Importing car from Canada

jiminho · 23-04-2014 06:45PM #1

Hey Guys, so I've got a pretty crazy idea and I'm not sure how the logistics of this would work out.

So I currently live in Canada and I'm thinking of buying a new car. The prices and finance deals they provide are so much better over here. But the thing is we're probably going to head back to Ireland in 2 years, so I wouldn't mind taking it back with me. We've bought a bunch of furniture and the plan was always to freight ship it home but I've been told that you only pay for the freight itself and you can pack in pretty much as much as possible, so i was thinking, why not a car.

So obviously we have a few niggling problems. What import charges would we have to pay? VRT is probably the only one i can see because the car will probably be approx. 2 yrs old when we bring it back. Warranty: They provide pretty good warranty deals over here. 5yrs/100k is more usual than unusual. How would that work back in Ireland tho? I mean on one hand it is a manufacturers warranty so provided they have dealers back home i.e. Ford, Hyundai etc but on the other well the cars are probably (definitely :rolleyes:) all different. Another one is obviously the left hand wheel drive. I can only think of two instances where that would be a problem. Overtaking on country roads and tolls/drive thrus/parking machines etc. As long as you have a good clearance and drive well back of the car in front, it shouldn't be a massive problem overtaking and reaching over to the other window I could deal with. Lastly, what about insurance? Would insurance companies insure for a left wheel drive car?

I was thinking of a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid see below and at current price $25k brand new, is approx. equiv. to E16k which is pretty mad.
http://www.hyundaicanada.com/Pages/showroom/showroom.aspx?model=sonata%20hybrid

So guys, am I dreaming or just being naive? Go easy on me.

colm_mcm · 23-04-2014 06:58PM

I can't see it working too well.
Warranties generally don't transfer between continents, lhd is a right pain, resale in Ireland will be nill, finance company wouldn't be too happy either.
You can get round vrt handy enough.

jiminho · 23-04-2014 07:30PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

I can't see it working too well.
Warranties generally don't transfer between continents This is the big one alright, I'll have to do more research, lhd is a right pain ha unintentional joke but i think i could deal with lhd, resale in Ireland will be nill i'd probably hang onto the car for 7 years, so residual value on a E16k i wouldn't say was a deal breaker, finance company wouldn't be too happy either Again, this another issue .
You can get round vrt handy enough.

Just wondering has anyone done something like this before? :pac:

CiniO · 23-04-2014 07:39PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

I can't see it working too well.
Warranties generally don't transfer between continents, lhd is a right pain, resale in Ireland will be nill, finance company wouldn't be too happy either.
You can get round vrt handy enough.

You'd be surprised by resale value.
As vehicles on the Continent keep their price much better than in Ireland or UK, then resale values for LHD cars in Ireland are not bad. Plenty of people returning from Ireland to the Continent would love to take one with them, probably willing to pay more for it than for RHD equivalent.

Driving LHD in Ireland - I don't know - never tried.
But I did about 50k kilometres on the Continent in RHD car, and except from a need to nearly break you back when paying for motorway tolls or parking tolls or mcdonalds drive through (you can help this with revesing down the drive throuh lane), there's not too much bother.

djimi · 23-04-2014 07:40PM

On the resale value, as well as the actual value being low, I would imagine it would be hard to shift full stop. Would there be a market here at all for a LHD US model Sonata? Maybe if it was something like a Mustang...!

Marcusm · 23-04-2014 07:49PM

Plenty of North American cars have been imported into Ireland but more often as classics or high end cars.

VRT will not be an issue as you are changing residence and will have owned the car for more than 6 months before arriving.

LHD will be a pain and, if you live anywhere urban, do not underestimate the hassle of parking barriers. I drive a lot on the continent in a RHD and it's a nightmare if I don't have a passenger.

Conversely, for a rural driver, overtaking will be an issue as you have identified.

Personally, it would have to be a special car or a very large saving. Have you looked into the shipping costs?

jiminho · 23-04-2014 07:50PM

djimi wrote: »

On the resale value, as well as the actual value being low, I would imagine it would be hard to shift full stop. Would there be a market here at all for a LHD US model Sonata? Maybe if it was something like a Mustang...!

I mean what would be the resale value of any car that cost E16k after say 7 years? I don't think it would be a massive thorn in my side if i just scapped it.

Ah the Mustang, that was my other thought!! To buy an American classic like the Mustang (or Shelby

) and just keep it indefinetly!!!

CiniO · 23-04-2014 07:58PM

With resale value of LHD car in Ireland, just look up any car you wish costs in Germany, add shipping cost (probably about 500 euro) and here you have the resale value.
Higher than RHD model in most cases.

jiminho · 23-04-2014 07:59PM

Marcusm wrote: »

Plenty of North American cars have been imported into Ireland but more often as classics or high end cars.

VRT will not be an issue as you are changing residence and will have owned the car for more than 6 months before arriving.

LHD will be a pain and, if you live anywhere urban, do not underestimate the hassle of parking barriers. I drive a lot on the continent in a RHD and it's a nightmare if I don't have a passenger.

Conversely, for a rural driver, overtaking will be an issue as you have identified.

Personally, it would have to be a special car or a very large saving. Have you looked into the shipping costs?

I hear yeh about the LHD and maybe I am underestimating it but for the potential savings, i think i could deal with it. Also, the cars in North America (such as the Sonata) are very good at coming with an array of standard features. Heated seats, keyless entry, handsfree phone system etc, basically i could go with the standard model and be contempt.

I've got one or two prices from friends who've done the shipping of furniture etc. They paid for a container which cost approx. $1000. I was surprised but i heard that from a few ppl and from what i know, you can stuff what ever yeah like in there provide it's not something like uranium or people.

You've got me thinking on the Mustang tho....

djimi · 23-04-2014 08:02PM

CiniO wrote: »

With resale value of LHD car in Ireland, just look up any car you wish costs in Germany, add shipping cost (probably about 500 euro) and here you have the resale value.
Higher than RHD model in most cases.

Is someone really going to look in Ireland from Germany for a LHD Sonata though? Okay, you might sell it to someone in Ireland who is leaving the country, but even that is going to be a very small market.

CiniO · 23-04-2014 08:08PM

djimi wrote: »

Is someone really going to look in Ireland from Germany for a LHD Sonata though?

From Germany - probably not.
But from Poland, Czech republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, etc - yes.
In most of those countries brand new car is luxury not that many people can afford, so most vehicles people buy are second hand.
All those countries since joining EU in 2004 pretty much are constantly clearling second hand vehicle market from Germany, Beligum, France, Italy, etc...
If there are some good cars in Ireland - surely they will go to Ireland for them.

Okay, you might sell it to someone in Ireland who is leaving the country, but even that is going to be a very small market.

That's another thing. In Polish shops here in Ireland I often see ad's saying something like "Looking for LHD car - returning to Poland".
There definitely is market for them...

And as side note, probably you will see effects of those markets on larger scale, as so far registering RHD cars was impossible in Poland. Last month Poland lost case in EU Court of Justice, and they will have to allow registering RHD cars.
You will see in few months, how many buyers from Poland there will be here for nice cheap big engined RHD cars, which cost here half of what they cost in Germany.
I can bet, that while so far threads about foreign buyers interested in someone's car here appeared maybe once a year, and usually most answers suggested it was a scam, in few months, after Poland will adjust the law to EU requirements, there will be those kinds of threads here weekly.

knipex · 23-04-2014 08:15PM

I don't think you will pay VRT. . BUT VAT on the other hand !!!!!!

CiniO · 23-04-2014 08:16PM

knipex wrote: »

I don't think you will pay VRT. . BUT VAT on the other hand !!!!!!

Is VAT due on second hand vehicle? I don't think so.

knipex · 23-04-2014 08:18PM

Vat on everything imported from outside the EU.

jiminho · 23-04-2014 08:18PM

knipex wrote: »

I don't think you will pay VRT. . BUT VAT on the other hand !!!!!!

It wont be a new car so I wouldn't need to worry about VAT thank to f**k!!

quadrifoglio verde · 23-04-2014 08:19PM

Op unless it's something different such as a mustang, Camaro or F650 I wouldn't bother. Too much effort involved for a car that at the end of the day is a taxi drivers.

whomitconcerns · 23-04-2014 08:23PM

You will pay vat and customs duty in ireland on secon hand cars from outside eu.

thebomb · 23-04-2014 08:54PM

That Just isn't going to work the warranty won't be valid over here and parts be different! As for furniture the word is treated with something to stop it rotten in the bad weather it won't last over here ....

bazz26 · 23-04-2014 09:13PM

I just cannot see the point in doing it if buying a Sonata to be honest. Irrespective of what demand there currently is to buy lhd cars in Ireland I just cannot see a then 7 year old US spec petrol Sonata having much if any appeal to anyone here or on the Continent. The idea is good but you might want to chose a car that would be somewhat more desirable over here and on the Continent.

You then have to take into account what will insurance companies make of it here and the availability of parts.

bear1 · 24-04-2014 10:34AM

Just to add my 2 cents to this.
US cars in EE are quite common so there is a market for them and it's not just Mustangs etc. You can see basic looking Buicks, Fords Crown Vic etc.
So OP I wouldn't pay much attention to the don't bother doing it response.
I would though think about getting a different car than a Hyundai.
With regards to LHD cars in Ireland, we have one LHD car here with us which we bought in the EU for the missus as we do a bit of EU travelling and it isn't any trouble at all.
Paying the tolls is the main thing that is annoying but if you get the tags then you don't even have to stop.
I can see that the new Dodge Dart is for sale in Canada for just under 16k dollars.

http://www.autotrader.ca/cars/ford/mustang/

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Dodge/Challenger/SCARBOROUGH/Ontario/5_19962816_20110420125136130/?ursrc=seolp&showcpo=ShowCPO

24-04-2014 12:44PM

whomitconcerns wrote: »

You will pay vat and customs duty in ireland on secon hand cars from outside eu.

Is that true when you move with a car you have owned it for more than 6 months?

Something else to consider: You'll need new headlights for car and they might not be available for all the models. This I see can be costly if you end up needing a new front end from Uk/Ireland market car or even worse if similar model was never exported to countries driving on left.

You'll also need document on CO2 emissions for motor taxation purposes. If you don't have that you'll be stuck in the €2200 a year category.

CiniO · 24-04-2014 01:17PM

samih wrote: »

Is that true when you move with a car you have owned it for more than 6 months?

Something else to consider: You'll need new headlights for car and they might not be available for all the models. This I see can be costly if you end up needing a new front end from Uk/Ireland market car or even worse if similar model was never exported to countries driving on left.

I think American market vehicles, have straight lights (not beaming either to the left or right) and those are legal in Ireland. So no need to change lights.

whomitconcerns · 24-04-2014 01:46PM

samih wrote: »

Is that true when you move with a car you have owned it for more than 6 months?.

Thats a VRT exemption, not VAT..The VAT and customs would be paid regardless

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html

"If you are importing a new or secondhand car from outside the EU, VAT and customs duty is payable. Customs duty is paid when the vehicle first enters the EU, at the point of entry. You must have proof of payment of this when you are registering the car in Ireland."

mickdw · 24-04-2014 01:56PM

Crazy doing this for something of such low value.
A desirable American car certainly would be a prospect or even stuff like porsches are alot cheaper in the states I believe and as you will avoid vrt it would be a real bargain here.

djimi · 24-04-2014 02:09PM

CiniO wrote: »

I think American market vehicles, have straight lights (not beaming either to the left or right) and those are legal in Ireland. So no need to change lights.

Im not so sure; I have read before that if you want to import an American car then you would need to change the lights before it would pass the NCT. I dont know the specifics though.

knipex · 27-04-2014 09:04PM

jiminho wrote: »

It wont be a new car so I wouldn't need to worry about VAT thank to f**k!!

Doesn't matter if it's new or not.. Still subject to VAT at 23% on value and shipping costs. .

knipex · 27-04-2014 09:07PM

djimi wrote: »

Im not so sure; I have read before that if you want to import an American car then you would need to change the lights before it would pass the NCT. I dont know the specifics though.

Don't think that's headlight but brake lights and indicators as US colouring is different. .

Sobanek · 27-04-2014 09:11PM

You can bring your own car that you have owned for longer than 12 months I think and you will not be liable to VAT, Import Duty or VRT.

You cannot sell the car in the next 12 months though.

A friend of mine came back to Poland from the States and brought his X5 with him. No taxes were paid.

kindalen · 27-04-2014 09:31PM

Can you order a rhd car over there?

Del2005 · 27-04-2014 10:49PM

knipex wrote: »

Don't think that's headlight but brake lights and indicators as US colouring is different. .

A lot more cars in the US have orange indicators these days.

How would a car with US suspension handle Irish roads as a daily driver? 7 years, or even 1 to clear VRT, in a car designed for freeways could be hell on our borrens.

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 28-04-2014 07:54AM

djimi wrote: »

Im not so sure; I have read before that if you want to import an American car then you would need to change the lights before it would pass the NCT. I dont know the specifics though.

I have one and you don't need to change the lights. Just buy some permanent deflectors and stick them on.

What you do need to do is swap out the red indicators for orange ones.

Importing car from Canada

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