Importing a Vehicle (Subaru) Without TPMS - Success!

[Ashtim 4]

On 1/7/2019 at 11:57 AM, Invisigoth said:

Ha!  So, my husband and I aren't the only ones dealing with this issue!  We are going to try and import his Elantra. Trying to get the certificate of compliance in the first place was extremely difficult because nobody from Hyundai corporate knew what we were talking about.  So, after getting passed around for a couple weeks, we finally got a letter that his vehicle meets all the EPA/DOT requirements... but it doesn't meat the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) requirements.   Only solution for us is to install an after market system.   So, guess where he is this morning?  He is in Whitby, at the dealer, getting his mechanic to install an aftermarket system.

 

I'm glad to hear this was successful for you, Orit.  I'll keep you posted on how we do when we try and import his car (interview is Jan 14).  We'll be coming over the 1000 island bridge.  Stay tuned!

Were you able to import your Elantra with after market tpms ? 

[grupetto 2]

I put an aftermarket TPMS on it. They will ask for value of vehicle, so come prepared with some comps. Paid some tax and

away I went. registered it in California.

[Ashtim 4]

35 minutes ago, grupetto said:

I put an aftermarket TPMS on it. They will ask for value of vehicle, so come prepared with some comps. Paid some tax and

away I went. registered it in California.

So the one from Amazon coz I live in Ajax  n same situation as yours ! 

 

36 minutes ago, grupetto said:

I put an aftermarket TPMS on it. They will ask for value of vehicle, so come prepared with some comps. Paid some tax and

away I went. registered it in California.

 

[IAO 2]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:38 PM, Mat.man said:

In the process of importing a 2011 Subaru Impreza from Canada to the US.  All things are ready to go except for the FMVSS 101 & 138 as many other posters have run into. The 101 TPMS seems to have been sorted by others, so my question is regarding the 138: brake, abs telltale and Combimeter differences. 

 

I've read thru this forum and while there was a lot of good information I cannot find any experiences specifically with 138. Have people been going to a shop and getting a whole new face plate to remedy the MPH vs KPH problem? And for the telltales, I imagine it depends on the officer present during the process but has anyone actually fixed this issue?

 

Thank you all!

You have the numbers mixed up, 101 is the dash issue, 138 is the TPMS issue. I am also wondering if/what needs to be done to bring the car into "compliance" with the dash.

 

On 10/14/2021 at 9:23 AM, 2013HondaCivic said:

 

Importing a vehicle is a permanent thing. There is no import for a year. What the officer said is not correct.

 

I think I mentioned in my original post but I was also faced with the similiar-minded officer at the border booth. He said my visa is TN so why bother all the hassle of importing my car. He rather suggested I just do nothing at the border and drive with my Ontario plate which you are only allowed to do for a year (whether you're on TN or just visiting). After that you need to cross the border every year to "reset" the clock. Again this is not an import, but just driving a Canadian vehicle in the States. 

 

I told the officer I still wanted to import because I will not be able to bring the car back to Canada every year for next 2 years and I insisted. The officer gave me a confused look but he still went ahead and gave me the paper that would take me to the border office to complete the importing work because they cannot stop you from importing the car with TN visa.

 

The border office you'll talk over the phone is not necessarily the officer you're going to meet at the border, so the answer you get over the phone is not going to help you.

Nonetheless, you are allowed to import your vehicle with TN visa. The officer can stop you with a vehicle compliance issue, but not because you have a TN visa.

My other questions is, how/what Canadian insurance company insures you for up to a year in the US, until you comeback to reset the "clock"? My current insurance provider says im only covered for a month. Also the state you will be living in probably has their own restrictions in-regards to "out-of-state" licenses.

[2013HondaCivic 4]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:46 AM, IAO said:

My other questions is, how/what Canadian insurance company insures you for up to a year in the US, until you comeback to reset the "clock"? My current insurance provider says im only covered for a month. Also the state you will be living in probably has their own restrictions in-regards to "out-of-state" licenses.

My US insurance company (State Farm) said I'm covered in Canada for indefinite time when I'm traveling abroad, but perhaps a Canadian insurance company may have a different policy. Sorry I don't have any information on that.

 

[IAO 2]

On 10/29/2021 at 11:46 AM, IAO said:

You have the numbers mixed up, 101 is the dash issue, 138 is the TPMS issue. I am also wondering if/what needs to be done to bring the car into "compliance" with the dash.

 

After doing more research, I found this link with regard to FMVSS 101. States that vehicle must be in compliance with all FMVSS requirements except a few (101, 108, 110, 120).

[Invisigoth 16]

On 10/21/2021 at 10:58 PM, Ashtim said:

Were you able to import your Elantra with after market tpms ? 

Yes. And, it was a cheap portable one that you plug into your cigarette lighter.  Husband bought it for under $100.  Husband just showed them the receipt and they took note that it was "installed."  Honestly, I have since removed it after I put my summer tires on.  Because it is annoying and was sitting in my center console.  LOL.  Good luck!

[Ashtim 4]

38 minutes ago, Invisigoth said:

Yes. And, it was a cheap portable one that you plug into your cigarette lighter.  Husband bought it for under $100.  Husband just showed them the receipt and they took note that it was "installed."  Honestly, I have since removed it after I put my summer tires on.  Because it is annoying and was sitting in my center console.  LOL.  Good luck!

Thank you 

[Mat.man 0]

On 11/1/2021 at 2:00 PM, IAO said:

After doing more research, I found this link with regard to FMVSS 101. States that vehicle must be in compliance with all FMVSS requirements except a few (101, 108, 110, 120).

Holy cannoli. Thats huge. Great work! hoping the border agent agrees with their own form! 

 

Thank you!

[Jess&Rob 9]

On 6/6/2018 at 7:17 PM, O.C said:

I would like to share my experience importing my vehicle, which has no TPMS  - I am sure this topic has driven many people a little nutzo, as it did me because I really did not want to leave my car behind in Canada. My vehicle is a 2010 Subaru Impreza, purchased in Canada and paid off before time of import.My vehicle had no TPMS installed by the manufacturer and there was no way to "turn the TPMS" on as an option some vehicles may have. 

 

The first thing I did was contact Subaru (customercare@subaru.ca) for the compliance letter; I had to provide them with a picture of my vehicles registration, and they took about 2 weeks to respond by email with a compliance letter, no charge. 

 

My compliance letter stated "Our data indicates this vehicle at the time of manufacture conformed to all applicable US FMVSS, EXCEPT FOR:

- FMVSS 101 Controls and display differences (1) MPH vs KPH (2) Brake telltale (3) ABS telltale

- FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring System

 

i didn't think it was a big deal, the TPMS, and I contacted an import company (5 of them actually) just to get a quote to see what it would cost for someone else to do the work and everyone had the same response "In order for your vehicle to become compliant with U.S. safety standards, you must have OEM TPMS installed by an authorized dealer or repair facility.  No one has been successful in completing this because OEM parts usually don't exist for vehicles that weren't originally manufactured with TPMS as an option on the vehicle." & "NHTSA approves modifications in regards to FMVSS No. 138, only performed by a certified Subaru dealer. If you can find a Subaru dealer to install the TPMS in your car, we can import it for you."

 

After receiving these kinds of responses from all 5 importers, I called four different Subaru dealers in Ontario near where I lived and called the two larger Subaru dealers in the Buffalo area and heard the same thing from all of them; basically the vehicle wasn't designed to have OEM TPMS so quite simply; it cannot be done. I even called Subaru Canada and Subaru America to speak to customer service reps..they all suggested that I do an aftermarket one, but the NHTSA says OEM only ---This is where I was super bummed out. I was going in circles. Can't install it OEM, but OEM is the only way I can import it ?? This made no sense to me. so I called the border.

 

I live in Buffalo, so I have Peace, Rainbow and the Queenston Lewiston bridges all a short driving distance from me. I mostly got automated machines and it took forever to get through, but I did manage to get through to a border agent at the QL Bridge, and I basically told him exactly what was going on regarding my TPMS troubles,  and he said that It does not have to be OEM, but it must be installed, and he referenced people in the past doing it at Canadian Tire, so I said, cool! I'll go there. 

 

Long story short for Canadian Tire - they couldn't do it for me. My vehicle doesn't have the option to turn TPMS "on" as I mentioned before. They could put the sensors on the tires but they would have no where to send the signals to...so now even more bummed and stressed out.

 

I decided to call the border back again and luckily got the same border agent who remembered me. I told him exactly what Canadian Tire told me and the issues I was having and he basically told me, the TPMS does not need to be part of the vehicle. They have imported vehicles that have external monitors (so basically aftermarket) and that as long as they can see the system installed, and I have a receipt from anywhere (either side of the border) then it will be fine. 

 

I found ONE mechanic in the Buffalo area willing to install an aftermarket TPMS system for me. I found a Schrader TPMS retrofit kit with internal sensors on Amazon for $180 and he installed it for me. I went to the QL bridge, they looked at the compliance letter, looked at the TPMS receipt, took my green card as ID, made me fill out 3 forms. After I filled them out, they stamped them, copied my registration and said go to the DMV with the paperwork, you're done here.

 

I was literally in and out in 15 minutes. I was seriously stressed out since March till now, freaking out about importing because of the TPMS. But I am so happy it all worked out! 

 

Next steps : US Insurance, DMV and Inspection.

 

 

 

THIS IS MY ISSUE RIGHT NOW! My

compliance letter says I don’t have TPMS on my 2015 Hyundai Accent. I called hyundai here in Florida and they said they won’t install the system into cars. He basically said he can’t help me. So I’ve been looking at buying the kits from Walmart/amazon and putting them on myself. The screen goes into your lighter outlet. Will this suffice for customs? I only have 30 days to get my car imported and registered (insurance rules)

[IAO 2]

1 hour ago, Jess&Rob said:

THIS IS MY ISSUE RIGHT NOW! My

compliance letter says I don’t have TPMS on my 2015 Hyundai Accent. I called hyundai here in Florida and they said they won’t install the system into cars. He basically said he can’t help me. So I’ve been looking at buying the kits from Walmart/amazon and putting them on myself. The screen goes into your lighter outlet. Will this suffice for customs? I only have 30 days to get my car imported and registered (insurance rules)

I successfully imported my vehicle earlier this month with an amazon TPMS kit (Get it installed by a local mechanic and get an invoice!). CBP agent didnt even physically check the TPMS, and she quickly skimmed through the car paperwork. I did sweet talk her a bit and was super sociable so that may have helped get through easier.

 

This is the one I bought:

https://www.amazon.ca/Blueskysea-Wireless-Monitoring-Real-time-Temperature/dp/B07QNV8T31/ref=sr_1_63?qid=1637421012&refinements=p_85%3A5690392011&rnid=5690384011&rps=1&s=automotive&sr=1-63

[Jess&Rob 9]

2 minutes ago, IAO said:

I successfully imported my vehicle earlier this month with an amazon TPMS kit (Get it installed by a local mechanic and get an invoice!). CBP agent didnt even physically check the TPMS, and she quickly skimmed through the car paperwork. I did sweet talk her a bit and was super sociable so that may have helped get through easier.

 

This is the one I bought:

https://www.amazon.ca/Blueskysea-Wireless-Monitoring-Real-time-Temperature/dp/B07QNV8T31/ref=sr_1_63?qid=1637421012&refinements=p_85%3A5690392011&rnid=5690384011&rps=1&s=automotive&sr=1-63

Amazing thank you! Aren’t there kits you can easily install yourself?

[IAO 2]

21 minutes ago, Jess&Rob said:

Amazing thank you! Aren’t there kits you can easily install yourself?

Yes, this one just replaces the valve stem cap on each wheel and takes less than 5 minutes to install and get synced. The requirement says "installed by a repair facility" so I didn't want to run into issues at the border, they just charged me $25 since it was the lowest they could charge me.

[Jess&Rob 9]

35 minutes ago, IAO said:

Yes, this one just replaces the valve stem cap on each wheel and takes less than 5 minutes to install and get synced. The requirement says "installed by a repair facility" so I didn't want to run into issues at the border, they just charged me $25 since it was the lowest they could charge me.

Darn  did they ask for proof?

[agdmills 6]

On 7/1/2021 at 6:51 PM, Ahanaf said:

This post really helped me a lot with importing my vehicle and I would like to share my experience. I have successfully imported and registered my vehicle (2018 Kia Forte). I am a green card holder if that makes any difference.

 

I was relocating from Ontario to California for a job and my company offered to deliver my car to California. I had a vehicle importing company but they said that they wouldn't be able to import the car to the USA because my car did not have a TPMS sensor. In the letter from the manufacturer it states:

 

In addition, this vehicle met most of the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), except for the following:

FMVSS 138 Regulation as this vehicle was not equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

 

The vehicle importing company said they would still be able to drop my car off in California, and I would be able to drive the car for a year, after which the car had to be exported. This is the option that I chose. They gave me an ACE Manifest which I had to show to the customs office. Once my car arrived in California, it was my responsibility to go to a customs office to get it imported officially (which is required to register the vehicle). I was supposed to make changes to be compliant with the FMVSS but every Kia dealership I called said that this process would be very costly and they would basically have to strip half the car to put it in. I wanted to try with aftermarket parts as I saw it worked for some people so I got a 30 dollar TPMS kit from Amazon and just installed it on my car myself. I wrote a short letter stating that I installed the TPMS sensors myself to make the car compliant with the FVMSS. Then I drove to the closest Customs office that does vehicle imports with all the paperwork (you can find the required files online) and they just looked over all the files and didn't really take a second glance at the TPMS sensor. They didn't question about it or anything. This might be because this Customs office was not in the border between Canada and USA so this type of import problem isn't very common. I got my forms stamped and the next step was the DMV.

 

When I got to the DMV, I also had to show them my compliance letter. They didn't really look at it that much either. I could have gotten lucky here as well because some DMV officers might be picky. Along with the other documents that the DMV requires (you can find them on the California DMV site), if your car was bought less than a year ago, then bring proof of purchase that shows that you paid tax in Ontario or else they will make you pay tax in California. Luckily I had proof of purchase so my registration fee was 280 dollars. 

 

Timeline:

Compliance letter: End of May 2021

Car exported from Canada: End of May 2021

Car in my hands in California: Mid June 2021

Visit California Customs office: 1 week after arrival in California

Visit California DMV: 1 week after visiting Customs office

 

That is the end of my story. If you have any questions, feel free to ask

I'm glad you were successful! I'm in California as well. You said you took your car to the closest California Customs office. Where did you go? The border in San Diego? Or does California have customs offices throughout the state that does this? Thank you!