Importing a MB from US to Canada

[mbnz]

Has anyone recently imported a Mercedes Benz from US to Canada?

I was thinking about a 2003 E320 or E500.

Does anyone know if the MBUSA warranty will apply in Canada - will MB Canada honor it?

What if I get an extended warranty or star certified warranty in the US - will MB Canada honor it?

I thought I would put this question out there, in case anyone has any experience doing it. I contacted MB Canada, still waiting for a reply. The stupid thing is that the Canadian Goverment website WWW.RIV.CA lists what has to be done for all the manufacturers to make it admissable for import, but for MB it says you have to contact the manufacturer. MB is being secretive, I guess they don't want their cars going back and forth like a commodity, like other cars.

I think all recent MB cars from the US have to get their bumpers modified to meet the Canadian standards. Why is Mercedes Benz putting in inferior bumpers for the US market??

[Jim B.]

Several forum members on www.canadiandriver.com have done it, have you looked there?

I don't know what modifications you'd need but I would think daytime driving lights and kph speedometers might likely be among some of them

I agree that you definately need to get more information, from Mercedes and the Canadian government regulatory agencies before you do buy a US carr for import though.

[arvy]

It is my understanding that Mercedes Benz Canada determines whether the vehicle for import is eligible for Transport Canada modifications. The cost for this is $500. All modifications must be done at a Mercedes Benz approved repair facility (most likely the dealer). Mercedes is the only manufacturer in the RIV that does this. The only way to bypass this is to import a vehicle 15 yrs or older. No such restrictions for BMW or Porsche. My neighbour imported an NSX without problems. Minimal modifications at the dealer- only DRL's and English/French labels.

There used to be an excellent article on this from a Mercedes Benz Canada Memo at MBCanada.com but the site is no longer in use.

[wbain5280]

Why do you want to go through all the hassle of importing a US car to BC? Aren't there any in Vancouver that you could buy?

[typejr]

they're MUCH cheaper, up to 10g's cheaper.

just wait until MB of Canada authorizes you. do not purchase that particular vehicle until you are clearly given the costs to import it. keep in mind 6% duty on top of your province's tax and 6% GST.
also confirm if the warranty will be transferred (if your car comes with it).

[mbnz]

typejr is right, the vehicles are much cheaper in the US. With the CDN$ at about 90 cents to the US the savings are a lot.

arvy is right - that MB is the only manufacturer that requires the vehicles to be modified at MB Canada. Unlike in the United States, in Canada, all the MB dealerships are owned by MB Canada - no independents. Talk about a closed shop!


I emailed MB Canada asking them what needs to be done for a 2003 E320. I also asked if the 4 yr manufacturer's warranty transfers over, and if any additional warranty in the US is valid in Canada (like star certified).

This is the useless reply I got:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please note a US specific Mercedes-Benz 2003 E320 Sedan was not manufactured to meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, however it may be possible to convert this model to meet Canadian standards. The certification work requires extensive modifications and can only be carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. dealership. Generally speaking, the modifications may cost between $ 3,500 to $ 6,000, however the dealership would have further information. Once you have the complete 17-digit VIN, simply fax this along with the model year/model to our Customer Relations department at 416-425-6370. Please allow 2 business days for the letter of admissibility.

Regarding the validity of US warranty, please note only the New Car
Limited Warranty of 4 years/80,000kms (50,000 miles) is applicable in Canada - any additional warranties and/or maintenance contracts offered in the US are not applicable in Canada. Subsequently, US model Mercedes-Benz vehicles do not qualify for an extended warranty in Canada and a US extended warranty is not applicable in Canada. In addition, Emergency Roadside Assistance is payable by the customer on a US version Mercedes-Benz and the customer would have to submit their invoice directly to MBUSA for reimbursement.

Best regards,

Erin Somerville
Customer Relations Co-ordinator
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
smart Division Canada
email:cac@mercedes-benz.ca
1-800-387-0100
1-877-627-8004

I am going to fax them at that number and see what they tell me. I can't believe they say it is going to cost $3,500 to $6,000. They are being evasive by not answering it because they don't want people to import from the US, because they are making a killing on the high prices in Canada.

They want me to provide a VIN number for each car? Like a silver 2003 E320 is supposedly different than a black one with navigation system. They are all the same - all the other manufacturers just list the year and model number and tell you what needs to be done. Yet MB Canada wants you to provide the VIN for each car!

Also, all the manufacturers including BMW, list what is required for all models on the government website www.RIV.ca For MB, it says contact MB Canada.

Also, notice how the reply says the US E320 was not manufactured to meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards - is this hogwash or are all of you in the US getting unsafe cars? I think it has to do with the bumpers. It will be interesting to see what reply MB Canada gives me.

BTW, you can import many cars, including Nissan Pathinder into Canada and you have to do nothing. The speedo has km under the miles and it comes is daytime running lights. You don't have to change any of the climate control stuff from fahrenheit to celcius. It would be interesting to see if MB Canada makes you do this to keep cars from being imported. AND we are supposed to have free trade.

All I got to say, is this would never happen in America. I admire your free markets.

[mbnz]

Does your E320's (US ones) all have daytime running lights installed?

how about the speedo - it is electronic correct? so does it change from miles to km also?

[anziani]

I bought a Canadian E420 that had been brought into the US. The speedometer had been changed to MPH. The car had all of the records including the speedo swap. When I did a "car fax" I got a red warning on mileage. I compared the original km numbers to the new miles numbers. They were perfect. So the downside seems to be with Carfax.
Anziani
'87 300E 180K
'95 E420 Special Edition 99K

[deanyel]

Originally Posted by mbnz

All I got to say, is this would never happen in America. I admire your free markets.
[/COLOR]

Thank you. That's very nice of you to say. In all honestly we do have a hiccup now and then, like Enron, but it was only about a $60 billion writeoff.

[deanyel]

Does anyone have a link for information on the importation to Canada of 15 year old vehicles?

[trueog]

This is my understanding based on me previously trying to import a mercedes my self.

I was told that if the car is made in the US, Mexico or Canada, you can bring the car across the border and have to pay no duty on it. In this case the ML which is made in like alabama somewhere could be brought over without paying duty, only the two taxes, gst+pst. Then once it comes to BC it has to go through a safty inspection which can be done by Canadian tire for around $150 dollars, plus the cost of them adding daytime running lights to you're car. I was told the speedo clock doesn't have to be changed, you can keep the mph. If the car is made in germany, i think they told me 6% duty, pst+gst and still the same safty and mod conditions apply before icbc will sell u insurance.

I might be wrong, i'm not an expert on this. This info was based on me calling a broker and customs canada, and half the time they're college dropout bone-heads...lol.

[mbnz]

Originally Posted by deanyel

Does anyone have a link for information on the importation to Canada of 15 year old vehicles?

Importing to Canada from the US would be rather easy and straight forward I believe because there would be no modifications to do on vehicles 15 years or older.

the regulations only apply to vehicles less than 15 years old. You will still have to pay the GST (federal goods and services tax of 6%) at the border and PST (provincial sales tax of British Columbia at 7%, varies by province) when the vehicle is registered at the insurance company. If you imported to Alberta, then you would have no PST (no sales tax in Alberta, like you have in Oregon) - you would just pay the GST. I am not sure if you are American Dealer, this is the rules for us residents of Canada.

Here's the link:

http://www.riv.ca/english/html/how_to_import.html

[deanyel]

Thanks - found what I was looking for - the 15 years is based on the month and year of manufacture rather than the model year.

[typejr]

you think THAT is hogwash? I spoke to my friend at the dealership and I asked him to check up a Vin # for me to see if I can bring it in. His boss told him that he has to charge ME $750 prior to searching it up! AND that doesn't even guarantee I can bring it in! Or if I do bring it in, I have to replace all bumpers, speedo, and other 'non compliant parts' all at dealership prices AND their shop rate @ $99 an hour!

[mbnz]

typejr,

that is absolute BS and Robbery!

1) all the manufacturers have it on the www.RIV.ca website what vehicles can be brought in. For Mercedes, it says contact MB Canada.

So they can't charge you a penny for this. If they insist, then say you will write to the director of RIV.CA and to your MP and to the Minister in charge of this whole thing. This is not even a scam it must be ILLEGAL.

The more I hear about this stuff the more turned off I am about MB and their business practices which are clearly predatory.

2) With other manufacturers you just have to change the stuff like daytime running lights. Speedo, if it is in km (even small) is good enough. MB is ripping us off. They are also trying to discourage us from buying US ones and bringing them in because their prices are artificially high here.

If anyone has brought one in and paid this ridiculous rates of like $3-6,000 (to chanage all this useless stuff at their dealership) then we should notify RIV and our MP and Minister of Transport/Customs about this AND take them to Court. I could see this to be a Class Action lawsuit.