Importing a Vehicle (Subaru) Without TPMS - Success!

[hetakshpatel 12]

38 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Duty only applies for non NA made vehicles. 

People who are immigrating to the US have 1 year to import their vehicle and have 10 years to move preowned household goods. 

Can i import the vehicle elsewhere? Like if i go to North Carolina after getting the green card with my ontario plates? What happens to them once i register the car in NC? Is there an option like go there drive for a month and then import it at a dmv or something? Asking this because i have a short timeline and planning to move asap when my passport comes back from interview as i have a job waiting in usa.

 

My compliance letter says your car complies with EPA standard but does not have a sticker and then at the bottom it only shows the TPMS missing which is easy to fix as everybody mentioned.

 

@grupetto where did you get your car value from? Bluebook? Autotrader?

[O.C 160]

6 hours ago, Flygrrl said:

I see a number of people had their TPMS installed professionally. Is this a requirement? It looks very easy to do. I’ve called Canadian Tire and OK Tire and they quoted some crazy installation costs.

I mean, during my experience at the border they wanted the receipt stating it was installed by professionals, and they did look at it. But installing it on my own wasn't an option for me. You can try a smaller auto shop maybe they will give you better rates?

[O.C 160]

58 minutes ago, hetakshpatel said:

Can i import the vehicle elsewhere? Like if i go to North Carolina after getting the green card with my ontario plates? What happens to them once i register the car in NC? Is there an option like go there drive for a month and then import it at a dmv or something? Asking this because i have a short timeline and planning to move asap when my passport comes back from interview as i have a job waiting in usa.

 

My compliance letter says your car complies with EPA standard but does not have a sticker and then at the bottom it only shows the TPMS missing which is easy to fix as everybody mentioned.

 

@grupetto where did you get your car value from? Bluebook? Autotrader?

I don't have all the answers here, but as for your Ontario plates - if you cannot return them to the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario, you just keep them and do not renew them. You will just lose out on whatever $ you spent renewing your sticker.

 

I believe you can drive your car in the U.S. with Ontario plates as long as your insurance covers you here. But that may vary by state. My insurance covered me for 6 months but I waited until I had my GC to go back to Canada and get my vehicle.

 

 Once you have your green card you need to import your vehicle within one month (I am pretty sure - might also be state specific) as a permanent resident.  I am not sure what the requirements are before the GC in North Carolina, i would suggest contacting the NC DoT for specifics.

Edited September 19, 2019 by O.C

[NikLR 13,228]

4 hours ago, hetakshpatel said:

Can i import the vehicle elsewhere? Like if i go to North Carolina after getting the green card with my ontario plates? What happens to them once i register the car in NC? Is there an option like go there drive for a month and then import it at a dmv or something? Asking this because i have a short timeline and planning to move asap when my passport comes back from interview as i have a job waiting in usa.

 

My compliance letter says your car complies with EPA standard but does not have a sticker and then at the bottom it only shows the TPMS missing which is easy to fix as everybody mentioned.

 

@grupetto where did you get your car value from? Bluebook? Autotrader?

You import at POE.  You will be unable to register thr vehicle in the USA without importing at CBP inspection.  

 

You can contact a DMV in Ontario to find out if you should ship your plates back.  You need to contact your insurance to see how long you can drive after becoming a US LPR. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by NikLR

[Pilatos86 1]

I'm back to this post. Here is my timeline:

 

1- April: Asked for a manufacturer letter, got the same "no TPMS" letter.

2- May: Ordered a set of TPMS (Vesafe from Amazon)

3- June: Went to a local Tire Centre to get it installed (J&D Tire, Milton ON... totally recommend this guys!, very professional and good price).

4- July: Printed an estimated car value from CarFax

5- July: At the Border (Buffalo, NY) they asked for all the documentation, I paid duties.

6- July: Informed my Canadian insurance that I'll be living in the USA.

7- July: Got my State driver's license (road test was waived).

8- September: Got USA's car insurance. Some insurance companies were asking for a State's drivers license, so I waited as much as I could (to accumulate more "Driving time"). Finally I got a quote from GEICO, and they recognized my Canadian drivers history.

9- September: Got new State plates and "new car sticker" (This has to be done in the first 60 days).

10- (pending) need to cancel my Canadian car insurance.

 

Good luck to you all!

[Flygrrl 0]

On 9/20/2019 at 2:46 PM, Pilatos86 said:

I'm back to this post. Here is my timeline:

 

1- April: Asked for a manufacturer letter, got the same "no TPMS" letter.

2- May: Ordered a set of TPMS (Vesafe from Amazon)

3- June: Went to a local Tire Centre to get it installed (J&D Tire, Milton ON... totally recommend this guys!, very professional and good price).

4- July: Printed an estimated car value from CarFax

5- July: At the Border (Buffalo, NY) they asked for all the documentation, I paid duties.

6- July: Informed my Canadian insurance that I'll be living in the USA.

7- July: Got my State driver's license (road test was waived).

8- September: Got USA's car insurance. Some insurance companies were asking for a State's drivers license, so I waited as much as I could (to accumulate more "Driving time"). Finally I got a quote from GEICO, and they recognized my Canadian drivers history.

9- September: Got new State plates and "new car sticker" (This has to be done in the first 60 days).

10- (pending) need to cancel my Canadian car insurance.

 

Good luck to you all!

Hi there,

 

Did you pay about $40 for your Carfax estimate? I have a 2011 Toyota RAV4. I was going to see if my Toyota dealership would be willing to give me an estimate and perhaps buy it off me rather than make the long drive to Texas from Toronto. Just wondering if duty is worth it. I’m going down on a TD Visa (dependent) while my husband is working there on a 3 year contract.

[Pilatos86 1]

2 hours ago, Flygrrl said:

Hi there,

 

Did you pay about $40 for your Carfax estimate? I have a 2011 Toyota RAV4. I was going to see if my Toyota dealership would be willing to give me an estimate and perhaps buy it off me rather than make the long drive to Texas from Toronto. Just wondering if duty is worth it. I’m going down on a TD Visa (dependent) while my husband is working there on a 3 year contract.

I did the "free" website estimate. Duties are for vehicles not assembled in North America, There is a Toyota plant in Woodstock, Ontario, maybe your RAV4 was assembled there.

[C.C. 2]

Hi Everyone. This is an update to my previous post before.

 

I am Canadian citizen from Ontario and I got my TN status at the border recently and was able to import my car. The Customs just checked if I have the compliance stickers on my car and that's it. They completed the EPA & FMVSS forms themselves and I just needed to sign it. They gave me a copy. 

I owned a 2017 auto for more than 1 year and paid my financing by using my Canadian line of credit. I did not need to pay anything nor need to show the value of my car at the border. 

 

Although, I prepared everything as listed by OP and other people before going to the border. I believe it depends on the border that you go through?

1. I got my compliance letter from the auto maker. 

2. A TPMS from amazon is installed and asked a friendly licensed mechanic for a receipt. 

3. I just received a letter from the financing company that I fully paid it. The permit & plate portion only states my name so I did not need a new one I guess.

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by Clyde C

[JustinP2 0]

So the TPMS issue has been answered enough so that I know what to do. Absent is any response to the instrument cluster. I have a Subaru Forester made in Japan for Canada and just got my compliance letter which states besides the TPMS issue, I have

FMVSS 101 Controls and Displays (Symbols in Combimeter are different between US and Canada: Differences are (1) MPH vs KPH, (2) Brake telltale, (3) ABS telltale).

Now, my display for speed does have MPH in small (KPH is large). It is not a digital display. Digital Odometer only lists KM. Not sure about Brake and ABS. It would seem to me the most important is the speed. Does anyone have any insight on this? Specifically, have any of you that have been successful for importation also had that text (in green above) in your letter?

Thanks,

Justin

[C.C. 2]

5 hours ago, JustinP2 said:

So the TPMS issue has been answered enough so that I know what to do. Absent is any response to the instrument cluster. I have a Subaru Forester made in Japan for Canada and just got my compliance letter which states besides the TPMS issue, I have

FMVSS 101 Controls and Displays (Symbols in Combimeter are different between US and Canada: Differences are (1) MPH vs KPH, (2) Brake telltale, (3) ABS telltale).

Now, my display for speed does have MPH in small (KPH is large). It is not a digital display. Digital Odometer only lists KM. Not sure about Brake and ABS. It would seem to me the most important is the speed. Does anyone have any insight on this? Specifically, have any of you that have been successful for importation also had that text (in green above) in your letter?

Thanks,

Justin

That's actually my first issue & TPMS. But, I have read somewhere that you should know how to switch the units from KM into MPH when they ask you. I have a Subaru 2017 Impreza. I am not familiar with your car. I have a digital display & changed the unit to MPH. The Customs did not even check that I had set it to MPH. Telltale means the different light signal with brake/ABS. 

 

See: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/vig_canada09122017.pdf

 

Importing a Canadian-Certified Vehicle as a Conforming Vehicle under Box 2B

 

"To be imported free of restriction, a motor vehicle less than 25 years old must be originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and bear a label certifying such compliance that is permanently affixed by the vehicle’s original manufacturer. A motor vehicle that bears a label certifying compliance with all applicable Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS), but not with the FMVSS, can still be imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B on the HS-7 Declaration form to be presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) at the time of entry if the following requirements are met:

 

• The vehicle is being imported for personal use and not for resale;

• The vehicle is not a salvage vehicle, a repaired salvage vehicle, or a reconstructed vehicle;

• The importer obtains a letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer, on the manufacturer’s letterhead (and not that of a franchised dealer), identifying the vehicle by vehicle identification number (VIN) and stating that the vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS except for the labeling requirements of Standards Nos. 101 Controls and Displays and 110 Tire Selection and Rims or 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles other than Passenger Cars, and/or the specifications of Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment, relating to daytime running lamps."

 

Good Luck

Edited October 10, 2019 by Clyde C

[Pilatos86 1]

I have a Forester too and I had the same issue (Symbols in Combimeter are different between US and Canada: Differences are (1) MPH vs KPH, (2) Brake telltale, (3) ABS telltale), I tried to switch it to US units with no luck. I had no problem at the border nor at the DMV. When I took my car for maintenance service to a Subaru dealer (here in the States), I noticed that they tried to change the units but they couldn't.

 

For the Brake telltale and ABS telltale I just printed out the symbols from the manual and I was thinking about sticking it to my control panel but never did it.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[cansue2019 0]

Hi,

 

Can you tell me when you actually went to the border as in month and year, as I have a 2016 Impreza I am trying to get into the US and Subaru Canada sent me a letter statied:

My compliance letter stated "Our data indicates this vehicle at the time of manufacture conformed to all applicable US FMVSS, EXCEPT FOR:

- FMVSS 101 Controls and display differences (1) MPH vs KPH (2) Brake telltale (3) ABS telltale

- FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring System

-FMVSS 226 Ejection Mitigation

 

Now it seems we both have 2016 Subaru Imprezas, and my letter seems to have the extra safety requirement.

 

 

 

[C.C. 2]

On 10/8/2019 at 10:30 PM, Clyde C said:

 

 

I am Canadian citizen from Ontario and I got my TN status at the border recently and was able to import my car. The Customs just checked if I have the compliance stickers on my car and that's it. They completed the EPA & FMVSS forms themselves and I just needed to sign it. They gave me a copy. 

 

Just to add that aside from the FMVSS - HS 7, the DMV needed the Form 7501 which the border forgot to give me a copy. I called them and they emailed the form to me. 3 forms should be given to you at the Border. 

1. EPA - Form 3520

2. FMVSS - Form HS 7

3. CBP Entry Summary - Form 7501

 

In regards to converting my Ontario G Driver's license to US, Maine accepts endorsement. I did not do written nor road test. It really depends on the States.

[C.C. 2]

On 11/7/2019 at 8:46 PM, cansue2019 said:

Can you tell me when you actually went to the border as in month and year, as I have a 2016 Impreza I am trying to get into the US and Subaru Canada sent me a letter statied:

My compliance letter stated "Our data indicates this vehicle at the time of manufacture conformed to all applicable US FMVSS, EXCEPT FOR:

- FMVSS 101 Controls and display differences (1) MPH vs KPH (2) Brake telltale (3) ABS telltale

- FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring System

-FMVSS 226 Ejection Mitigation

 

Now it seems we both have 2016 Subaru Imprezas, and my letter seems to have the extra safety requirement.

 

Hey, I am not sure if the question is for me. But my Subaru is Impreza 2017. My compliance letter did not mention this: FMVSS 226 Ejection Mitigation. I imported my car on Oct 7th, 2019. 

[cansue2019 0]

Hi Clyde,

 

No it was for the original poster on this thread.

 

Thanks