# Recall Letter to Import Cars to Canada???



## diamondback1974 (Mar 12, 2008)

Hello All,

I am a broker/dealer in Arizona. I bought from an auction a month ago a BMW X5 4.4i to resell. I am in the process of selling to a Canadian customer but he is now reluctant and wants to back out of the deal as he said that BMW Canada has a monopoly going on and requires importers to pay $350 for an admissibility letter prior to border crossing, then $500 for the vehicle "Recall Letter". This is nuts and terrible for all of us in the USA wishing to sell to Canadians. This will cripple my business not to mention how could BMW get away with this. This customer has now asked for me to find him a Lexus as he spoke with Lexus and they will send any type letter for FREE. Can anyone here comment? Doesn't BMW Canada realize that the more BM'rs on the road the better for the brand? Do they not see potential service work? Could anyone on this forum help me or know what I am talking about? Could you email me these forms? The vin # is 5UXFB53526LV20621 and my email is [email protected] I would greatly appreciate you saving my business and yours.... Thanks....


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## cozia83 (Dec 24, 2007)

I don't know any details, but from what I've read, there is a pretty high fee to bring in a BMW from the US to Canada. Additionally, Canadian BMW dealers won't service a US-bought car, and I think there was also an issue with the warranty.

Basically, they are doing all they can to discourage people from importing their own cars because they're so much cheaper in the US.

I only have superficial knowledge, so I hope someone else who knows more can help you out. Good luck!


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## rehostman (Feb 10, 2008)

Hi.

You are right on most points. I looked into importing a U.S.-spec Z4 before buying it from a canadian dealer. The RIV agency has a fairly long and tedious process to import a car but if you are willing to follow a long paper trail the savings in dollars can be quite impressive.

As for BMW Canada, they will honor the warranty on parts but will not provide the four-year free maintenance plan. So your oil changes and whatnots will be paid by you but parts that break under warranty will be honored by BMW Canada.

The RIV charges only a few hundreds dollars for importing a U.S-spec BMW into Canada however a tariff of 6.1 percent is imposed on the selling price of the car if the car has not been manufactured in North America. The X3, X5, and Z4 are therefore not charged this fee but any other series will be tacked a 6.1% import fee on the selling price.

On top of that, the U.S-spec BMW has to be modified to meet Canadian regulations. Depending on the model and the model year this could add up to a few thousands dollars.

The whole process takes about 60 days at most to receive your sticker that certifies the car to be following canadian regulations. You can then have the car registered.

The whole process can be a hassle and the end result is like you say a way to discourage canadians to buy cars at much cheaper price.

Cheers.


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## Beemersn (Jan 1, 2006)

Go to your dealer and get a letter on their letterhead stating that there are no outstanding recalls. This document is acceptable for registration in Canada.


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## 2wheels2four (Dec 23, 2007)

OP, this is not so much a "BMW thing" in the corporate sense -- it is a Canadian Government and Canadian BMW Dealer issue. The dealers up there and the provincial goverments are the source of the fees you mentioned. They are trying to keep Canadian money in Canada due to the weakness of the U.S. dollar.


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## CanadianDriver (Jun 7, 2007)

diamondback1974 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am a broker/dealer in Arizona. I bought from an auction a month ago a BMW X5 4.4i to resell. I am in the process of selling to a Canadian customer but he is now reluctant and wants to back out of the deal as he said that BMW Canada has a monopoly going on and requires importers to pay $350 for an admissibility letter prior to border crossing, then $500 for the vehicle "Recall Letter". This is nuts and terrible for all of us in the USA wishing to sell to Canadians. This will cripple my business not to mention how could BMW get away with this. This customer has now asked for me to find him a Lexus as he spoke with Lexus and they will send any type letter for FREE. Can anyone here comment? Doesn't BMW Canada realize that the more BM'rs on the road the better for the brand? Do they not see potential service work? Could anyone on this forum help me or know what I am talking about? Could you email me these forms? The vin # is 5UXFB53526LV20621 and my email is [email protected] I would greatly appreciate you saving my business and yours.... Thanks....


What your Canadian customer said is true. BMW Canada took advantage of a loop-hole in the system. There is no "mandatory" format for the list that RIV requests from car manufacturers. RIV simply wants to know whether a car model can comply to Canadian vehicle standards.

Manufacturers provide this info "voluntarily". So instead of providing a list in "black and white", i.e. compliant and NOT compliant, BMW simply indicated on their list "contact an authorized Canadian BMW dealer". RIV cannot go back to BMW Canada and ask for a "proper" list since there is no legislation defining the what the proper list should contain.

That smart move by BMW Canada helplessly tied RIV's hands, and allowed their dealers to dictate what the rules are on a case to case basis:
- $350 admissibility letter
- $500 recall letter
- $3500 cluster replacement (on later models)

According to dealers, activating DRL using i-Drive does not make the car compliant with DRL requirements. They say owners must not have the option to control DRL, so they are forcing importers to replace clusters.

Needless to say, BMW Canada was able to discourage the influx of US BMWs. To complete the 1-2 punch, BMW Canada threw some disguised incentives to convince car shoppers that now is the best time to lease a new (or used) BMW, and plenty took the bait.

Like many others, I am waiting for things to settle down before I import.

re: X3, it is subject to 6.1% duty as it's made by Magna Steyr in Austria. X5 and Z4 are both duty-free.


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## matti (Jun 19, 2007)

As a reference, Porsche charges nothing for the compliance/recall letter (at least on my '95 911). Their prices in the US seem much lower relative the Cdn prices than BMW's. According to the local dealer they do honor the US warranty although you may not get great service.


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## rehostman (Feb 10, 2008)

Matti, that's probably because Porsche Canada just reduced the MSRP for their 08 models by about 8% to reduce the gap between the CDN and US prices.

CanadianDriver, my bad for the X3.

Cheers.


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## faston (Feb 15, 2008)

The post by Canadiandriver has the most accurate info regarding importing a BMW. It is BMW Canada giving the shaft big-time to people who want to take advantage of the price differential with the rise of the Canadian dollar in recent years. Canadian manufacturers chose not to respond incrementally to this rise and now find themselves priced about 30-35% higher in Canada with many people looking to arbitrage that difference. They all are reacting differently. BMW is, frankly, pretty much the worst with their bogus 3-4 thousand dollar self-implemented 'compliance fees'. Also note that Canadiandriver mentioned that it takes about 60 days to get the 'recall clearance letter' that most manufacturers supply in days (sometimes hours). You only have 45 days to complete the importing process. Nice, huh?

Some manufacturers have been better at handling this situation. I would suggest you steer your client towards Infiniti. Almost no restrictions to importing and full warrantee.


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## grc_m3 (Mar 12, 2008)

I live in BC. I purchased my new M3 in 2006 from BMW dealer in Phoenix.
There was no $350 fee. There was no $500 letter. The dealer sent me the purchase contract for signing and I gave US cusoms a copy of all the paperwork prior to heading into the States.

Be sure to give the paperwork to the same customs crossing you will be bringing the car thru. 

USA dealer gave me a 90 day temporary plate, good until you get your new plates.

US Customs requires 3 days to review paperwork prior to the car leaving the USA.

Canada Customs requires GST payment at border crossing and import duty if car is not manufactured in USA. Import Duty was 6.1 % in 2006

Provincial Tax can be paid at the border or to your insurance agent when putting your new plaes on your car.

Canada requires a Federal Inspection Report (free at Canadian Tire Stores) - on new cars they are mostly concerned about daytime running lights - make sure the dealer activates them in the USA.

BC requires a Provincial Inspection Report - which costs less han $100 - not much to do on a new car. Used cars, they need to check brakes, steering etc.

Once the two reports are completed then you take the forms to the insurance company and you get your new plates.

Just follow the rules, and it is just like declaring a case of beer.

I got all my insight from the internet. Saved bigtime in 2006. I don't think Canadian prices have dropped yet to meet US prices. And now, the CAN $ is at par too.

I made the mistake of thinking the maintenance plan was north american wide, but US cars get free service only in the US and Canadian cars get free service only in Canada. 

No problem taking my US car to my Canadain dealer for work.

Let me know if you need more info.


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## lubbock57 (Aug 19, 2007)

Many items stated here are factual correct. There are however some mistakes here as well.

A letter issued by a US BMW dealer with the dealer letterhead is not acceptable to RIV. 

What makes matters worse and pisses people off so much now is that many Canadian BMW dealers are in the US every day purchasing US spec BMWs and exporting to Canada. So BMW is exploiting the exact same avenue that the Canadian public has been trying to use only BMW Canada side steps all the assinine fees we all pay. Of course there is a substantial mark up on the cars once they reach the Canadian car lots.

The only way we in Canada can speak for ourselves on this entire matter is to not buy a BMW on either side of the border, like me. And from what information is available on Denis Desrosiers web site.........BMW Canada's sales are tanking big time. Down 25% last month and 15% thus far this year. So I'm not the only one thinking this way is my guess.

BMW has refused until very recently to lower their prices for cash buyers (there are however lots of help if you want to lease one), and even then have announced it as an incentive, without actually lowering their price. Lowering their price screws up their residual value calcs so they spin the calcs to keep the leasors happy when their lease is up. 

I told the BMW sales rep I was dealing with for months that BMW Canada would come to regret the decision of stonewalling Canadian purchasers and he replied with the usual defense and outright support for the BMW policies..........almost made me gag.

I ended up purchasing a Porsche in Dallas and brought it in without any hitches whatsoever. BMW sure has a funny way of treating potential customers.


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## Isa7913 (Apr 2, 2008)

Before buying mine, I went to the dealership and ask what he thinks personnaly of people buying in the States. Long story short, canadian dealers don't want you to buy outside and will find all the reasons in the world to discourage you from doing it. If everyboby would buy their BMW in the US, what would be the use of having BMW dealership in Canada?

Anyway, on my part I plan to buy my next car from our neighbourg (US).


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## matti (Jun 19, 2007)

grc_m3 said:


> I live in BC. I purchased my new M3 in 2006 from BMW dealer in Phoenix.
> There was no $350 fee. There was no $500 letter. The dealer sent me the purchase contract for signing and I gave US cusoms a copy of all the paperwork prior to heading into the States.
> 
> Be sure to give the paperwork to the same customs crossing you will be bringing the car thru.
> ...


That was in 2006. I'm guessing the Cdn dealers are seeing a more recent flood of US cars with the dollar the way it is. My understanding is that the Recall Clearance Letter must be on the mfg's letterhead since they are stating that the vehicle meets Canadian standards and all recalls have been done. The stories about BMW charging for the letter and charging big $$$ to modify the car to meet the RIV requirements are likely new tactics to discourage and penalize BMW clients. Check with your local dealer before getting a $4k surprise. The right answer is to get the work done at the US dealer who has no axe to grind. Once the car is in Canada you have no choices but to pay the $$$ or face exporting the car. I'm just finishing importing a car myself.

It infuriates me that the auto mfgs want to penalize people who wish to own their cars. If they would be more concerned about creating a level pricing structure they would be much more successful at creating brand loyalty. Based on my personal experience with BMW lately, they aren't that interested in client satisfaction. The dealers make efforts but BMW has a giant wall to isolate themselves from their peon customers.

There are thousands of people importing cars right now. I ran into them at the border, at RIV inspection facilities, at the registries office and online. I hope the auto mfgs get the message.


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## Beemersn (Jan 1, 2006)

lubbock57 said:


> Many items stated here are factual correct. There are however some mistakes here as well.
> 
> A letter issued by a US BMW dealer with the dealer letterhead is not acceptable to RIV.
> 
> .


Are you sure about the dealer letter? Refer to attached link. I have stated relevant facts below. I know someone used a dealer letter in 2008 to register his car in Toronto.

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

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. You can confirm this by calling the head office of the manufacturer and providing them with the location of the dealership in question

If the printout is from an authorized American dealership, the company stamp must be affixed to the printout. In either case, the 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle in question must be included in the letter.

If your vehicle does not have any outstanding recalls then the letter should say "this vehicle has no outstanding recalls." This letter must be presented to the RIV department prior to your Vehicle Inspection Form being released.

If your vehicle does have a recall you will need to complete all repairs required. Once completed, the dealer will provide you with an invoice that contains the same work order number as your recall letter. You will then take the recall letter with the invoice from the dealer with you to your federal inspection as proof that the outstanding recall has been completed.


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## options (Mar 10, 2008)

Just went throught this a month ago and tried to argue the same point but to no avail....RIV stated that BMW Canada dictated what was required to clear the vehicle and in my case it was $4000



Beemersn said:


> Are you sure about the dealer letter? Refer to attached link. I have stated relevant facts below. I know someone used a dealer letter in 2008 to register his car in Toronto.
> 
> http://www.riv.ca/english/html/recall_clearance.html
> 
> ...


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## docmarty (May 2, 2008)

*importing*



matti said:


> That was in 2006. I'm guessing the Cdn dealers are seeing a more recent flood of US cars with the dollar the way it is. My understanding is that the Recall Clearance Letter must be on the mfg's letterhead since they are stating that the vehicle meets Canadian standards and all recalls have been done. The stories about BMW charging for the letter and charging big $$$ to modify the car to meet the RIV requirements are likely new tactics to discourage and penalize BMW clients. Check with your local dealer before getting a $4k surprise. The right answer is to get the work done at the US dealer who has no axe to grind. Once the car is in Canada you have no choices but to pay the $$$ or face exporting the car. I'm just finishing importing a car myself.
> 
> It infuriates me that the auto mfgs want to penalize people who wish to own their cars. If they would be more concerned about creating a level pricing structure they would be much more successful at creating brand loyalty. Based on my personal experience with BMW lately, they aren't that interested in client satisfaction. The dealers make efforts but BMW has a giant wall to isolate themselves from their peon customers.
> 
> There are thousands of people importing cars right now. I ran into them at the border, at RIV inspection facilities, at the registries office and online. I hope the auto mfgs get the message.


Hey ppl, new to the fest,

Thinking of importing in the next few months as well (E93 cabrio). I new about the $500 recall clearance letter, however I wasn't aware of the $4000 bill...what exactly is that all about? And when you say get the work done at the dealer (in the USA), do you mean the alterations required to meet Canadian standards? Is that what you did, and what did that cost you if so? thanks man


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## docmarty (May 2, 2008)

**** man, $4000? how much did you end up saving after all was said and done?



options said:


> Just went throught this a month ago and tried to argue the same point but to no avail....RIV stated that BMW Canada dictated what was required to clear the vehicle and in my case it was $4000


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## options (Mar 10, 2008)

They will force you to change the Speedometer (Instrument Cluster) to one that shows only (KM) and the Climate Control Unit as they claim that the two are interrelated, therefore changing the cluster will require a change of the Climate unit. 

Cluster $1000
Climate Unit $1200
Labor $400
Recall Letter $500

With taxes, I paid $3700, plus the $350 for the Admissability Letter = $4000. The more expensive the vehcile the greater the cost. The cost to do a M5 is $4200 and if you throw in the admissability letter $4600.

And, on top of that they try to make you wait two weeks to get an appointment so just call every dealer as some will book you in right away.

Price difference is $20,000 between US and CDN prices so your still way ahead.

Note: You wont get the recall letter unless you do the modifications. Also, its not actually an letter but a email sent from BMW Canada to RIV so there is no getting around this.


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## Isa7913 (Apr 2, 2008)

They did not change the speedometer, but I had to have it re-program unless I would get a fine. Re-program what? Dunno :dunno: Just to make money I guess.


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## matte (May 6, 2008)

*Importing BMW M5*

Hi Options:

I live in Calgary and I just put a deposit on a BMW M5 which I'll be picking up later this week. I am confused about all of the charges, etc. and changes. It is a 2006 M5... will I be required to make these changes? If so, can they happen on the Canada side or must they happen on the US side...? Do you know what the exact process is?

If you could provide any guidance it would be great, tks!

Matt



options said:


> They will force you to change the Speedometer (Instrument Cluster) to one that shows only (KM) and the Climate Control Unit as they claim that the two are interrelated, therefore changing the cluster will require a change of the Climate unit.
> 
> Cluster $1000
> Climate Unit $1200
> ...


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## grc_m3 (Mar 12, 2008)

I got the recall letter from BMW USA, not from any dealer. I phoned BMW USA, gave them the VIN and I had a fax from them within 4 hours. All very polite and helpful if you ask me. And, no fee.

I had the USA Dealer, activate daytime running lights and he swithched the odometer display to kilometers.

Canadian Tire never looked at the speedo or anything. I forget if they checked the daytime running lights to see if they are working. It was very straightforward.

Maybe its a whole lot easier importing a new car into Canada as opposed to a used car.

I remmember speaking with RIV to confirm importation, and all he did is bring up the RIV list (as we spoke) to read thru it, just like I had done before. No issue here, and very helpful about the rest of the process.

As per warranty issues, and at the suggestion of a USA dealer, I have each of my vehicles registered for warranty in the other country. (My M3 is USA, and my X3 is CAN). All that took was two 1-800 calls to register the out of country car with each BMW office. Each BMW office was happy to register the out of country car. But, the maintenance plan is fixed to the country of origin.

Now, if only BMW USA would lease a car to a Canadian citizen ....

And, two years later, the $20,000 advantage is still there!!!


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## lubbock57 (Aug 19, 2007)

My understanding was that the US BMW dealers were not allowed to activate the DRL's on behalf of a Canadian BMW dealer. Sounds ridiculous but BMW Canada was making the case that BMW Canada and only BMW Canada knew what had to be done, that the US dealers weren't qualified to execute the modifications.

This is at the root of what is pissing so many Canadians off...............outright arrogance.


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## options (Mar 10, 2008)

The modifications can happen on the US side, however, apparently US dealers cannot order a Canadian Instrument Cluster to do the mod and secondly, if the DRL was activated in the US, BMW Canada has told their dealers that they are required to charge you for checking to determine if it was done correctly. I had mine activated in the US but they still charged me for the activation anyways

So the process is:

Obtain an admissability letter from any Canadian BMW Dealer ($350 plus tax). This takes 2-3 days and is required prior to importing vehicle.

Book an appointment with a Canadian BMW Dealer and state that you require a recall letter ($500).

Dealer will state that modifications are required before getting the recall letter.

After the modifications are done, the dealer will alert BMW Canada that all mods have been completed and all fees have been paid. BMW Canada will then send an email to Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) within 10 business days to authorize the release of the Inspection Form.

Take Inspection Form (Form 2) to Canadian Tire, get a safety, drive clean and Inspection done.

Take vehicle to licencing office to get your plates, after you pay the taxes of course and your done.

When I paid my "BMW Extortion Fee" at the dealer, the cashier was shocked to see my bill, but mentioned that the M5's bill was about $500 more than mine. Therefore the more expensive the car the higher the costs.

Costs at the dealership for the E60's:
The Instrument Cluster
Temperature Guage Console
DRL Activation
Labor
Taxes
Recall Letter

Hope this helps, and I have the 2006 550

Note: In Ontario, you are allowed a single 10 day Temporary Permit after you import the car so I would suggest that this permit be obtained around the time you book your appointment with the dealer. Otherwise you will have to tow the vehicle to the dealer as it does not have plates.



matte said:


> Hi Options:
> 
> I live in Calgary and I just put a deposit on a BMW M5 which I'll be picking up later this week. I am confused about all of the charges, etc. and changes. It is a 2006 M5... will I be required to make these changes? If so, can they happen on the Canada side or must they happen on the US side...? Do you know what the exact process is?
> 
> ...


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## lubbock57 (Aug 19, 2007)

I took BMW off my list as they piled on the fees, as such I imported a 2007 911 S in March. No BS from Porsche and absolutely effortless process bringing it back. I figured I'd have been a lifetime owner of BMW's but I couldn't stomach the crap they were dishing out. Their loss.


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## Kanuck (Feb 18, 2003)

How about the opposite problem? I want to take a Canadian E90 into the US. Yes, I know this sounds crazy, but I already have the car, I quite like it, and I am moving to the US.

Do I just need a mph speedo and DRLs disabled? How much will that cost?


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## chonko (May 26, 2006)

lubbock57 said:


> I took BMW off my list as they piled on the fees, as such I imported a 2007 911 S in March. No BS from Porsche and absolutely effortless process bringing it back. I figured I'd have been a lifetime owner of BMW's but I couldn't stomach the crap they were dishing out. Their loss.


That is exactly what I intend to do. I live in the US as of the moment and I own both an E70 X5 and E90 330i. Before moving back in a year or so, I will have switch over to Porsche or Audi if this shenanigan is still ongoing.


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## xenoid (May 12, 2008)

Canada BMW dealers want money for the recall letter. Even tried to tell me I had to take the car to them for a few hours.

I called USA BMW dealers until they gave me (using the last digits of the VIN) a letter that said all recall were taken care of. I used this and it was accepted by the RIV.


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## chonko (May 26, 2006)

xenoid said:


> Canada BMW dealers want money for the recall letter. Even tried to tell me I had to take the car to them for a few hours.
> 
> I called USA BMW dealers until they gave me (using the last digits of the VIN) a letter that said all recall were taken care of. I used this and it was accepted by the RIV.


I am really disappointed with BMW Canada.
Instead of addressing the source of the problem which is a price imbalance- they would rather punish their fellow Canadians.
I have two BMW:330i and X5, and when I decide to move back to Canada in the next couple of years, I will be forced to sell them and buy Audi or some other brand. For them to think that people will be forced to accept this daylight robbery is ridiculous.


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## chonko (May 26, 2006)

xenoid said:


> Canada BMW dealers want money for the recall letter. Even tried to tell me I had to take the car to them for a few hours.
> 
> I called USA BMW dealers until they gave me (using the last digits of the VIN) a letter that said all recall were taken care of. I used this and it was accepted by the RIV.


Did they make you pay the $3K plus to remove the dashboard cluster?


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## virtualrain (Dec 29, 2001)

Anyone else had any experiences importing a BMW to Canada lately?

It seems there are a few folks who successfully got the recall letter from BMW NA or a US dealer. I assume this tactic avoids the instrument cluster swap?

Why isn't everyone trying to get their recall letter via the US instead of BMW Canada?


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## Yshen (Jun 21, 2008)

on a side note, I never understood why it was so hard to add MPH under the KPH on BMWs bought in Canada. It looked better and it sure would help if we were planning a trip to the US.


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## btraw (Jul 31, 2008)

The import letter is a complete scam by BMW canada. I imported my last 2 bmw without having to pay a fee. Now they want to charge me 1000 + an instrument panel? That new c- class is looking pretty nice these days.


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## virtualrain (Dec 29, 2001)

After reading the info on www.riv.ca, I don't understand how people are getting caught up in this instrument cluster swap fiasco.

RIV simply states that they need the recall letter with your VIN indicating there are no outstanding recalls. People on this board and one friend I know have been successful getting the recall letter from BMW NA and RIV seems to be accepting that (why wouldn't they?). Upon getting the recall clearance letter, RIV will mail you the inspection form which you take to Canadian Tire who will simply check that the car has DRL activated, metric units, etc. It's therefore up to Canadian Tire, not BMW Canada, to determine if your car meets the necessary requirements. Following this scenario, I don't see how BMW Canada gets involved. It seems trivial to keep them out of this process.

Is it the failing of many here that they asked BMW Canada for the recall letter rather than BMW NA?

Update: It seems the scenario I outlined in the paragraphs above applied up until about Nov. of last year... that's when RIV started only accepting recall compliance letters from BMW Canada. However, the good news is that RIV has smartened up and is back to accepting recall compliance letters from US dealerships as per the link below. Note that as I describe above, we are back to keeping BMW Canada out of the picture and avoiding the instrument cluster fiasco.

http://ucanimport.blogspot.com/2008/07/letter-of-admissibility-not-required.html


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## autoque (Jul 29, 2008)

virtualrain said:


> Note that as I describe above, we are back to keeping BMW Canada out of the picture and avoiding the instrument cluster fiasco.


I'm pretty sure that changing an instrument cluster to a KPH is a must to be admissible.


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## chonko (May 26, 2006)

autoque said:


> I'm pretty sure that changing an instrument cluster to a KPH is a must to be admissible.


What about other manufacturers that have both on the cluster in Canada?
BMW Canada is just silly.
A friend of mine took a road trip US with her 3 series and ended up with a speeding ticket.
Her instrument cluster has the speedometer only in kph, and there was no quick of telling what her speed limit is in mph.


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## virtualrain (Dec 29, 2001)

autoque said:


> I'm pretty sure that changing an instrument cluster to a KPH is a must to be admissible.


As far as i know, the only requirement is that the speedo have metric units on it. Don't US cars have both on the speedo anyway? On iDrive or OBC equipped cars, the odo and other OBC values have user adjustable units. Hence I don't think this is a problem.

The only reason BMW wanted to swap clusters was as a money grab and they used the rather lame excuse that DRL should not be a user settable option (as it is on US iDrive).

Someone should verify what exactly Canadian Tire is looking for during the inspection, however, if I know Canadian Tire, I suspect its lax at the best of times.


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## autoque (Jul 29, 2008)

I didn't know US BMW had both on the speedo. But still, it's sort of a tricky call. RIV _may_ require the KPH to be the main (bigger and more detailed) unit on the speedo, just as MPH is the main unit on US cars. I know it sounds ridiculous but RIV is pretty strict that way.


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## Telecoguy (Jan 14, 2007)

Hi Guys, 

Just wondering - does RIV ALWAYS charge the 6.1% duty when you import a BMW (e.g. X3) back to Canada? I need to figure out the calculation to see if it's worth doing this. . .

Thanks!


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## matti (Jun 19, 2007)

Telecoguy said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Just wondering - does RIV ALWAYS charge the 6.1% duty when you import a BMW (e.g. X3) back to Canada? I need to figure out the calculation to see if it's worth doing this. . .
> 
> Thanks!


It's not RIV that charges the duty its Canada customs. With my Porsche, I got the letter from PCNA and not the local dealer. It was easy. With all imported vehicles, I would try and get any mods done in the US before importing because the dealers don't have an axe to grind down there.


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