I have been looking for a Cooper S to import back to Canada for some time now and finally found one in North Carolina. I contacted my local MINI dealership to ensure there would be no serious modifications required in order to make the car comply with Canadian standards and they advised that all that needed to be done was to activate the DRLs. However, they told me a new process would be in place starting Monday.

By way of background, right now to import a MINI I need only:

1. check whether the car can be imported from the U.S. by looking on the website run by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles for Canada. The vehicles that can be imported are listed on the site - it currently says that all MINIS (except for the GP) can be imported.

2. Supply a letter from MINI USA or a dealership confirming that all recalls have been dealt with. These were easily obtained without charge, often overnight.

Starting Monday the process is:

1. Contact BMW Canada to obtain a Letter of Admissibility - $350.

2. Order the recall clearance letter from BMW Canada (who in turn order it from MINI USA) - $500 and takes 5 to 7 weeks.

3. Once you have the letter, make an appointment at the dealership for an inspection and to activate the DRLs - inspection is $190 and activation costs $375. They are currently booking in February for this 'service'. They say the activation may only be performed at an authorized dealership so you cannot have it done elsewhere. Only once this is done can you register it in my province.

I understand that the recent big movement in the exchange rate has created problems for them in new car sales but this new routine is aimed directly at preventing the importation of used cars. Why bother with this?

I do not understand why these people make it so hard to remain loyal to the brand. I have 3 BMWs now but their arrogant and condescending attitude has ensured that I will never buy another.

There - I feel marginally better but still hate them with a passion.

 

How much are you saving vs buying a car locally? Is it enough to cover the costs + the headache of actually going through the motions?

 

The savings are considerable - the 2005 I'm looking at would be $5000 to $7000 cheaper (before the cash and time grab that BMW/MINI are implementing).

 

That's a heap-o-change!!

Please pardon my ignorance, but I don't get it, and I can't figure what "DRLs" are?

How can BMW "require" you to do anything to import a used car? I can see the Canadian gubmint requiring you to go through hoops to meet emission standards or such, but how does BMW get involved at all?

I don't expect to have to import (or export) a car anytme soon, but anything could happen; so I guess I'm just curious. Thanks for your patience.

 

DRLs are the daytime running lights - all cars in Canada are required to have them.

The government requires that you supply a recall clearance letter and that you can prove the manufacturer says the car built for the US market can be made compliant with the Canadian requirements for safety and emissions. The standards are close but there are some differences e.g. Canada has a higher bumper crash standard so sometimes the bumpers have to be bolstered.

It is BMW/MINI that decide how they give you the clearance letter and admissibility information. Now an $850 touch and long wait. They just want to keep US cars out of the Canadian market but, since they cannot do it legally (free trade and all that), they just make it as difficult as possible.

 

Thanks for the thorough reply.

WOW! I'm sorry for your pain. I find it interesting that it is so difficult. Good luck!

 

Hi,

Having just gone through the import process in September, hopefully my experience can help.

On the riv.ca site it states "In some cases, we will also accept a printout from an authorized American dealer. If you obtain a printout from an American dealer, you must ensure that they are an authorized dealer and not a re-seller." (http://www.riv.ca/english/html/recall_clearance.html). I got my dealership to print out my vehicle history and stamp it using their company stamp. This was accepted.

This what worked for me in September. If things go right this should save you $500.

Let me know if you want me post all the steps I had to complete to get my car back to British Columbia.

 

Thanks for your note - your comments on your experience with RIV are very interesting. I saw the same language on their site so I sent RIV an email asking them if they would accept something from an authorized US dealership (notwithstanding what the jerks at BMW Canada said). Here is the response I received today:

"Please be aware that as of June 1, BMW has initiated a new policy regarding recalls. We can only accept a letter from BMW Canada's head office typed on their official letter head. To obtain a recall document when you take your vehicle to an authorized BMW dealership, have it undergo a visual inspection, complete all recalls and pay a fee of $500. At that point BMW North America will issue a recall letter directly to you. The RIV will also automatically receive a copy of said letter directly from head office as well."

I asked them why they care where it comes from so long as it is an authoritative source like an authorized US dealership. No response. Sounds like you got them on a good day!

I would be interested to hear the rest of your importing experience.

Thanks.

 

I am in the same boat. I am looking to import a mini from the US when I saw the 'notes' posted on the car by Transport Canada. What a total grab by BMW Canada. It is a deliberate attempt to minimize the cross-border importation of their vehicles.

As well, I was told by a US dealer that they are not even allowed to sell a new Mini to anyone in Canada.

After checking pricing for the same car (note that standard equipment is different in the Canadian cars) that the MSRP price difference is a clear $10k.

Thanks for the 'vent' space. Any suggestions?

Cheers

 

actually, no US dealer is allowed to sell a car for use in canada. Go to a dealership and look at any new car, All say "for sale and use in canada only" same in the states (only us of course). And to make matters worse, according to some canadian government website, any cars built in Britain must be at least 15 years old before they will be allowed to enter the country. I wanted to buy a us mini as well, but didnt

Beecher

 

Sorry for the late reply, I got a bit busy this week. Anyway here is what I had to do to get my car into BC...

Exporting the vehicle (US Side)
- 3 days before I crossed the border I had to fax the title to the same US boarder crossing I was crossing at. There they just checked the VIN and stamp your title.

Importing (Canadian Side)
- Canadian Border services checked my title and VIN.
- Filled out Form 1
- Paid 6% import tax. This is a tax on all vehicle not assembled in North America.
- Logged into the riv website and paid the processing fee.
- Faxed my dealer stamped vehicle report to RIV. My cover letter made note of the recall clearance requirements for vehicle reports.
- A few days later a received the inspection form in the mail. I took my car to Canadian Tire for the Federal Inspection (Free) and the BC provincial inspection ($150).
- Canadian Tire faxed the inspection reports to RIV
- RIV sent a confirmation letter a few days later. This letter also contained the Canadian Certification label.

Best of luck to anyone trying to import!

 

That stinks that it's taking you so long and such a pain to get you MINI, best of luck!

 

I was living in Vancouver when I ordered my Mini, I checked the cost of the Mini at the local dealership vs. the dealership in WA state. It was literally a $10,000 difference and that was back in 06.
With the Canadian dollar being on par with the US dollar now I am sure ordering a new Mini in Canada would be even more expensive.
I was "lucky" that I am a US citizen and could buy my Mini in the US!
(Especially since I moved back to the US five months after I actually got my Mini)
I feel for you Canadians who are getting jacked on the cost of your Minis :(

I heard the WA Mini dealers are not even able to sell cars to Canadians because it would hurt the dealers in Canada...
I believe this is a recent thing because of the dollar values in both countries...