Overall, how much can I save and how much might I pay to import a vehicle?

That all depends. If you can buy a vehicle in the U.S. from an auction, you will likely save yourself more up-front cost, but be prepared to pay more for repairs. There are reasons why people sell vehicles at auctions – they can’t sell them otherwise, most likely because there are problems, which they will no doubt try to hide.

If you are buying privately, you may be dealing with a “curber” and still find hidden damage, but they aren’t going to give the vehicle away “wholesale.” So you will pay more.

If you are buying from a corner-sales lot, you will pay more, because they have to mark up the vehicle to make a living and possibly, after they bought the vehicle from an auction, had to spend money (as little as possible) to repair or mask defects and damage.

If you are buying from a manufacturer approved dealer, they you will pay more again, but usually you are buying from the most secure and safe source. If the vehicle is a line that they are an approved sales agent for, then you may be able to obtain a “certified warranty” on the vehicle at an extra cost of up to $3,000.00 for two or three years. Check with the Canadian manufacturer to determine if the Certified Warranty will be valid in Canada.

At the end of the day, when you consider travel/shipping costs for you and a companion, hotels, meals, gasoline, etc., plus duties, taxes, modifications, repairs, inspections, transit fees, etc., plus the value of your time, our research tells us that on average you will save between $1,500.00 and $3,000.00. You may save more if you are not paying duty and don’t have repairs, but you may actually not save anything and it may cost you more than buying from a local vendor. It will depend on how lucky you are with the quality of the vehicle and what manufacturer you are dealing with. The important thing is to do all your research ahead of time and know what your costs are estimated to be. From there, plan safe and prepare to add on up to $4,500.00 in repairs and modifications. If you pay less, you are either very smart, very careful, or just plain lucky.