Ask Dr. Oppo: Selling A US Car To A Canadian

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
10/06/2015 at 15:10 • Filed to: ask dr. oppo

OK, now that I’ve offended everyone who can answer this for me... I’m sorry. No, wait, that’s another stereotype - ARGH!

My fiancee recently got her divorce settlement (FINALLY) and is buying a new car. We want to give her current car to a friend who got screwed by insurance when it was totaled earlier this year and can’t afford to replace it. It’s a 2002 Ford Focus LX sedan, 183k miles, zero options except the automatic transmission (and AC with a huge friggin hole in it), and worth practically nothing anyway. The car is my fiancee’s outright, with no lien, and title in hand.

What do we, in Massachusetts, and our friend in Ontario need to do to ensure that we can transfer ownership to her, and she can drive it home across the border hassle free? This is Oppo, so I presume some of you have actually done this before, and might be able to save me a little work. Thanks!

UPDATE: MOAR QUESTIONS!!!

OK, so riv.ca is where it’s at for importing. Thanks! Now I’m wondering how stringent, or not, Ontario is when it comes to inspection/SSC. Before we got the Focus, its badly rusted rocker panels were cut out and replaced. It’s a decent repair, with real metal and real welds, but those welds are quite visible and it’s obvious that the rockers are not original. Will this be a problem? It’s currently inspected and legal in MA, but I have no idea if it’s acceptable in ON, and I’d hate to send the car 900km away only to have it fail and either need expensive repairs or not be acceptable at all, leaving our friend stuck with a car she can’t use after paying all the import fees.

This is me, being paranoid.

DISCUSSION (16)

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:22

If your friend doesn’t have insurance (which I’m guessing is the case since she hasn’t replaced her vehicle) then that’s something that will need to be done. I think to complete the vehicle registration, the Ministry of Transportation (basically the Ontario DMV) needs proof of insurance, they will need a vehicle safety (any mechanic should be able to do this) and likely an emissions test since the vehicle is older.

Really, I think the big step is insurance - if she had it already, then the provision where the vehicle coverage automatically extends to new vehicles for 14 days would eliminate this concern, but she'll have to find an insurer that can work with her in terms of setting up insurance first so that she can get it registered. Make sure she looks at this because depending on where you live in Ontario, even getting insurance on an old Focus like this can be very expensive, even moreso if that recent accident of hers was an at-fault accident.

Justin Hughes > gin-san - shitpost specialist
10/06/2015 at 15:30

The accident that totaled her car was months ago, so no insurance right now because no car. Getting insurance is the first step, both there and here. MA does both safety and emissions testing and it passes both just fine, so hopefully ON’s standards are similar.

I’m mainly concerned about getting the car across the border legally - either registered to my friend but not yet inspected because it hasn’t been to Canada yet, or still registered to me but with my friend driving it instead of me. (Kitchener is 8.5 hours away from me.)

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:30

You should work it out where you go to canada and buy a 370z base model. With the exchange rate, it’s about 23k USD. Go to canada in a focus sedan, come home in a 300hp sports car.

uofime-2 > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:34

Both times i’ve been to the border they pain zero attention to the car, but YMMV

Justin Hughes > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/06/2015 at 15:38

We’ve already found a Ford Flex for her. It’s an EcoBoost, so 355hp. Basically the same thing.

BJ > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:44

Start here : https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehic…

Basically, once you’ve determined that the car may legally enter the country, there are forms to fill out and be faxed to the crossing station where the car will cross. And then a mandatory inspection from an approved shop in Ontario. The DRL will need to be added (usually just need a relay). Not too onerous, but cross your eyes etc etc...

There are taxes and duties to be paid on the value of the car (usually this is the sale value, not the book value, but double-check) depending on age, country of mfg, etc.

There are companies that do this for $500-800 plus transport. A quick search will find dozens.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:44

HHHHHHRRRRRRNNNNNNGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH DAT TURBO WAGON

vicali > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:45

Start at RIV;

https://www.riv.ca/ImportingAVehi…

Too bad she can’t wait another few years until your Focus is over 15 years old.. it’s way easier then.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:46

There is a form that needs to be completed, the link does give further info in that regard. The other thing I’m not sure of is if a MA safety/e-test will be accepted or if she needs to do an Ontario one.

Given that the link below is from the federal government, this is pretty much as legal and by-the-book as it can possibly be.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/p…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 15:46

First step is to check the website RIV.ca

That should give you most of what you need.

Justin Hughes > vicali
10/06/2015 at 16:06

So I see! But that site’s exactly what we need. Thanks!

Justin Hughes > gin-san - shitpost specialist
10/06/2015 at 16:07

If it passes MA inspection it’ll likely pass Ontario’s. Well, except for having DRLs. It doesn’t. So that’ll need to happen.

Thanks!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 16:14

It can be registered as unfit, then changed later on once it’s been certified and insured.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > vicali
10/06/2015 at 16:15

Between Canada/US it doesn't really matter though.

Justin Hughes > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
10/06/2015 at 16:17

Cool. So the DRLs can be enabled (US spec has none) and it can be made fit after the fact. Thanks!

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Justin Hughes
10/06/2015 at 16:17

I’m not so worried about it passing inspection as much as the fact that the MTO may want to see a safety completed in Ontario - I don’t know if you can necessarily register in ON using the safety/e-test performed in MA.

The DRL thing is one thing I’m really unclear on - I see plenty of vehicles on the road without DRLs and it makes me wonder if they even get ticketed or if it’s even a requirement for the safety - this is one detail I really don’t understand.