Importing a car (Dodge) from Mexico to the US

[Lia792 5]

Hi,

I have noticed that a lot of people import their cars from Canada to the US, but I am wondering if those same requirements apply from Mexico to the US and if anyone has done it. From what I understand, we would need a letter from the manufacturer verifying that the car (Dodge) was made according to US standards. Does anyone have experience with getting the letter from Dodge or know how much it costs? Are there any importation costs at the border? Everybody we talk to here in Mexico seems to think that it is "cheaper" to buy a car in the US, but I am really convinced that it is not cheaper when you do the conversion from pesos to dollars and that the stress of buying a car in the US will take weeks. Does anyone have any thoughts about that? Thanks for any help!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_tra...porting_car.xml

There is a partial truth in it being cheaper to buy car in US--if the car purchased is used.

[Krikit 1,163]

Hi Lia. I've imported from Canada but the rules are the same. You obtain the conforming-vehicle letter from the manufacturer and bring that, along with the ownership/registration and bill of sale with you to the POE. The cost of the letter ranges from $0.00 to $120, depending upon the manufacturer.

There are no dutiable charges when you are immigrating. Customs will fill out a form and you will take that with you when you register the vehicle in the US. You will be asked the value of the vehicle so you may want to check the Kelley Blue Book value first. You will want to lowball the value just in case you are required to pay State or County taxes when you register it. (You'll need to check with your local Tag Office to see what the requirements are.) Here are some links for you:

CBP FAQ - Importing a Conforming Vehicle Into the US

Vehicle Importation and Certification Requirements

CBP - Importing a Motor Vehicle

VJ Thread - Importing a Vehicle

[Lia792 5]

Thanks Krikit and Saddle Bronc! That made it a lot clearer for me.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

It makes absolutely no sense to try to ship ice cubes to Alaska, or bananas to Africa.

[Lia792 5]

OMG Bob you made me laugh! It's almost like you are psychic How did you know we are considering importing a car from Mexico to the Motor City???? Unfortunately, doing the currency conversions, it seems like the car is worth about the same in the US so it looks like we should just do what turns out to be more convenient...

Edited February 10, 2010 by Lia792

[claireg 0]

Hi,

Yes we had the same question and we made an enquiry with the DMV of the state we want to import the car. (in our case north carolina). There is a fee of 3% of the value of the car and this is it. After that, they will deliver the new plates and we have to provide them with a insurance from the state and a proof of domicile. Looks like a very simple process.

However if you go to CA where they have specific exhaust requirement , then you would have to make a conversion to a catalytic exhaust (about 400 approx)

We also figured out that it is more interesting to import our car than to buy a new one in the US !!

Hi,

I have noticed that a lot of people import their cars from Canada to the US, but I am wondering if those same requirements apply from Mexico to the US and if anyone has done it. From what I understand, we would need a letter from the manufacturer verifying that the car (Dodge) was made according to US standards. Does anyone have experience with getting the letter from Dodge or know how much it costs? Are there any importation costs at the border? Everybody we talk to here in Mexico seems to think that it is "cheaper" to buy a car in the US, but I am really convinced that it is not cheaper when you do the conversion from pesos to dollars and that the stress of buying a car in the US will take weeks. Does anyone have any thoughts about that? Thanks for any help!

[Lia792 5]

Hi Claireg,

Thanks for your reply. I will check with my SOS and see what they say. (MI.)