Importing a Regular Cab

I’ve been looking for a regular cab tacoma in Canada and, of course, since they haven’t been sold here since the first gens I’ve been having difficulty finding one. There’s one second gen for sale in all of Canada right now, but it has high kms and is a bit older than what I’d like. Has anyone imported one from the states? I’ve been doing my research, but would like to know any personal experiences! Also, I’m pretty sure I can’t import anything with mods? Can anyone confirm?

Any info is much appreciated!

 

My brother imported a Dodge diesel from the states, very easy if it’s made in the USA.
You have to get your bill of sale to the border crossing where you are going to go a couple of days ahead so they can check for theft.
At the border they don’t care about mods, they are all about paperwork.
Once you get it home then you have to get it inspected and registered.
What part of BC do you live in ?

 

Ok, that’s great to know he had an easy time with it! I had heard some not great stories. Was the truck he got brand new? Did he do everything himself or hire a company? I’ve been looking at CanAm Auto Importers, which sounds like they do everything (paperwork and bringing it across the boarder if needed). Also unsure how all of this would work mid-pandemic... Wonderful to hear that about mods!!

I am currently living in on Van Isle in Victoria, but go to Vancouver area and have family in the Thompson-Okanagan.

 

The truck he bought was used off of a retired guy in Tucson. Got a great deal. As long as it’s built in North America it’s easy. My brother did it all himself.
Using a company to do everything will make it easy as well.
He did get it inspected at Canadian tire in Victoria but I’d check to see who is good recently for inspections. West shore Spring and 4x4 in Victoria might be able to do inspections. Others in the area might know good shops for inspections.
They will look at brakes, lights, windows, tire tread.

 

Oh he did a private sale! That’s also great to know... Sounds promising. I thought it would be safest to buy from a dealer.

I’m pretty sure Canadian Tire is the only place you can get the inspections done. The RIV import checklist tells you what places do them and it only gave me Canadian Tire as an option. Do you mind finding out which location he went to?

 

No problem, I’ll ask him this weekend.
Dealers are hit and miss, tough unless you look yourself for problems.

 

Very much appreciated!

I feel like that’s how it will be... dealer or private. Unfortunately it’s going to be kind of hard to do nowadays. I may just have to wait until the boarders are back to “normal”... lol

 

Have you seen this website, https://www.riv.ca/ ? It should have all the info you need to import a vehicle.

 

Looking at that RIV link you want to make sure you buy a stock truck, mods to suspension are a fail.

 

Yes, I have been on the RIV website. It definitely has A LOT of information... That’s where I found out about inspections at CT. I thought mods might be an issue... Which complicates things even more! My dream of a regular cab might just be a dream... Especially because the one I like is in Vermont... ;(

 

You can't have any major mods, but its easy enough to buy a used set of shocks and bolt it on for the OOP. Most tacomas are near stock anyway.

It will need DRL's added and recalls completed as well.

The biggest problem is cost. It will add up rapidly fast.

 

Good to know!

Luckily the newer models (I’m looking at a 2013) have DRLs. But, I did read about other things I will have to add.

Have you imported? If so, rough estimate of what it cost you?

 

If you get a 2006 or older they are exempt from most of the requirements.
Newer just need to buy from the right seller, someone who had the recalls looked after and truck is stock. Then it’s just daytime running lights.

 

I'm a tech and I used to do the out of province, which you need after the inspection at CT.

Honestly no one imports from the states anymore simply due to the currency exchange rate. A 20,000$ truck is 25,000$ CAD and then you have taxes, fees, inspections and possible repairs.

 

Ahhh, ok ok. Did you do BC inspections?

Yea, I totally understand that. Tacos in BC are so overpriced and I am willing to bring one from out of province, but there’s nothing that I feel great about. Plus my obsession with the regular cab is impairing my judgement... lol.

 

People are asking crazy prices around here for old Tacomas, if I was looking for a 2015 Offroad dblcb for the right price I’d buy from the states.

 

Exactly. It’s fucked. I was looking at a 2013 TRD Off Road Manual AC with 176km in Kelowna and they’re asking $29000 (Also had an accident and is registered in Alberta which the dealer was not forthcoming about, lol). I figured importing would be best so I get what I actually want and the price would end up being similar.

 

I just checked washington state and 2013's are going for 29,000$ its nuts.

It's why I usually refer people to buy or lease a new model. That way you get to chose the colour.

I was Alberta. I was busy during the swarm of JDM cars and American cars when the dollar was strong. I no longer am current with US imports, but am pretty clear with province to province.

I love reg cab trucks, they are "real trucks" to me. I had a 500$ F150 long box reg cab last year. A true farm truck that I used for moving and renovations.

 

I could never buy a new vehicle, just my life rule... Plus I will be taking it out into the bush, so I would feel terrible scratching up a new truck.

Ahh, ok. Well, if I end up seeing one that I like out of province I may send you a message for more info!

Glad you understand my attraction to them!

 

I just imported my 2nd gen from California to BC. It was a royal pain in the ass to do mid-pandemic. Feel free to reach out with any specific questions but here is the rough breakdown of what I had to do:

• My vehicle was already in BC and needed to be in the states for 72 business hours to be exported from US and imported to Canada so I hired a company to leave it in a parking lot across the border for a week. (Roughly $600)
• Paid someone to do all the ITN/import export paperwork (~$300)
• Met the trucker at the border and claimed the vehicle as a personal tax exemption (canadian moving back to canada). Otherwise you will get a tax bill at this step for fair market value of the vehicle.
• RIV fees to get permission to inspect the vehicle at canadian tire ($350)
• Installed daytime running lights with OEM tacoma wiring harness (~ $150)
• Inspect the vehicle at canadian tire. RIV and provincial inspection. no lift kits allowed, auto fail if installed. (~$250)
  
• Pass inspection and go to ICBC to register your new vehicle.