trust. Confirm the logistics involved in wiring the funds (EFT) from your bank to it’s correspondent bank in the U.S. You want to be sure that everything is in order prior to handing over your funds to the U.S. Dealer.
4. Pay RIV fee ($209 all Provinces except Quebec which is $224) - Arrange CTC inspection within 45 days of import
5. Have the U.S. dealer provide a Letter of Compliance or recall clearance letter. It states whether or not there are any outstanding safety defects on your vehicle and recalled by the manufacturer. The recall letter must come from either the manufacturers head office or authorized American dealer (not re-seller). Contact the U.S. head office of the manufacturer ask if the dealer can issue the same. RIV will only accept a letter is on company letterhead with the manufacturers logo. U.S. dealerships must include address as well as the manager's name and signature. The VIN (17 digit vehicle identification number) must be included in the letter.
6. You will find that generally for an admissible new vehicle to pass inspection, we need:
a. Daytime running lights (DRL’s) [Not an issue with current model GM’s. DRL’s should be programmable by any reputable service department of most manufacturers. Arrange it with your US Dealer service dept prior to purchase]
b. Metric Speedometer [Metric may already exist on most speedometers. If not, changing it at a Canadian dealer may only cost about $300.00 (they have to input the correct odometer reading pursuant to the Excise Act). Another alternative to pass inspection is “stickers” on your speedometer - Contact the RIV to confirm].
7. Pay GST (7%) and appropriate PST or HST in Atlantic Canada at the port of entry - reference the Bank of Canada for the foreign exchange rate on the date of sale.
8. There is no duty if your vehicle originated in Canada or the United States.
9. There will be $100 excise tax if the vehicle has air conditioning
10. If they are particularly diligent, you may have to pay CBSA addtionally imposed excise taxes. If your passenger car weighs more than 2,007 kilograms or 4,425 pounds. Multi-purpose vehicles (vans and SUV’s) and station wagons have a greater weight allowance, 2268 kilograms or 5000 lbs. This fee is scaled in increments of 15 Kg but the most you may pay would be about $300 +/- for something as big as a Chevrolet Suburban.
That's pretty much it. I'll just add a few points:
-Most cars make the RIV list, but not all, so do be sure that yours is on it. While most cars make it, some would be very costly or next to impossible to get into compliance.
-Tethers for child seats can be an issue for some cars. Again, most cars will make the grade, but some won't. The RIV list should help with this.
-Notifying the US port of exit by fax is essential, but a few day's notice may be sufficient. I'd double check this on your own, don't take my word for it.
-The metric speedometer shouldn't be issue for most cars, because US speedometers almost always have metric markings as a secondary marking, which seem to be good enough.
-For the odometer, a sticker that makes it clear that the reading is in miles and that provides a math conversion formula (if I'm not mistaken, this is provided by Canadian Tire) might be enough, but double check this. If you have a digital odometer that can flipped between standard and metric, then obviously you need not do anything.
-You might also require bilingual stickers for your airbags, safety equipment, etc. If the warning labels on the passenger visor are not in French, a bilingual sticker is required. (Sorry, I don't have more details about where you get the conversion stickers, or what happens if you don't.)
Again, the real equipment issues seem to be focused on DRL's, child tethers, the odometer sticker and bilingual markings. The fax to US customs is a must, as is the "recall letter". Warranties can also be an issue, depending upon the brand, so be careful. Changing gauge clusters should not be necessary for virtually any car.
Cheers and happy saving $$$ while buying new vehicles in the US for cheaper than used ones in Canada!
1. Determine the warranty ramifications - consult with the Canadian arm of your vehicle manufacturer and outline your scenario (they may chose not to honor it for the first six months or more however I believe Safety recalls have to be honored)
2. Notify U.S. Customs and Border Protection at your port of export and for that matter Canada Border Services Agency (Customs) at your port of import one week in advance of your purchase
3. To save yourself aggravation and qualify for the greatest discount insist on full purchase from the U.S. dealer (no U.S. financing required). If you need and qualify for a new car loan arrange it in Canada. Disclose what you are intending to do to your bank or trust. Confirm the logistics involved in wiring the funds (EFT) from your bank to it’s correspondent bank in the U.S. You want to be sure that everything is in order prior to handing over your funds to the U.S. Dealer.
4. Pay RIV fee ($209 all Provinces except Quebec which is $224) - Arrange CTC inspection within 45 days of import
5. Have the U.S. dealer provide a Letter of Compliance or recall clearance letter. It states whether or not there are any outstanding safety defects on your vehicle and recalled by the manufacturer. The recall letter must come from either the manufacturers head office or authorized American dealer (not re-seller). Contact the U.S. head office of the manufacturer ask if the dealer can issue the same. RIV will only accept a letter is on company letterhead with the manufacturers logo. U.S. dealerships must include address as well as the manager's name and signature. The VIN (17 digit vehicle identification number) must be included in the letter.
6. You will find that generally for an admissible new vehicle to pass inspection, we need:
a. Daytime running lights (DRL’s) [Not an issue with current model GM’s. DRL’s should be programmable by any reputable service department of most manufacturers. Arrange it with your US Dealer service dept prior to purchase]
b. Metric Speedometer [Metric may already exist on most speedometers. If not, changing it at a Canadian dealer may only cost about $300.00 (they have to input the correct odometer reading pursuant to the Excise Act). Another alternative to pass inspection is “stickers” on your speedometer - Contact the RIV to confirm].
7. Pay GST (7%) and appropriate PST or HST in Atlantic Canada at the port of entry - reference the Bank of Canada for the foreign exchange rate on the date of sale.
8. There is no duty if your vehicle originated in Canada or the United States.
9. There will be $100 excise tax if the vehicle has air conditioning
10. If they are particularly diligent, you may have to pay CBSA addtionally imposed excise taxes. If your passenger car weighs more than 2,007 kilograms or 4,425 pounds. Multi-purpose vehicles (vans and SUV’s) and station wagons have a greater weight allowance, 2268 kilograms or 5000 lbs. This fee is scaled in increments of 15 Kg but the most you may pay would be about $300 +/- for something as big as a Chevrolet Suburban.
That's pretty much it. I'll just add a few points:
-Most cars make the RIV list, but not all, so do be sure that yours is on it. While most cars make it, some would be very costly or next to impossible to get into compliance.
-Tethers for child seats can be an issue for some cars. Again, most cars will make the grade, but some won't. The RIV list should help with this.
-Notifying the US port of exit by fax is essential, but a few day's notice may be sufficient. I'd double check this on your own, don't take my word for it.
-The metric speedometer shouldn't be issue for most cars, because US speedometers almost always have metric markings as a secondary marking, which seem to be good enough.
-For the odometer, a sticker that makes it clear that the reading is in miles and that provides a math conversion formula (if I'm not mistaken, this is provided by Canadian Tire) might be enough, but double check this. If you have a digital odometer that can flipped between standard and metric, then obviously you need not do anything.
-You might also require bilingual stickers for your airbags, safety equipment, etc. If the warning labels on the passenger visor are not in French, a bilingual sticker is required. (Sorry, I don't have more details about where you get the conversion stickers, or what happens if you don't.)
Again, the real equipment issues seem to be focused on DRL's, child tethers, the odometer sticker and bilingual markings. The fax to US customs is a must, as is the "recall letter". Warranties can also be an issue, depending upon the brand, so be careful. Changing gauge clusters should not be necessary for virtually any car.
Cheers and happy saving $$$ while buying new vehicles in the US for cheaper than used ones in Canada!
