Vehicle Recall – Check before importing a vehicle to Canada
Vehicle Recalls
It is also your responsibility to ensure that the vehicle you are importing is free from any safety recalls. To prove this you can request a letter from the manufacturer attesting to this fact or ask your local dealer.
Here is a link to the RIV Programs website where you can search the major manufacturers and their contact info. – Recall check
*Sometime there can be a cost associated in procuring this letter.
Direct from Registrar of Imported Vehicles (website):
Acceptable forms of recall clearance documentation
RIV will accept any of the following recall clearance information:
- A letter from the vehicle manufacturer’s U.S. or Canadian head office.
The letter must be written on company letterhead clearly stating that there are no outstanding recalls for the vehicle. If the manufacturer’s logo does not appear on the letter, it will be rejected. The letter must be dated and signed by an authorized employee of the manufacturer and include their name and title, the vehicle identification number (VIN), year, make and model. RIV routinely forwards a copy of these letters to the manufacturer for authentication.
- A printout from an American or Canadian dealership’s vehicle service database.
This document must be produced by an authorized dealer and not a reseller. You can confirm whether or not a dealership is authorized by visiting the manufacturer’s web site or by calling their head office and providing them with the dealership’s location. The printout must also contain the 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN), year, make and model, and indicate that there are no outstanding recalls. RIV routinely forwards a copy of these printouts to the manufacturer for authentication.
- Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) web site.
Some manufacturers post their recall information on their public web sites specific to the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This recall information will be accepted subject to verification by RIV.
Vehicles with multiple manufacturers
If you are importing a bus, limousine or any other vehicle that results from more than one manufacturer, you may require two recall clearance documents. Where the final stage manufacturer provides a recall clearance letter that also references the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) recall information, only one letter is necessary.
Normally, the recall clearance letter from the final stage manufacturer will say, “Please contact the chassis manufacturer for recall information.” It is your responsibility to determine the number of recall clearance letters that are necessary. The final stage manufacturer of your vehicle can also assist you with this.