How to import a BMW into Canada without getting rear ended

LOL everything this guy has said has been total bull shit. I brought my car up 1.5 years ago, paid nothing to BMW to do so and it has had some major warranty work done on a couple of occasions.

stizzi wrote

Nah, I just came back from the dealer just now and I asked again. My buddy is a serice tech he said they can tell you didn't go through BMW Canada because

1.) It shows up on their computer when you go in indicating that US warranty is not honoured in Canada without cdn modifications + recall letter + cluster swap

2.) When the tech plugs into your car it will show that your vehicle is a U.S car because it hasn't been programmed in Canada specs (didn't quite understand, but when u go thru bmw canada they program your vehicle for cdn spec).

So yeah the warranty is not covered in canada unless u pay the big bucks, which isn't worth it IMO.

Lucikly my warranty is honored

Modmike wrote

CPO warranties are non transferable from the US to Canada, I had mine deleted by the New Jersey dealer I bought the car from. They had to pay BMW $300 to cancel it but ultimately I saved about $1200. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have it but no dice. Furthermore I was told that once the car was imported the CPO warranty was no longer valid in the US either.

Damn that sucks haha

So basically we only get the remaining duration of the exsisting warranty?

supersonic1 wrote

LOL everything this guy has said has been total bull shit. I brought my car up 1.5 years ago, paid nothing to BMW to do so and it has had some major warranty work done on a couple of occasions.

I'm just telling you what the service tech at BMW here told me when I went in for my engine misfire issue (see other thread)... You can google the issue, it is a known policy that BMW won't honor a US warranty in canada unless you get recall done by a BMW dealer.

I suppose it is at the discretion of the BMW dealer to honour your warranty since some of you have it covered...

No need for the "bullshit" remarks when I'm telling you what I was told... What's up with the hostility on the forums?

Great post. I'll think twice about my buying my next car in Canada. This, coupled with the fact that US dealerships can no longer ship parts into Canada really makes me question the ethics of BMW Canada.

Nice work

subscribed

jasonintoronto wrote

great writeup

+1. Hopefully MODs make it a Sticky on Canadian Section.

I remember reading an article 2-3 years ago about how cheap (and easy) it was for us to import new cars from Canada.It said that many thousands did it every year.Of course the US dollar has lost serious value against the Canadian dollar since then and,I'll wager,the US gov't (and perhaps the Canadian gov't as well) have instituted more draconian restrictions (emmissions,etc) so even if it made sense at one time it probably doesn't today.

Here's an easy question for those of you who have completed the RIV process:

Where did you put the sticker they sent you? It's kind of a big honkin' thing and I can't find anywhere on the door pillar or door jam that it will fit nicely without obscuring something else.

Thanks!

Any update on Part 2?

Just pulled the trigger on a 128i, so looking to import in a couple weeks

I posted this in the other "import from the US thread" as well. Sorry for the duplicate.

I'm considering doing this next spring/summer for a 1-2yo M3.

Being that I live in Prince Albert, SK any US car is going to be 1000 and likely 2000+K away. Has anybody else done this over a long distance? How do you do it without making multiiple trips to the US dealer. As I see it I'll have to be nearly 100% certain I'll want the car before I start the process. If I do it in person I'll need to fly down, purchase the car, send the bill of sale to the border and then arrive there no sooner than 72hrs later.

Now how about paying for the car? Would I need to negotiate the exact price before I got there and get a certified cheque or money order from a bank here? Or can I still negotiate the price once I get down there and then get a Certified Cheque made there? I dont know much about international banking so I'm not sure how this part works.

I need to get temporary plates from the US dealer and a service record with a statement that no recalls are necessary. I also get him to turn on DRL's. Now once this is all done I can drive the car to the border with bill of sale, this piece of paper (lots of copies) and make sure it's no sooner than 3 days before I sent the bill of sale to the border.

Now I'm a litlle uncertain on the RIV timeline. Is that all done after I arrive here, or do I need to send something to them while in the US or before I leave Canada?

Sorry if that's a lot of questions, but it seems most people just drive across to a dealership close by. I wish I could do that, but I highly doubt that will be the case.

Make this a sticky please,,,,
Its time for me to buy an M3 for winter

you are such a wonderful guy and we all thank you for your great help!

Nikos335i wrote

Agreed!

The only difference is that the dealer gets their money from BMW USA and not BMW Canada!

This is like saying that if your car breaks down in the US while on vacation a US dealer wouldn't work on your car!?!?!

I understand my example is not quite the same but these Canadian dealers should wise up a little as they are making money on servicing these cars!!!

I'm not 100% sure on what the dealerships will do when it comes to honoring warranty because these dealers up here are crooks as far as I'm concerned. One sales guy went as far as telling me that they'd treat me like a stepson when I get my US imported vehicle in for service.

I WILL however import a US vehicle and worst case expect resistance at time of warranty work. I will get the work done at BMW Buffalo if I have to and then, I will write to the Toronto Star and other media outlets and complain to whoever I have to get the dealers to honor warranty because as per BMW Canada's website on March 7, 2011: the new car warranty is honored on cars as long as a) CMVSS 108 requirements are met and b) also BMW Canada's warranty validation is satisfied. Since no details are provided on this "validation", one can only assume that this is to check if the vehicle is within the new car warranty period.

Modmike wrote

CPO warranties are non transferable from the US to Canada, I had mine deleted by the New Jersey dealer I bought the car from. They had to pay BMW $300 to cancel it but ultimately I saved about $1200. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have it but no dice. Furthermore I was told that once the car was imported the CPO warranty was no longer valid in the US either.

Hey Modmike.....

I can understand that CPO won't be honored by BMW Canada....but why would BMW USA not honor CPO once the car is exported outside of the US?

If CPO is indeed lost, then can one buy extended warranties in the US (like AAA Diamond Plan, see attached) that are honored in Canada?

Modmike is incorrect.

I had no problem getting my imported car serviced under warranty in Buffalo. I never tried bringing it to a Canadian dealer. But now that the warranty has expired (too many miles) I have had no problem buying parts from a Canadian dealer to be installed by my local garage.

No dealer can "delete the warranty". If the dealer refuses to honour the warranty, go to a different dealer. I never had a problem getting warranty work done, and I don't know anyone else who had a problem either.

We saved about $11,000 by importing our car. My next car will be imported too.

Brilliant Post from ModMike.

I am trying to determine if a 2007 328i coupe is cheaper to import from the south (thinking Texas) or buy used in Montreal.

example of a BMW Warranty Vehicle Inquiry attached

ChrisZ wrote

Brilliant Post from ModMike.

I am trying to determine if a 2007 328i coupe is cheaper to import from the south (thinking Texas) or buy used in Montreal.

example of a BMW Warranty Vehicle Inquiry attached

I picked up a 2008 328xi (nav+premium+cold packages, white/red) and with 20,000 miles, it was $29,000 USD. I asked a salesguy who was talking to me (GTA dealership) and he was very honest in telling me the same car would go for 36-39,000 in Toronto.

So I figure I saved anywhere between 7000-9,000 on this car.

If it were a black on black, the prices would be comparable....maybe couple of thousand lower in the US.

Any update on Part 2? I can't find it anywhere.

I have imported several cars over the years and all have been pretty straight forward, no big problems, get all you paperwork in order and it easy at the border.
I just finished helping a friend bring an 06 330i sport, and it was very easy at the border, however it wasnt easy getting the recall clearance but got it through a broker.
I called most of the dealers in the GTA and they have a wide range of mods that they would like to do ranging from 2000 to 4500 dollars.
Well at the end none of this was needed, the car is out of warranty and will probably never get any service work from a BMW dealer.
Still saved several grand on the CAR, its clean and has never seen snow.

1- Great write up!
2- EVERYTHING stizzi has stated is wrong
3- Please also have a read of the previous thread I participated in earlier this year.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=571357&highlight=importing+canada

I am in the unique position of buying a car from the US but the car is Canadian registered. Does anyone know what forms and information I need to give to the shipping company to "import" my car since I don't plan on picking it up?

PS Thanks for the great thread - knowledge translation is what makes our BMW community so strong!

Great reading. Not sure if i can post a link, but here's a link on bimmerforums that might help...
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?813438-Importing-a-Car-into-Canada-A-DIY
If no show, search for "Importing a Car into Canada - A DIY"