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Recently moved to the US and waiting for warmer temps to retrieve my C7 out of hibernation in Ottawa. I've found several threads discussing buying a Corvette in the US and bringing it into Canada but going the other way around seems to be a bit more of a unicorn.
Has anyone here experienced bringing your car from Canada to the US?
Im not sure how it works, have only ever done it the other way but I have a few thoughts. You already own it and the cars are exactly the same Canadian or US except for some of the symbols on the dash in lieu of english script so its probably just a matter of filling out some forms. Assuming you are Canadian citizen I would drive it over and deal with it once you get there.
Im not sure how it works, have only ever done it the other way but I have a few thoughts. You already own it and the cars are exactly the same Canadian or US except for some of the symbols on the dash in lieu of english script so its probably just a matter of filling out some forms. Assuming you are Canadian ciutizen I would drive it over and deal with it once you get there.
As long as you already own it and it is registered all you need to do is drive it home. The only issue is going to be when you register/title it in your home state. Some states require the car to be examined by the motor vehicle dept to make sure its not stolen or pieced together. No big deal.
I have not personally brought a car over the border, but I am a fellow Canadian who has been in the US for 11 years. When we moved, we sold our cars since as someone else pointed out, the cars sell for less here, even factoring the exchange rate, in many cases, though there are exceptions.
It appears the importing a vehicle in the US is more complicated than from the US to Canada. I would contact Customs and Border Patrol and get the paper work done ahead of time:
The biggest question would be whether the vehicle meets all of the US and possible state safety and emissions requirements as the safety requirements do vary a little. For example, Canada has always required daytime running lights that cannot be disabled. This is not required in the US so Canadian cars are built with this feature. There is some component that needs to be added to enable this as well as a speedometer/odometer change when importing cars from the US to Canada.
The Vettes (at least C5/C6/C7) have the ability to switch the panels from metric to US so there is no physical component change required. I am not an expert but I would anticipate a C7 originally sold in Canada to meet US specifications.
I would think that if your name is on the Canadian title, once you exchange it with a US title, the State would not charge you any taxes but that's probably your biggest question as vehicle taxes/fees and rules vary dramatically by State. You might find that you could be subject to taxes or other registration fees beyond a token amount. I'd also check with your state on your specific situation.
In the end, unless you are personally tied to that car, you might be better off selling it in Canada and just buying a replacement model State side. If you are looking for the best option on exchange rates for a large amount, PM me and I'll give you details on an exchange broker based in Windsor that we've used for many years.
Im not sure how it works, have only ever done it the other way but I have a few thoughts. You already own it and the cars are exactly the same Canadian or US except for some of the symbols on the dash in lieu of english script so its probably just a matter of filling out some forms. Assuming you are Canadian citizen I would drive it over and deal with it once you get there.
I have the option of waiting 10 years to do the importation paperwork, but from what I've read it's easier to just get it done at the border when I drive it over.
I'd base the decision on importing vs. selling and repurchasing in the US on how long you plan to own the car. Selling a Canadian car in the US market will be less desirable and require discounting (... and the US has way more competitive prices than Canada to start with).
Thanks for your thorough response Marc. I plan on keeping the car. It's an '18 and has only 6k miles on her. I know I won't have import taxes to pay since it's made here in the US. As for differences b/w those made for the US and those for Canadian's, I can' seem to find anything in that regard, but you did mention daytime running lights. I'm in contact with the original dealer to see whether they can shed light here.
Thanks Max, but it's an '18 z51 M7 with 6k on the clock. I bought it new and would rather keep it. I don't think from what I'm seeing so far much difference b/w US vs Can cars. Plus, I'm in the US now and don't want to deal with selling my car now which is currently in storage.
I plan on driving it here sometime soon. Just waiting for the weather back home to warm-up.
I'm hoping to use it as a trade-in on the C8 soon or next year. I'm hoping the dealer doesn't see a Z51 M7 purchased in Canada with low miles as a detriment.
I would check with GM about warranty,,as a Canadian car driving in the US you have warranty,, but if you import a Canadian car you may not,,I would ask someone that knows for sure.
Recently moved to the US and waiting for warmer temps to retrieve my C7 out of hibernation in Ottawa. I've found several threads discussing buying a Corvette in the US and bringing it into Canada but going the other way around seems to be a bit more of a unicorn.
Has anyone here experienced bringing your car from Canada to the US?
Thanks.
Looked into it when I moved down to land of the free back in '98. Too much hassle and I doubt things have changed since. Your Canadian car will lose so much value when you try to sell it down here, you should just bite the bullet now, sell it there, and buy a used one here. On the plus side, you get to live in the US of Eh. So there's that.
It will be a hassle. Ottawa doesn't like cars migrating north at all. And doesn't think much of south either. Getting a title in the US that is eligible to transfer will be $$$. And the kilometer deal is weird too.
The Tru-deau and nothing but the Tru-deau. So help me........
Looked into it when I moved down to land of the free back in '98. Too much hassle and I doubt things have changed since. Your Canadian car will lose so much value when you try to sell it down here, you should just bite the bullet now, sell it there, and buy a used one here. On the plus side, you get to live in the US of Eh. So there's that.
Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading-up and gathering info on this in the last month. I today got the EPA form coming from GM Canada. The DOT letter of conformity from GM US will follow. I suspect because the car is new, it'll be a matter of driving it to the Sarnia/Port Huron border, and having my ducks in order when I arrive.
I am really hoping the state doesn't want it's grubby hands on it when it comes time to register it.
Just wanted to update this thread on importing your C7 Corvette from Canada to the US. I completed the process last week and thought I would describe how painless the entire process went. First off, I needed a letter from GM Canada explaining that the car does meet EPA standards, but not the DOT standards.
"Please note that this vehicle does not comply with the labeling requirements of FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection."
Luckily there's a fairly easy fix. See the image below. The airbag display next to the dash vent simply needed to be changed out at a cost of $200 Canadian. Border declaration was straight forward as too was registering it at DMV. No taxes paid.
03-19-2019, 08:07 PM
Importing from Canada to US. Anyone here?
