# Buying a car from the US



## spirit (May 9, 2009)

My husband has a perfectly good Lexus 2005 430 with 130k. Bought it two years ago and happy with it. But a 2005 with 32k just showed up in town and we are lusting to part with some hard earned cash. It is a premium car for a premium price. I noticed that there are some exact same cars just over the US border. There are even a few with low mileage and a lot less money.:rolleyes2: Has anyone ever had a car shipped over the border? Was is worthwhile for $10000 difference in price? He would be willing to take a road trip but now is more inclined to keep the money in the bank:chuncky:if there is a lot of effort involved.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

It's not that hard.

Check riv.ca if the car is admissible.
Get recall letter from Toyota USA or a Toyota dealership indicating the car has all recalls complete (this is usually the most difficult part).
Buy car, get copy of ownership and recall letter sent to border 3 days before shipping car
Get car to border, pay taxes and duty and riv fee and A/C tax etc.

Go to Canadiantire and get a safety / RIV inspection done and register the car.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

It's not hard, but it is convoluted. Jamesbe pretty much spelled it out for you.

I had one friend do it. First you have to find the car, most dealers won't sell to Canadians, then you have to buy the car, arrange to get it to the border, make sure it has all the safety features a Canadian car would, and taadaa.


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## bayview (Nov 6, 2011)

If the US sourced car is admissible in Canada - is its warranty automatically recognised by the Canadian dealership? I have been thinking, if I would to do it one day I would go or the most expensive car I can afford to justify the "trouble".


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

crazyjackcsa said:


> most dealers won't sell to Canadians


Not from what I've seen. Most US dealers cannot sell a car without first registering it to a US address - i.e. all cars meant to be sold in the US must be registered in the US at some point in its lifetime.

This means used cars are fair game (since they are already registered in the US, and simply need that changed during the import process), or if you can manage some temporary US address, this can also work.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Good to know Sampson.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

bayview said:


> If the US sourced car is admissible in Canada - is its warranty automatically recognised by the Canadian dealership? I have been thinking, if I would to do it one day I would go or the most expensive car I can afford to justify the "trouble".


Many/most manufacturers DO NOT respect cross-border warranties. Last I checked (about 4 years ago), Toyota was one of the only manufacturers that would. If you are really concerned, buy 3rd party insurance/warranty.


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## FrugalTrader (Oct 13, 2008)

Is there a list somewhere that details the cars/trucks with the biggest difference in pricing between US and Canada?


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## bayview (Nov 6, 2011)

Sam, Thks for your info!


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

I saved 25k buying my motor home by flying to Iowa rather than buying down the road in Calgary.Don't forget that in the USA you need a certificate of title to prove ownership...not the bill of sale (ask me how I know haha)

riv.ca is your friend as noted above


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## bayview (Nov 6, 2011)

Found this on the net - Not sure whether this is updated, but it lists Canadian Warranty information on new cars bought in the U.S.

http://www.apa.ca/CanadianWarrantyinformationonnewcarsboughtintheUS.asp


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

FrugalTrader said:


> Is there a list somewhere that details the cars/trucks with the biggest difference in pricing between US and Canada?


Way out of date... but
http://www.importcartocanada.info/faq/canadian-vs-us-2008-vehicle-msrp-prices/

Tells you when I was shopping for a car last. I have been stockpiling USD though in anticipation of my next car.

One tip I learned from my brother-in-law. Unlike local/Canadian dealerships who try to avoid letting you pay by credit card, US dealerships prefer having larger deposits upfront and will allow much larger amounts to be charged onto credit cards. Depending on your card rewards system, cost of converting CAD:USD, and the rate of exchange at the time, it may be beneficial to rack up some points on the credit cards while you are at it.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

To expand on jamesbe's post, here is a pretty comprehensive 21 step guide to importing a vehicle.

http://www.importcartocanada.info/g...e-to-importing-a-car-into-canada-from-the-us/


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

We've done both used and new cars into Canada over the years for us, family, and a few friends.

The information already provided is good. 

Generally, luxery vehicles make it worth your while, but now dealers in Canada are making it much more competitive. Warrenties are generally not transferable, but there are some exceptions. Lexus/Toyota is not, we know as we have brought over a couple. You can buy 3rd party warrenty if you choose, it will run you about $2-3K, maybe a tad more.

For the most part, most dealers will not sell new, but often you can find one if you have a good relationship that will buy it and register it for you, then sell it too you used. 

The other thing to watch for is to make sure you understand the specs before you buy. The US has features that Canada does not. For example, SUV's in the US are not automatically 4WD, but usually are here.


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## phankinson (Oct 4, 2012)

I would make sure to have the owners take it to your choice of a mechanic, to have it inspected before shipping up. Know lots of people who have bought a car and had zero problems with it. I on the other hand imported a car from the US and saved a lot of money, but am starting to think it's a bit of a lemon. Have had a ton of unexpected costs and strange issues with the car. It's in the shop right now, and the mechanics have no idea what's wrong with it so they have a tech in Germany trying to diagnose it remotely.


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## sprocket1200 (Aug 21, 2009)

super easy to do, but why would you buy the exact same car to replace one with such low kms??


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

Sampson said:


> Not from what I've seen. Most US dealers cannot sell a car without first registering it to a US address - i.e. all cars meant to be sold in the US must be registered in the US at some point in its lifetime.
> 
> This means used cars are fair game (since they are already registered in the US, and simply need that changed during the import process), or if you can manage some temporary US address, this can also work.


We had no issues importing just 2 years ago and my in laws did the same last summer. Bought new, Subaru Outback. Here is how:
http://sustainablepersonalfinance.com/new-car-import-diy-save-thousands/

Wrote 5 or 6 articles on the topic on our site


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## spirit (May 9, 2009)

Sproket 1200 asked why replace the same car if we have low kilometers on the one we own. Actually, my husband is asking the same question...(; He loves the rear wheel drive Lexus. He had the 400 LS model and replaced it with the 430. That's the one he is driving now. In 2007 Lexus went with a 460 motor which we feel is getting too big. He only puts on about 20 K a year so this 2005 with 30K will probably be the last car he owns. We really do not need an SUV. He likes his Lexus, I love my Acura 3.2 and I do not think he will find another car with the same features as the Lexus.
We see a nice car with low K. I am also a bargain hunter and think we should spend the money now and enjoy the car while we are still young. Besides this car is pearl white and is absoutely a beauty. It would put a smile on his face and I could remind him each day just how happy he is because of me. And how much is that worth?


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## GregGH2 (Nov 26, 2011)

Hi

got a quick minute - check this thread out on importing cars ....(smile)

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/wow-new-used-cars-us-up-30-cheaper-read-post-1-a-307601/

now --that is one big thread ...

Greg


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

That was the thread I used to learn how to import. In the end I took 1 day off of work and saved about $9500 when compared to buying the same vehicle in Canada. I'll be buying our vehicles in the US from here on out - I can't justify paying the 20%-30% markup for a vehicle sold in Canada.



GregGH2 said:


> Hi
> 
> got a quick minute - check this thread out on importing cars ....(smile)
> 
> ...


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

Sustainable PF said:


> I'll be buying our vehicles in the US from here on out - I can't justify paying the 20%-30% markup for a vehicle sold in Canada.


The difference in pricing has narrowed significantly in recent years, and for some warranty coverage is worth a little bit. But overall, I agree shopping in the US for a car makes sense now, mainly due to the strength of our currency, if it goes back to $0.85 or $0.65, then definitely not worthwhile.


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

There is a stigma for resale as well. This is changing, slowly. We don't plan to resell our Outback. It will get driven into the ground.
I agree $0.65 makes it not worth it but @ $0.85 I would still look at the difference in prices and consider importing.
I don't have issues w/ the warranty. I get work done, pay the local dealer, send receipts to Subaru of America and they send me a cheque. Only had some minor issues for about $65 but I got the money back.



Sampson said:


> The difference in pricing has narrowed significantly in recent years, and for some warranty coverage is worth a little bit. But overall, I agree shopping in the US for a car makes sense now, mainly due to the strength of our currency, if it goes back to $0.85 or $0.65, then definitely not worthwhile.


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