With the Canadian dollar edging over parity and analysts indicating it may go as high as $1.05 to $1.10 this year, is importing a truck worth the efforts? I priced a 2010 3500 DW 4x4 Laramie at $73K in Kenora. Surely it's worth the pain to look in the US?

Thanks,

Chris Rodgers

 

I would say the effort is worth the potential savings, just do your research. The Canadian customs webpage will give you all the details you need, including a list of vehicles not permitted for import into Canada. Most regular production vehicles can be imported without a problem.

This was the website I used when I brought a 2006 F350 into Alberta:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...f5048-eng.html

The only thing the canadian gov't won't tell you is that you have to EXPORT the vehicle from the US before you get to the Canadian side. A simple procedure but it is mandatory.

Once you're in Canada, there's two inspections the vehicle must pass, provincial and federal.

Federal (must be done first):

Visit your local dealer and have them run the VIN and print off a statement that says your vehicle has no outstanding recalls pending (if there are, get them fixed).

Then you must take the vehicle to a Canadian Tire to have it federally inspected (usually the only change required is installation/activation of daytime running lights). My advice is to install the DRL module yourself to keep the CT knuckleheads out of your new vehicle's wiring. With new vehicles, the DRL feature can often be activated at the dealer.


Provincial:

This process is the same process to register as an out-of-province vehicle, take it to your local shop for an assessment (usually about $150) and take the form to you registry office to get plates and you're done.



I may have forgotten something....I'll repost if it comes to me....

 

Be sure you have the ownership sent to the proper port of entry that you have to use for your location 72 hours prior or you may be in for a fine! It will cost you 195 RIV cost at the border on the Canadian side only if you get the paperwork from the US side and then the Canadian customs will give you the RIV receipt then you need to get your inspections. You will have to pay your taxes too but that will be when you plate it I believe. I think you have to have an emissions test done too but not sure on that, I was told that but makes no sense. Get a few US prices and then figure out what it will cost you and then go to some Canadian dealers and show them what you can get I bet they can beat it how do they do things like give me 3300 in warranty for 1300...tells you the mark up on the extras.

 

I priced out a loaded 2008 4x4 F450 dually King Ranch at Gibson's Truck World (owner is a former Canuck) The price came in around $38K with under 100 miles. I did the Ford on-line build your own truck for a 2011 F450 King Ranch and had a seizure when the build price came in at over $93K.
Gibsons seems to put the extra effort in bringing their used trucks up to more than acceptable safety standards. I'd really like to shop Canadian and will keep looking before making a decision.
Thanks guys,

Chris

 

If you have a line of credit for 50 grand or so, and have the abillity to wait for US customs to allow truck out of the States, than shop in the U.S.A.

All Ram Heavy duty trucks are built in Mexico for US. and Canadian markets.

Dodge, Ford, GM, dealer in the states can reprogram for day time running lights, thats not a big deal, Canadain Tire has exclusive rights to do the inspection on the Canadain side..

Be preparded for the goofs who go by the name Canada boarder services, AKA Canada Customs. They determine market vaule of a imported truck, not basied on what you paid in the state's, HST, Tire taxs, air cond tax add up.

Back in 06 when I bought my hemi 2500 Ram, I was stunned to find CTD trucks in Port Angelis Wash priced in US. funds cheaper than my hemi powerd Ram in CDN funds.

 

It's well worth the savings, you pay the taxes, the RIV ($215) and the inspection at crappy tire ($250) I've done it 3 times already with 2 motorcycles, and my last ram.
Just remember to get the title stamped for export when you are leaving the USA, and always fax the title of the vehicle in at least 72 hours before you cross. Keep the fax confirmation letter as proof you sent the title to them
Good luck with it

 

I just bought my new 2011 dodge ram sport 5.7L fully loaded pickup. I put in a Cold Air Intake. I'm planning on installing performance plugs, a performance thermostate and I wanted to install a programmer as well. Dodge in Alberta said if I install a chip it will void my warranty. Is there anyway to clear your computer before taking it in to get serviced so dodge won't see that I ran a programmer on my pickup ? I want to buy this chip for my 2011 - http://www.autotrucktoys.com/ram/Hyp...-PRD27423.aspx. It says that you can reset to factory settings in the manual. Would dodge be ableto pickup or void my warranty if I pulled my chip - programmer and reset to factory settings ? If you know the answer to this question it would help me a great deal and many others I'm sure.

 

When you buying any vehicle in US New/Old don't forget the warranty is only Valid there!!!

Canadian Dealers don't honor US vehicles with warranty in Canada

 

John, that's a crock of shat. They cannot legally do that. It's been proven in case-law over and over.

I was involved in exporting trucks to the USA for years and that was always the threat. Once the case-law was proven, they found other ways to affect the exporting of Trucks from Canada to the USA. Every single one of them underhanded and crushed by the courts.

 

It can be done, although there are a lot of issues to deal with. Vehicles are either allowed or prohibited, and most "allowed" vehicles require modifications at your expense. There's a lot of paperwork, on both sides of the border, and you may require a letter from the manufacturer stating one thing or another, which can take time and might have to be done before you cross the border.

Because of regulations regarding country of origin and NAFTA, some manufacturers in the past have prohibited their dealers from selling cars that will be imported into Canada. The short answer is you must make one car in Canada for every car sold in Canada to qualify as a domestic manufacturer. (It's a one-for-one deal; ie all Gen IV Camaros were made in Canada so GM dealers can sell a Camaro in the US and then import a US-made Corvette to be sold at a Canadian dealer; the Corvette would be treated as if made in Canada).

For companies that keep that number tight ( *Cough* Ford *Cough*) imports of new vehicles can cause big problems if too many Canadians import cars bought in the 'states. Dealers in the US near the border have had their franchise yanked over this in the past. The further you get from the border, the less likely you will run into a dealer that will refuse to sell you a car if he know's you're going to export it to Canada. This may or may not still be an issue, but it certainly has been previously.

Transport Canada should be contacted directly with specific make and model information BEFORE you buy a vehicle outside of Canada.

No modifications from showroom stock allowed.

This is from Transport Canada but is not guaranteed to be accurate; CONTACT them directly and find out FOR SURE before buying a vehicle in the US:

This only applies to vehicles certified to comply with all US Safety Standards:

Dodge Trucks less than 10,000 GVW

Admissible:
More than 15 years old
Less than 15 years old but manufactured before Sept 1 2007
2008 Dodge Dakota pickup trucks [EIS]
2008 TO 2010 All other models
2011 All models [EIS]

Nothing on 2012 vehicles; contact Transport Canada

[EIS] refers to the immobilizer. All cars and trucks sold in Canada after 2007 must have one that meets Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) 114. The [EIS] tag in the above "Admissible" category means that the listed Dodge trucks DO NOT meet CMVSS 144 due to the immobilizer system.

Note: some people who import vehicles from the US believe that starting with the 2011 model year, manufacturers are deliberately offering different EIS systems in the US and Canada to discourage imports into Canada. I'll leave that up to you to decide whether it's true or not.

EIS can be expensive; it's completely integrated into the vehicles computer system.

Contact the manufacturer to see if the appropriate EIS system can be installed or modified to be compliant. It may be an option on US spec vehicles; if so be sure it's both compliant and installed as a factory option (on the Monrony label).

Aftermarket EIS systems are possible but you had better be sure it's available and compliant. Modifying the EIS may affect the warranty.

CMVSS also addresses seat belts. BE SURE the seat belts meet CMVSS because modifications of any kind to the seat belts are prohibited under any circumstances, so non-compliant seat belts mean you cannot register the vehicle in Canada, period.

Child Restraint harnesses and anchor points can be installed or modified where necessary after importation but before inspection.

This is important ... no CMVSS 114-compliant EIS, you won't be able to keep/register the truck in Canada. Find out FOR SURE.

A letter from the manufacturer stating all outstanding recalls have been addressed is mandatory.

Daytime Running Lights ... often not a problem with new vehicles like it once was, since the required equipment may already be installed, but not activated. This can sometimes be done by the dealer.

Manual Transmission (May 2005 or newer) ... must not start without either fully depressing the clutch or some other system to fully disengage the drive train.

There can be other things that must be modified/installed. For example, some vehicles do not meet CMVSS for glass, so all windows must be replaced (usually older vehicles).

Not a trivial task, but can be done. Lots of paperwork, planning, and double-checking required. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and don't take anyone's, including my, word for anything. Find out yourself, for sure. And find out what all the necessary mods will cost, since you will have to pay for them before you can register the vehicle, plus how long they will take, since the vehicle cannot stay in Canada in non-compliant state forever, even with valid out-of-Canada plates and insurance.

FYI: I've imported motorcycles, and non-school buses, and quads, but never cars or trucks, from the US.