Hello! I've been searching through this site for the past couple of weeks for great tips on how to import a car/truck to Canada. Lots of great info & I'm ready to pull the trigger. Just have a few nagging questions I hope you can help clarify. I'm looking into a 2008 Cayenne, but I won't be importing it myself. My in-laws who live in NY state will be immigrating to Canada this fall to help take care of my daughter will buy the SUV & import it once they move here. Please correct me if I am wrong about the steps to take.

1) They will buy the SUV & register in NY. 8.375% sales tax
2) They will ask PCNA for the recall letter.
3) 72 hrs prior, fax "Certificate of Origin" (new car - therefore no Title) to US Customs
4) Arrive at US Customs with Certificate of Origina & Bill of Sale
5) Proceed to Canadian Customs with Recall Letter & above documents (No duty or /GST as they are immigrating with personal item) to complete Form 1
6) Converting digital speedometer & DRL are DIY if I have PCM.
7) Once we receive Form 2, proceed to Canadian Tire for Federal Inspection (Bring Child tether & air bag sticker to be safe)
8) Obtain Car Insurance
9) Go to MTO to receive Ontario plate
10) Return plates to NY DMV???

Questions

1) Can I bring the SUV to Customs on behalf of my in-laws so they don't have to wait in case of any delays?
2) To immigrate with personal items, they must be used, not new. How much milage is considered used?
3) Can they drive in Ontario with NY plates & insurance since they are in transit?

sorry for the long post on a subject that has been discussed to death.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Candyman

 

I think you need to check if there is a period you have to own the car in order to avoid GST/PST. I know that personal effects come in tax free (not including alcohol ), but I thought you had to own the vehicle for six months. Not certain of this but you might want to check it out.

 

Here is my experience: I bought my 993 when I lived in Houston, 4 months before I moved to Canada three years ago. I obviously paid the sales tax & registration in Texas. The car was loaded in a 53' truck along with another car of mine, my furniture and personal effects. I am not sure what process was involved at the border (but I am pretty sure that the moving company had to submit the title 72 hours prior to crossing the border). NB: the mover took care of the Customs clearance, I did not have to go in person to Customs.
I picked-up the car from the mover's premises. I drove for a month with my Texas plates (my insurance in Canada would not let me drive it for more than that with Texas plates). I had the car certified and
E-tested and then went to the MTO and registered the car: no GST, no PST, no RIV bulls..t. And no recall letter required either. I only brought 2 cars frim the US with me, I should have brought 10!
Good luck.

 

your in-laws are the ones buying it and I suppose registering it in their name in the US, correct? Once they've imported it successfully, do you plan to transfer ownership to you right away? You'll probably get hit with the PST when you do that at the MTO. If it was an old car, you could claim that it was gifted to you from another family member, but with a brand new car that's just landed in Canada, they would probably be suspicious and hit you with the full tax. Better check now, rather than be sorry later.

 

AM993
Thanks for sharing your experience. That puts my mind a little bit at ease, hopefully our experience is as smooth as yours. I just have to figure out what is the minimum time frame to consider it used.

Pongobaz
You are correct that taxes will be levied. There is at minimum the 6.1% duty charged to them if they sell the car within the 1st year. I plan to leave the SUV in their name as they are moving in with me. The Cayenne will become our new family car.

 

When they register the car in NY and pay the tax they will lose the "Certificate of Origin" and get a title. This is no problem......

Do not ask PCNA for a recall letter.....get the PIWIS form from the dealer instead....it is easier.

I doubt you will get away from PST when they register the car.......it is too new, as is the transaction.......

If they are immigrating they have regulations as to when vehicle must be registered. Once they immigrate I 'd bet you the NY insurance is automatically void as they probably have a clause in the policy which covers situations like that. Double check.

 

Have the DRL's activated in the US. I paid $200 at Porsche of Farmington Hills. Pfaff wanted $900!

 

The title may actually be a problem. My sister-in-law works for a used car dealership. she says it takes up to 3 months to register the title in NY state.

I've never heard of PIWIS. What is this? Secondly, the dealer was giving my family a hard time because he suspected the car was going to be exported. Would you still recommend going to the dealer if he's suspicious? Or go to PCNA since they are residents with a valid address & everything?

Thanks YYC930 the your advice.

 

If the dealer has a problem with it you had better be careful then.........it's unusual in my experience however, because I buy so many cars from US Porsche dealers every year...........new and used.....never had brain damage.....

PIWIS is the Porsche workshop information system (computer program) that the dealership service writers use to check internal vehicle data, etc.

Does the dealer not want you to title the car in NY state ? This deal is being done under the premise that the car is staying in NY.......just curious.

 

It is only a 4 wire relay; any indy will do it for $50.00 or less.
It took less than 60 seconds to take mine off right after.

 

It's probably because my family doesn't know anything about P-cars. He asked them lots of questions about the SUV they were inquiring about which they had no idea how to answer. He tried scare tactics (warranty no valid outside US). I don't know why he has an issue, they are registering the SUV in NY state, so he has done is due diligence. He doesn't have to worry.... just being difficult cause he can.

I remember in another thread, you mentioned that the PCM could re-program the DRL. Is this correct? responses above are directing me to go to a shop. I'm confused now.

 

As of about 6 months ago I have not been able to activate the DRL's thru the PCM module anymore. I believe Porsche did a software change to stop this practice.

Tell the US dealer to activate them for you as a condition of purchase, because you are very concerned about the safety benefits DRL's provide......since DRL's are not law in the US and you want them.

It takes about 5 minutes for them to do it with the hand held computer.

 

I was told by Pfaff that a Porsche warranty is transferable across the border if you broker it yourself.

I don't know if it's transferable to future owners though (ie if you buy it off your folks).

I had Farmington Hills do my DRLs and give the car its 4 year service, so I knew where the car stood service wise.

 

Factory 48/80 warranty is transferable regardless of who does it or the # of owners..........CPO is only transferable if you import is yourself.

But I have away around that too..........

 

I got the car this week-end. Haven't officially imported the car, just driving with NY plates til my in-law move next month.

I was able to change the digital speedometer & odometer from Miles to Kms using the Main Menu for the Multi-Purpose Display, also changed the temperature to Celsius. The only outstanding item is the DRL. Can anyone recommend a shop near Markham to fix the DRL?

Thanks