Ask the Car People.SM


Importing Canadian Vehicles to the U.S.

448 messages,  Last post on Mar 08, 2013 at 7:35 AM

You are in the Smart Shopper Forum.

What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 41 of 46

#393 of 448 Re: bringing a canadian car to the U.S. [janalapel] by joeyfmx

Jul 08, 2010 (12:55 pm)

Replying to: janalapel (May 23, 2010 10:44 pm)
did you ever figure it out? I am a us citizen but bought a car in canada, and I need to register it here in phoenix, az

#394 of 448 Re: bringing a canadian car to the U.S. [joeyfmx] by janalapel

Jul 09, 2010 (4:33 pm)

Replying to: joeyfmx (Jul 08, 2010 12:55 pm)
I was ready to drive back to Cn. and re-enter the U.S. from Alberta to import my van...when a friend from the military offered to simply drive me to Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix...to U.S. customs where the whole process took ten minutes. They had all the necessary forms I was told I couldn't get except at the border. I downloaded them from the internet...but they had them ready and highlighted for easy work. The ONLY required document I had to provide was the letter of compliance (one sentence!!) from Chrysler Canada (actually came from Chrylser in Michigan and that took a few days of begging and faxing different numbers to get to the right department) plus the registration from Alberta.
Same thing at motor vehicle dept. took no time at all...with documents from customs and the Chrysler letter of compliance and registration from Alberta. And to think of all the hoops I was going thru to do this. No inspection was necessary on my 8 yr. old van...other than emissions test I volunteered and paid for before I knew all this. It is definitely possible if you get the right information.

#395 of 448 Re: bringing a canadian car to the U.S. [janalapel] by joeyfmx

Jul 09, 2010 (8:33 pm)

Replying to: janalapel (Jul 09, 2010 4:33 pm)
Ok, I have a honda but it should be the same I hope, I gotta get to new westminster and drive it here soon, uh what a long drive, thanks for the reply!

#396 of 448 Re: bringing a canadian car to the U.S. [janalapel] by joeyfmx

Jul 09, 2010 (8:36 pm)

Replying to: janalapel (Jul 09, 2010 4:33 pm)
Oh what form did you download? hs-7? And what did that one scentence compliance letter from chrysler canada say on it exactly? thanks again!

#397 of 448 Importing Canadian car to the U.S. by janalapel

Jul 11, 2010 (3:26 pm)

Yes, it was the hs-7 document I downloaded...but didn't need since the airport customs people had that document ready for me to fill out. And the Chrylser "letter" (which ended up coming from the Michigan customer service dept. and not Canada after all) simply stated: The vehicle model, year and vin number and that it was compliant with U.S. safety standards. One sentence and one document that had one box to check off...was all I needed. No expensive changes to the speedometer or odometer were required...even thought the local former Canadian importer I talked to told me it would take him 8 weeks to do all the mechanical work and paper work required to import my van. Watch out for wrong information and people looking to take your money everywhere.

#398 of 448 Re: Importing Canadian car to the U.S. [janalapel] by joeyfmx

Jul 11, 2010 (10:55 pm)

Replying to: janalapel (Jul 11, 2010 3:26 pm)
Thank you for the info! I am wondering if you have to be there in person or not because I may just fax them the info so when I cross into usa from canada they will just look at the car and Im guessing they give you a piece of paper so you can register/title/get plates at az mvd?

#399 of 448 importing a vehicle at the U.S. /Cn. border by janalapel

Jul 12, 2010 (9:19 am)

As I understand it....if you are entering the U.S. as a legal resident...with either citizenship or resident status...you can fill out the import documents at the time you cross the border and then you have what you need to get your Az. license plate. I had crossed the border as a snowbird with my van...since I wasn't sure if I was going to stay longer than 6 mos. at the time. I am a U.S. citizen but lived in Alberta for more than 30 years. Finding out about the airport customs saved me a trip back to Alberta...but if your vehicle is in B.C. and you have to go get it...you should be able to accomplish the importing at the border.
I do know they require a letter of compliance with U.S. safety standards from the manufacturer and likely they will require an inspection of some kind. Talk to the customs officers at the border crossing you will go through. hope this helps!

#400 of 448 Re: importing a vehicle at the U.S. /Cn. border [janalapel] by gmidd

Aug 07, 2010 (4:29 pm)

Replying to: janalapel (Jul 12, 2010 9:19 am)
Janalapel, earlier you wrote:
The ONLY required document I had to provide was the letter of compliance (one sentence!!) from Chrysler Canada (actually came from Chrylser in Michigan and that took a few days of begging and faxing different numbers to get to the right department) plus the registration from Alberta.
I am in the process of "importing" a car also. I have been denied this "Letter of Compliance" from Chrysler 3 times now. I even tried to get it through Dodge since the vehicle is a Dodge Van and a "Roadtrek" model. They say they will not supply the letter to a US citizen. Can you tell me what phone numbers you called or faxed? I already paid the Ca. citizen for the Roadtrek before I found out about the customs issue and the seller will not reverse the transaction. I'm stuck. Any other help or advice you or anyone else can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

#401 of 448 Re: importing a vehicle at the U.S. /Cn. border [gmidd] by janalapel

Aug 07, 2010 (5:32 pm)

Replying to: gmidd (Aug 07, 2010 4:29 pm)
I wonder if it is because I am also a permanent resident of Cn. but am a U.S. citizen...who was living in Alberta when I bought the Caravan there in 2002 (am the original owner of the van)...drove it here as a snowbird and decided to stay. .
 
I first contact Chrysler of Cn. but they forwarded my request for the letter of compliance to Michigan...customer service: Phone 800-992-1997 the bottom of the so-called letter contained this information:
Chrysler Group LLC CIMS 484-04-04 P.O. Box 21-8004 Auburn Hills, Mi. 48321
Letter signature "J.W.K." Senior Staff
The only information given was the vin number and that the vehicle met all U.S. federal safety and emission requirements...except labeling, in effect at the time it was manufactured.
 It didn't even require an inspection.
I am not sure why this letter is so difficult to obtain. I called alot of numbers and faxed several times...finally got somebody to provide this simple statement. Went to customs at the airport and filled out the forms...same thing at Motor Vehicles.
It took weeks...but in the end took minutes! All because of that letter...and bad information from the Cn./U.S. border in Montana saying I had to re-enter the U.S. to get the right documents when they can be downloaded from the internet!!!
Hopefully being persistent will bring similar results.

#402 of 448 Re: importing a vehicle at the U.S. /Cn. border [janalapel] by gmidd

Aug 09, 2010 (8:16 am)

Replying to: janalapel (Aug 07, 2010 5:32 pm)
Just trying to be clear. You said you called several numbers and faxed several places before you got someone to provide the "letter". Is the number you gave me in the last reply the one that finally provided the letter?
Thanks again for any help.

Messages Page 41 of 46

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement