You may think that it is really a difficult process to import a car into Canada from the US. It is not that difficult if you follow the clearly outlined rules – step by step. In the end it is a way for Canadians to save big money on the major purchase of purchasing a new vehicle – be it car, truck, van or SUV.

First and foremost – do your research on the car. This should be very standard stuff to you. There are a myriad of resources – newspapers, the library, auto dealers, books such as the classic Canadian car purchasers book – “Lemonaid “by the author Phil Edmonston. You can speak to other car purchasers – word of mouth is often the bet form or research. O course you can always do standard research on the internet or even pay a service online or even a person to do the work.

Next – go the official government of Canada “Registrar of Imported Motor Vehicles “- whether it by phone or the internet. Research the car on the Riv.ca site (Registrar of Foreign Motor Vehicles) or phone. By checking and verifying online Transport Canada’s list of vehicles admissible from the United States you can check to see if the car is simply importable, that there are no restrictions on your vehicle of choice. If the car is easily importable you may find that are minimal modifications may be needed to certify the car for import into Canada. If major modifications are needed to import your vehicle or if the car is listed in the “inadmissible:” column of the column labeled ” notes” indicates restrictions or modifications needed to import your chosen brand, model or year of vehicle take careful heed and note of these modifications, restrictions or concerns before proceeding in your quest. In order to export the vehicle to Canada (from the U.S. to Canada), fax the required U.S. Customs export documents to the U.S. Customs border office. Next in line at Canada Customs (correctly the Canadian Border Service Agency) you will about $ 300 in Riv fees and provide the proper paperwork and documentation to the Canadian Border Service Agency, Pay the now 5 % GST (General Sales Tax) on the U.S. converted purchase price of the vehicle again to Canada Customs and you are finished the first major hurdle of importing your bargain priced car from the United States into Canada You will also be asked to provide a “Recall Clearance Letter” which will certify that the vehicle has no outstanding vehicle Recalls and that all the manufactures recall upgrades have been done. This document can be simply provided on request by either the car dealer or vehicle manufacturer and must be on official company or dealer letterhead.

If you are going to drive your new car or other vehicle home you will need some form of vehicle registration and insurance. One other option is to have the freighted home by a common carrier. Many auto carriers are available who will take pick up your car at the dealer’s lot and transport it to you in Canada or to a point at the American border. Depending on the rules of the state where the vehicle is purchased sales tax may not be charged if the car leaves the dealer’s lot on the truck as opposed to being driven away. In addition the car most likely will be insured during transport by the carrier. In these cases the cost of the sales tax payment saved may well be in excess of any shipping costs. In addition it saves you the time, expense and gas of traveling to pick up the vehicle as well as driving it home. If the vehicle is to be transported to the Canadian border for you’re to clear customs you must ensure that you have the car registered and insured. Often this can be done by your current insurance plan – perhaps an extension of your current insurance or a temporary permit obtained. Either way the car must be registered or insured one way or another if you are to drive the car from the Canadian border port of entry. If driven (and not hauled by truck vehicle transport), your car will need to be “plated” and insured. The dealer, who sold you your car, or the local highway department / sheriff, can assist you in obtaining these documents. As for insurance this can often be provided back home, as an extension of your current auto insurance plan or as a new purchase of car insurance.

If you are traveling away from home, the purchase can usually be done over the phone, with documents faxed.

You have now passed the first major hurdle of the steps of importing your new vehicle into Canada. Your vehicle will now have to be certified within Canada. Riv (The Registrar of Imported Motor Vehicles) will send you its “Vehicle Inspection Form” within two weeks. You will have 45 days from the time of submission of your documentation to the Canadian Border Service Agencies to complete the necessary modifications.

There are a number of straightforward steps in the process are taking your new vehicle for individual certification and inspection. The Registrar of Imported Vehicles of Canada (Riv.ca) (www.riv.ca) has contracted with the well known and available the national auto parts and service center chain Canadian Tire to perform the federal Riv inspection. This fee is included as part of the Riv fee – so that you do not have to pay this fee yet again. The Canadian Tire Service Centers can also perform certain modification work as well, (at your cost), as well as perform many, if not most, of required standard provincial vehicle inspections. Once passed, you will next present the vehicle for the routine Canadian provincial or territorial licensing authority for its inspection and approval.

It cannot be stressed enough that although you should be saving money in the process of importing your new vehicle into Canada that the onus is on you to be both current and thorough in your research and documentation. Follow all steps. Do not take shortcuts or foolish chances. The rules can and may change from time to time. The onus is you to check with the relevant authorities – be it the Riv Canada site, the manufacturer of the car, truck or S.U.V., your Provincial highway and traffic authority and your auto insurance company among other authorities and department. The onus is you to check. If not sure phone or email to verify. Remember written documentation is always best. By following the above steps your new car purchase should be an enjoyable and trouble free experience as well as a most economical and thrifty purchase.

You know that feeling when your car just isn’t happy anymore. Whether you decide to scrap, borrow or buy it is worth checking out your local Chester car auto part dealer to see if they have any suggestions for you.

You should always take care of your car in between services and car tuning can be done with some simple car auto parts from your local supplier.

You could be brave and choose to fix your unhappy car. It can be expensive to take your car to a repair shop so you might consider going to your local Chester car auto parts supplier first. Getting your car fixed can cost you a lot because the parts and the time taken will be charged to you. Trusting a mechanic and ask him for a full quote and break-down of what needs doing before he starts is a good idea.

You will be forced to think about what repairs are needed or which car auto parts need to be purchased and there are pros and cons as to which parts to use.

OEM car auto parts

There are benefits to buying OEM or ‘original equipment manufacturer’ auto parts for your car. OEM parts from your Chester auto parts dealer are made by the same people who made your car in the first place.

This option makes it far more likely that the car auto part you have chosen will actually work once fitted. Generally you will find that if you purchase OEM parts they will come with a decent length of warranty and may even include a policy of exchange for new.

Buying OEM car auto parts can be much more expensive than purchasing less specific parts from your local Chester car auto parts supplier with the difference being up to three-fold. The difference in cost between OEM and other car auto parts can be the deciding factor when people are concerned about spending as little as possible to keep their vehicle running.

Other car auto parts

You could opt for the cheaper option and ask your local Chester car auto parts supplier for suitable parts that have been made by another company. These are sometimes referred to as ‘after-market’ car auto parts where they have been made for your make and model of car but not by the same manufacturer who actually built your car originally.

Opting for this choice means that usually you can simply visit your local Chester car auto parts dealer who will be able to provide you with the part you need. This style of car auto part is usually much easier to find at your local suppliers because the fact that they are made in bulk makes them more readily available. In respect of this they are also often far cheaper than sourcing OEM car auto parts.

A down-side of buying ‘after-market’ car auto parts is that it can be a false economy as once you get the parts home and fit them they are more likely not to work. Then you may end up purchasing the OEM parts that you dismissed in the first place or worse still having to take your car to a Chester mechanic.

It is obviously your decision over what to do when your car starts to sound tired. If you make the decision to attempt to fix your vehicle yourself do some research to find out which will be the best parts for you before you go to your local Chester car auto parts supplier.