Import a Vehicle to Canada

Before you import a car or any other kind of vehicle, and spend thousands of dollars it is crucial to check that the vehicle is allowed by Transport Canada.

The below are factors that you should check over carefully,

Admissibility

Some vehicles from the US will be inadmissible according Transport Canada Regulations so double check the list to avoid disappointment.  Here is the link to check and see if your vehicle is ok. – Transport Canada’s list of admissible and inadmissible vehicles. All other foreign vehicles are inadmissible unless they are 15 years or older or fall under a few rare exceptions.

Modification

Keep in mind some vehicle may require more modification than others. Also the cost of the modification can vary quite a bit depending on manufacturer. For example, some vehicle manufactures charge a lot just to switch the odometer from miles to kilometres. After market modified vehicles are not admissible.

Grey Market Vehicles

Grey market vehicles are European-specification vehicles that are re-certified by a U.S. company. The Registrar of Importer Vehicles program is applicable to vehicles manufactured to comply with the U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards and meet the basic Canadian safety standards. As a grey market vehicle is re-certified it cannot be imported into Canada. Grey Market vehicles are deemed prohibited. They might have some sort of a label affixed by the U.S. Company which modified the vehicle. There could also be a statement such as “imported by” or “altered” or “modified” on the label, by a company other than the original manufacturer. A further potential warning sign would be the absence of a SOC label.

Warranty

Some manufacturers in Canada will not honour a warranty for a vehicle manufactured by their sister company in the US. As such I highly recommend contacting the manufacturer to research their warranty program. Otherwise, you may find yourself having to drive to the US every time you need work done that would be covered by your warranty.