Lightsaber

I'm preparing for a 3 years' stay in Canada for work, and also planning on getting an Evo. I intent to buy a new 2014 Evo X GSR SSSL next spring/summer, and import it to Canada in a couple of months.

I have fully researched this topic on the U.S. and Canadian government agencies' websites (RIV, etc.), Automall Network's website, EvoM/EvoX forums' related threads, and many discussion threads on Yahoo answers.

I have reviewed all the issues related to importing an Evo from the U.S. to Canada. I think what I need to do is:

1) Not mentioning anything about my intention to export the Evo when buying at a U.S. dealership;

2) Preparing to lose all warranty coverage forever;

3) Making sure that the Evo is paid off before importing;

4) Take care of insurance coverage for both sides;

5) Submitting the title, bill of sale, and vehicle registration to the U.S. CBP's border office 72 hours ahead to get the title stamped;

6) Acquiring a recall clearance letter from the Mitsubishi USA (6400 katella Ave, Cypress, CA, US, 90630-0064);

7) Driving the Evo to the border, meeting CBSA, showing papers, and completing Vehicle Import Form (Form 1);

8) Preparing to get robbed with all the fees and taxes;

9) Receiving mailed Federal Inspection Form, going to Crappy Tire for the inspection, and preparing to get robbed;

10) Acquiring Statement of Compliance (SOC) at the end of the inspection;

11) Registering the Evo at a Service Ontario office.

Nevertheless, I have noticed several issues that I think worth discussion here:

1) On the admissible vehicles list,
http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/...fety/vafus.pdf

Only 1998-2013 Mitsubishi cars are listed admissible. Maybe 2014 is too new and Mitsubishi Motors has yet to submit materials to Transport Canada. How do I deal with this?

2) I find inconsistent claims that the vehicle must be registered in the U.S. for more than 6 (some say 3) months before being eligible to be imported to Canada. However, all Canadian government agencies' websites make no mentioning of this. Can I import a new Evo to Canada?

3) Ontario windows tinting laws have no problems with tinting, as long as it is "non-obstructive":
http://www.iwfa.com/Portals/0/PDFDoc...aw%20Chart.pdf

However, if I tint the side and rear windows with Huper Optik ESC (45%) in the U.S. right after purchase, will I be questioned at Crappy Tire and have a hard time?

3.5) I have, of course, also thought about putting on some laser jammers, installed radar detector, Akrapovic exhaust, (and God forbid any engine modifications, especially not an AMS short block), etc. in the U.S. But I think I'm just asking for troubles with these mods. I should just do it after passing all the inspections;

4) Will Crappy Tire ask me to replace the USDM bumpers with Canadian (longer) ones?

5) When I re-import a previously exported Evo when I'm returning to the United States, do I have to take any inspections? (I can't find much useful info on the U.S. government agencies' websites.) And further, is it compelled that I should keep the car as stock as possible during her Canadian adventure, so I can peacefully bring her back to the U.S.?

I will be honored to be a part of the Evo club and I'm looking forward to many exciting future prospects.

ZeRoMaX

iTrader: (5)

1.) Call RIV and ask about 2014 admissibility
2.) You can ask RIV this but I pretty sure new car don't need to be Registered in USA before importing. But the hard part is finding a dealer that would sell you a brand new car thou.
3.) CDN Tire doesn't care about tint
4.)USA and Canada bumper laws have been amended. You most like need to install DRL in the car.
5.) Not sure

Lightsaber

Thanks for explaining.

I just called RIV and a nice gentleman told me a lot about the RIV inspections.

First, if the car is too new, and the model year (e.g. 2014) is not listed on the admissibility list, then no, I cannot import the car. I will have to wait until Mitsubishi Motors submits the materials and 2014 models become admissible.

Second, window tints, laser jammers, radar detectors, parking sensors, backup cameras, and other modifications of this nature is fine, even if, say, you window tinting is illegal on both sides. It is because that they don't inspect things like these at all (cheers). Of course, if something is too obviously illegal, then you might have some troubles.

I'm kind of concerned here that the laser jammers might have troubles passing.

Third, the inspection focuses heavily on performance modifications. If they spot a single performance-related aftermarket part, you fail, period. Even aftermarket mods like chassis bars, end links, and sway bars will surely get you failed. And yes, trying to import a car with an Akrapovic exhaust is like bring a laptop to a closed-note, closed-book exam.

ZeRoMaX

iTrader: (5)

Well don't think that is true for modifications. Mine had a hks it carbon exhaust, intake, and various mods and I passed everything.

Lightsaber

I have been calling NHTSA vehicle import department (202-366-5291) in the last several days and getting no answer.

A quick search on Google reveals that re-importing a U.S. vehicle back to the U.S. from Canada is an informal process and often handled unprofessionally. Legally, I am obligated to keep the exhaust, engine/drive train, and rear middle brake light (will be removed to give space to the laser heads) stock, but sometimes not-so-conforming vehicles pass the inspection simply because the officer sees the EPA and FMVSS stickers.

The following links are the places where people discuss this topic.

Edmunds Forums: Importing Canadian Vehicles to the U.S.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef05a3f

Canuck Abroad: Bringing a Canadian Car over to the USA
http://www.canuckabroad.com/forums/b...sa-vt6695.html

Every now and then I talk to myself, just screw it and do whatever you want, because "in the end things will mend." After all, it's a fairly informal process, not something like importing an R34 Skyline to the U.S. from Japan.

So maybe I will do a little more than I should and see how things go?

Lightsaber

Alright, I have bought the car now (hooray! ), made several calls, and figured out the process regarding the recall clearance letter and entering Canada with a vehicle in the process of importation.

Recall clearance letter

I found Mitsubishi Motors NA head office's contact infomation at https://www.riv.ca/RecallClearance.aspx, which lists the manufacturer's contact as:

So I called them at 1-888-648-7820, and the gentleman at the head office checked my car's recalls with its VIN and he told me there are no outstanding recalls. He also told me that in order acquire a recall clearance letter, I need to fax:
to their office handling recall clearance letters at 714-890-7978. I should call MMNA again after I have faxed those, make a $100 payment over the phone, so they will mail me the recall clearance letter.

Entering Canada with a vehicle in the process of importation

I was wondering what would happen if I drive a vehicle to the United States while waiting for Form 2 (Federal Inspection Form). So I called RIV (https://www.riv.ca/Contactus.aspx) at 1-888-848-8240 but no avail. The lady who answered the call doesn't have this information.

Then I called CBSA at 506-636-5064. The CBSA officer told me that with a complete Form 1, I can travel across the border with this vehicle as many times as I want, they will let me in as long as I take the Form 2 to get the car inspected and registered within 45 days of receiving Form 1.

So hooray, and yes, you can drive the car outside Canada while waiting for Form 2.

Lightsaber

I have also discovered that you can substitute the recall clearance letter (RCL) with your dealership's vehicle service database printout. It contains your vehicle's VIN and recall info.

This is free, unlike the MMNA's recall clearance letter that costs you $100.

osetsky

Kudos! Enjoy the car...and I guess welcome to Canada?

Lightsaber

Thank you! Ontario is a... happy and pretty place.

So I just passed the border and here is how it went.

Exporting a car from the U.S.

I researched this issue and what the U.S. cares about is your car is not stolen nor you are exporting other people's car without their permission. I believe you do not have to stop at the U.S. side of the border, like how some Canadians simply ignore this step. However, the U.S. authorities may seizure you illegally exported vehicle if one day you enter the U.S. with this car.

I sent an email to the U.S. CBP Lewiston Bridge, Port of Buffalo office (buffalovinnyoffice@dhs.gov) more than 72 hours ahead of my exportation, according to the instruction of this RIV website (https://www.riv.ca/USCustoms.aspx). The email includes the following information after polite greeting and a request statement:

Description: Passenger car, gas, 4-door, 2-axles
Number of cars: One
Model year: [...]
Make: Mitsubishi
Model: Lancer Evolution
VIN: [...]

To be safe, I also included my scanned copies of Certificate of Registration, Title, and Bill of Sales.

In the morning of the next business day I received a response that serves as my confirmation, which reads as:





You will also need to file the AES for your export starting Oct. 2, 2014. I have researched and find that you can either hire a professional service for about $300 to file it for you, or go back and forth several times to a U.S. social security office, and an EIN, and file it yourself.

As we are still in the period of informed compliance right now, filing the AES is optional. I didn't feel like taking the hassle, so I skipped it and took the next several days partying with friends.

(I believe the 72 hours is for the U.S. CBP to check your VIN and make sure it is not a stolen vehicle.)

Then I moved on to cross the border. At the U.S. side, before the toll booths that would take you to the Lewiston Bridge, the Vehicle Export Office is marked with big red letters, which should be easy to find for everyone. I entered the office with my papers, and the officer there took the following documents:
Then he checked the VIN on the title, confirmed in their system that I had sent them an email more than 72 hours ahead, and he starting filing the papers. Halfway through, he also requested:
as he realized I'm on a student visa. When he finished the paperwork, he escorted me to my car and checked the VIN beneath the windshield, which matches the title. Then he escorted my back to the office, stamped the title which states it is officially exported, and he told me I was good to go.

He did not request for my car key nor did he search the vehicle.

In general, this was a breeze and a very easy step.

Canadian border entry

I stopped at a booth after waiting in line and the CBSA officer there gave me a tremendous hard time as he sees me, a Canadian, driving a car with U.S. license tags.

He ground me for ~15 minutes questioning me regarding the following area:

1. my situation in Canada (e.g. home address, where was I going)
2. why and when did I go to the U.S.
3. why did I not import the car to Canada immediately after the purchase
4. if I would export the car to Canada

I guess he really didn't like the fact that a Canadian without U.S. citizenship/U.S. permanent residency/TN-1 visa is driving a U.S. registered car. But he stopped questioning me when he realized that I was about to import the car and pay the duty immediately after that booth. He wrote the new car value on a yellow custom slip and assigned officers to escort me to the parking area of vehicle importation.

(This is consistent with what others are saying on the forums. Even though it is legal for a Canadian residing in a foreign state to register his/her car under that foreign jurisdiction, being a Canadian and having U.S. license tags on your car without long term permits like the U.S. citizenship/U.S. permanent residency/TN-1 visa will put you under suspicion of evading tax and import duty.)

Interesting though, he did not ask much about what's in the car, but he did make sure that I owned the items and they were not for sale. Therefore the car was the only thing on the yellow slip. May he was tired after questioning me so much.

The car was stuffed with bags of clothings and many appliances as I was moving back from the U.S. I thought he would question, so I was actually carrying papers in case of that.

Lightsaber

Importing a car at the CBSA border office

So I entered the CBSA office at the Queenston crossing right after the booth. I picked up a Vehicle Import Form (Form 1) on the table and realized there is no pen. So I went back to the car to get a pen.

Remember to bring a pen. LOL.

The Vehicle Import Form (Form 1) looks exactly like this:



There are filling instructions on the clipboard (read first), general instructions on the first page (read second), and specific instructions on categories and details on the back of the last page (read third). It could take some time if it's your first time.

Then I waited in the line for a CBSA agent. He took the following documents:
and started working on the paperwork. He also asked me when I bought the car and if I was prepared to pay the import duty. When he finished, he stamped all 4 copies of the Vehicle Import Form (Form 1), took 2, and gave me the other 2. He kept the yellow slip and gave me my Passport, ID, Title, and Bill of Sales back. Then he instructed me to go to the cashier.

At the cashier, the CBSA employee took the following document:
He made photocopies of the Title and Bill of Sales, calculated the import duty (6.1% import duty + 5.0% GST/HST on the new car price + $100 excise tax), and instructed me to pay. I paid with the card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees and gives me a favorable exchange rate (as I was using my USD account). Here is a full list of payment methods they take:



In case if Imgur takes down the photo, it says they take cash, Canadian cheques, money orders, debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and travellers' cheques. The English grammar on the photo is messy, but I guess, it's the government, ya know. And do you know why it is not for the French one?

After I paid, I got a completed Casual Goods Accounting Document (Form 3) that looked like this:



as well as a one page instruction:



Then I was cleared to go. Surprisingly the officers did not search the car, as they did search my car every other time when I entered. Maybe a classy guy driving a state-of-the-art Evo, and it must be legit, right?

So I chatted with some kind Audi-driving couple for a while there, whom I met asking me if I need help because they had imported four bikes. Then I used the bathroom (cleanest bathroom in 100 miles before and after (?) that middle of nowhere) at the CBSA Queenston office, and got back on the road, heading to GTA.

Lightsaber

Submitting payment and Recall Clearance Letter to the RIV

After arrival and settling down, you can then worry about the $220.35 payment to the RIV and submitting the Recall Clearance Letter. These will allow the RIV to mail you the Federal Inspection Form (Form 2).

As instructed by the one page instruction, there are many ways to do these. I find it the easiest to submit the payment online and submit the Recall Clearance Letter via email with iPhone photos of that document attached.

Submitting $220.35 payment online:

1. Go to www.RIV.ca -> Payment and Fees -> Make an RIV payment -> payment form
2. Good. Now you need to fill up many fields with numbers. Where to find them?3. Then verify and proceed to make a payment. They accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and bank online transfer.

After the payment is successful, you get a receipt.

Submitting Recall Clearance Letter:

Send an email to recall@support.riv.ca with your Recall Clearance Letter in the attachment.

Lightsaber

Lesson learned:

Physically visit the RIV office at 405 The West Mall, Toronto after submitting RIV fees and Recall Clearance Letter. You will get Form 2 immediately, instead of waiting forever for their mail/email. [1]

So I have been waiting for this Form 2 to arrive and it's simply not arriving. Therefore I drove to the RIV office, thinking about asking them what's going on:



After exchanged a few words, the RIV lady was already printing out a new Form 2 for me. Hooray!

This is what Form 2 literally looks like:



Exchanging out-of-province driver's license

Afterwards I went to Ontario DriveTest Centre to exchange my U.S. driver's license for an Ontario one. This Gabrielle-Union-looking-like d- bag decided to spend half an hour examining and validating my driving record from the United States before allowing me to exchange the license. Whatever. You will also need your passport and proof of residence (i.e. Ontario address) before they forfeit your current driver's license and give you a piece of paper that says it's the temporary license before the card is mailed to you.

The fee for exchanging out-of-province driver's license is $80. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Preparing for inspection at Crappy Tire

The RIV Form 2 is for the federal inspection which determines if you can import the car into Canada.

We also need a safety inspection (~$100) which determines if the car can be registered for public road use in Ontario.

If you car is more than 5 years old, you will also need an emission test for vehicle registration in Ontario.

So before heading to Crappy Tire for my federal inspection and provincial safety inspection, I make sure the Evo actually complies. IIRC, USDM Evo's do not need any sort of modifications as it complies to Canadian regulations.

However, if you have a manual Evo with a remote start installed, make sure you turn it off before heading to inspection. The federal inspection specifically states that manual cars made after May, 2005 must have a clutch ignition interlock. Without the remote start turned off, the Crappy Tire technician can start the car without depressing the clutch, and you will fail the federal inspection.

Inspection at Crappy Tire

So I went to Crappy Tire for the federal inspection and safety inspection for my new Evo. They took Form 1 and Form 2, checked my driver's license, and performed the inspection. The inspection took about 2 hours. The Crappy Tire at Weston, GTA, ON inspected everything very carefully before letting me go.

Therefore the car passed the inspection. I got my Form 1 and Form 2 back with inspection stamps and the inspector's signature. I also got 2 copies of Safety Standards Certificate (SSC).

No modification was necessary for the USDM Evo according this experience.

Registration at ServiceOntario

Originally I was a bit confused as I couldn't get an insurance coverage with Canadian insurance companies for my car. They say I need an Ontario proof of ownership (a.k.a. vehicle permit, an equivalent of title+registration in the United States), while I figured on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website that I need the insurance coverage before I can register a car.

Hence I did some research and discovered all I need was just an out-of-province (OOP) insurance card that says the Evo is covered in Canada. So, yes, my U.S. insurance company has those cards for travellers to Canada.

This website was particularly helpful when I was researching the issue: http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Importing-Canada.html

I only need an OOP insurance card proving coverage in Canada because I'm relocating from the U.S. to Canada, taking my car with me. If you are a Canadian resident visiting the U.S. to buy a car and bring it back, you may need your temporary insurance card for vehicle registration.

With all my paperwork, I went to a ServiceOntario office early in the morning and register the Evo. The process was fairly straightforward. The ServiceOntario lady requested my:
and gave me a registration application form to fill out right at the desk. The registration application has section where I need to write down my insurance provider and policy number. I used my U.S. insurance company's Canadian coverage info.

Surprisingly, the ServiceOntario lady didn't check my insurance card, which I think was a mistake. She also didn't forfeit my U.S. license plates, which I also think was a mistake. Well, it's Friday, ya know, and she looked very exhausted. So, whatever.

Then she calculated Ontario HST, which is 8.00% of vehicle invoice price on Form 3 (ouch!). So I had to pay that 8.00% plus $98 of registration/enquiry fee.

After I paid, yeah, I got Ontario license plates for my Evo. Being no longer a Massshole driving on the roads of the Communist Province of Ontario, KKKanada, so, I guess, yeah?

Getting Canadian insurance

At first I got a sticker shock as many companies were asking for $6,000 ($3,000/6 mo) to $8,000 a year ($4,000/6 mo). Well I'm a young male but with a completely clean record. So I took 2 days shopping around and did find some insurance companies offering a reasonable premium.

There are 4 things to consider for my case:

1. Does the insurance company allow me to have no collision coverage on a brand new car?
2. Does the insurance company recognize my U.S. driving history?
3. Does the insurance company recognize my U.S. insurance history?
4. Does the insurance company give me fair pricing for I have no previous credit/employment history in Canada?

So I figured that BelairDirect (TSX:IFC) was probably the right one to go. They offered me a $3,000 annual premium ($1,500/6 mo) with comprehensive coverage and no collision. So yeah. Besides asking for my phone number, address, vehicle VIN, and a large number of other details, I also had to send them the copies of:
and finally I got the coverage. This Canadian insurance industry is very old-fashioned. Instead of going to an insurance company's website, fill it info, and get your coverage right away, like in the merry U. S. of A, you have to do a lot of meeting and talking. I hate insurance brokers, as it simply takes such a long time to find a good one (about every 1 in 30 brokers), so I have been going with Canadian insurance companies that do direct selling. But, but... it was a total of 3 hours on the phone for BelairDirect alone before I got my coverage, OMG.

________________________

[1] The RIV office is at:

405 The West Mall, Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario
M9C 5K7

If you locate somewhere very far from this location, you may want to call the RIV if you have waited more than a week for Form 2.

Lightsaber

Cancelling U.S. registration and insurance

I called my U.S. insurance company that I wanted to cancel the insurance, as the car has been exported. They offered pretty good instruction that took me to the state's DMV website, cancelled the registration online, got a receipt, and therefore they cancelled the insurance.

Postscript

After all these struggles, the Evo is finally tagged with Ontario license plates, legally registered and insured. As she now sits peacefully, I wish everyone who brings a car from the U.S. to Canada a smooth ride and many joyful moments with your companion!

johndeere768

Nice write up Lightsaber and enjoy your EVO X!

I'm new here and just imported an MR EVO IX from the states into BC as well.

From my experience, crappy tire is REALLY crappy lol. I suggest others to perform their Federal inspection at crappy tire and thats it. Go do your provincial inspection (if required) somewhere else like at a dealership (will do provincial inspection, at least in BC).

I took my car to crappy tire thinking that I'll pass both Federal and Provincial inspection all at one go, apparently not. I passed Federal but ***** at crappy tire ding me for the heater knob being stuck (its not, its just slow), windshield wiper blades not wiping cleanly (i drove to crappy tire in the rain and it wiped cleanly imo), and serpentine belt was cracked (i'll give them that). So basically, crappy tire failed me for BS items. My mechanic took it to the dealership (only replaced serpentine belt), passed the inspection, gave me the provincial decal. Next thing they told me that they couldn't submit the results because crappy tire locked out my profile. So now I have to go back to crappy tire again...

When I arrived at crappy tire I asked them why'd you locked my profile, they said because they started the provincial inspection therefore you must come back to us. I told them passed it already and I have the decal already. They still insist on re-inspecting my vehicle. After that my EVO finally passed inspection.


Just sharing my experience.

Grimgrak

iTrader: (3)

Why the hell would u want to waste all that effort on an evo X. If anything just lease one for 3 years or buy a fricken IX.