What should I watch out for when purchasing a vehicle to import into Canada?
As with any vehicle purchase, you need to excercise caution when purchasing a vehicle from the US to import into Canada. Some things you need to watch out for include:
- Check to make sure you are aware of the vehicle’s emissions status. As of March 19th 2007 there is an excise tax charged on fuel inefficient vehicles. A list of vehicles and their excise taxes (if any) can be found here or you can search a specific model here.
- Make sure there are no outstanding U.S. debts on the vehicle. - US Customs will not let vehicles be exported if the title is not in your name and paid for in full.
- Beware of Flood Damaged vehicles - check with the seller and get an AutoCheck report. Although you are legally entitled to import these vehicles, they are branded as “Salvage” title after importation. Each province has their own way of dealing with this, but in some provinces this means they are ‘non-repairable’ and can only be used for parts.
- If you are buying on eBay, never deal with the seller off of eBay. In other words, always use eBay’s messaging/mailing system rather than your own email. Many times this is an attempt to scam you, and with a vehicle purchase, there is a lot of money to be lost.
- Always call to talk to the seller and get a feel for what kind of person they are. You may have to trust your instinct if something smells fishy.
- Watch out for ‘a little rust’. Although many vehicles from the southern United States are generally rust-free, many of the northern states use salt to de-ice the roads just like some provinces. Some of these vehicles travel south from time to time and therefore could still have rust as well. A little rust could mean a lot - so get a Carchex inspection to make sure what you see on paper is what is on the car
- Double check VIN numbers. Always make sure the number on the title is the same as on the vehicle. You will not be able to import the vehicle at all if these do not match - you will be shit outta luck and the seller will likely be on his way to Mexico with your money.
- Make sure it’s not stolen. Run the VIN number at the police station if your suspicious, otherwise the title and the AutoCheck report should be enough to tell.
- Make sure you havent forgotten any of the costs involved. Don’t forget possible travel expenses, food, gas. Factor everything in. MyBorderPro does a good job of estimating all the fees, but make your own chart to make sure you know what your in for - and be realistic.
