R-nel

Hi guys,

I'm finally selling my S2000 and found a buyer who lives in Canada. I live in California and was wondering if anyone has ever done a sale like this before. Not sure what type of paper work (DMV, import pass, taxes) needs to be done and wanted some advise.

ok2000

I bought an AP2 from California, and Imported it to British Columbia just last week. The whole process took me about 2 weeks, including shipping from when I purchased the car to when I got Canadian plates on the S.

As a buyer, there are only two things you are responsible for providing: the original or a replacement title (photocopies are not allowed), and a bill of sale. The bill of sale needs to show the purchase price and the VIN, when I bought my 944 Turbo last year from WA, a handwritten letter was more than sufficient.

However, if you want to make the buyer's life a LOT easier, there is one other thing that you could do. One of the documents the buyer will need to get the car into Canada is a recall clearance letter. This is basically just a letter that states the car has no outstanding recalls, and must be signed by an official from Honda of America (or an authorized dealer), and on Honda letterhead. However, Honda of America has signed a non-competition agreement with Honda of Canada, and as such they are fighting to shut down the gray market for importing cars. When I bought my AP2, I contacted Honda for this letter, and they more or less told me that I'm SOL, and I would be unable to import my car unless I am a US Citizen, or hold a valid US driver's license. You will save the buyer a lot of headache if you acquire this letter for him, be sure not to tell them you're selling the car to a Canadian, or they might not let you have this letter.

If all that fails, there are ways around this letter. I was able to get one by driving down to the nearest US Honda dealer, and simply asking for one. They charged me $30 for the letter. Alternatively, I've heard that you can register on the Honda owner's link website (https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/) and print off some pages that can be substituted for the recall clearance letter.

Another thing you can do to smooth the process out, is to provide the title of the vehicle ASAP. US Customs requires that you present the title to border crossing a minimum of 3 days before the vehicle can leave the country. If the car and title arrive at the border at the same time, then the buyer will have to park it in the US until the title clears US customs. This is at least the case in WA, but it may be different in other states.

The buyer will need to take care of many other things as well, but the only things you should have to worry about are the title, bill of sale, and recall clearance letter.

R-nel

Thanks much for the advise ok2000. I'll give the dealership a call today to see if I can get a recall clearance letter.

3ngin33r1

Why does the seller have to gather and provide this information (law?)

If it were me, here's your bill of sale, here's your title, thanks for the cash, here's your keys, see ya later.

If the seller is a US citizen and drives it across the border, why do you have to wait for US Customs?

ok2000

Well, technically you're right, and in fact, I don't even know if the seller is legally bound to provide the title and bill of sale... but I wouldn't buy any car without them.

The seller doesn't technically have to provide the recall clearance letter, but Honda of America will only provide them to US Citizens, if the buyer is a Canadian citizen, then the buyer will be facing a lot of difficulty in acquiring this letter... especially if he lives several hours from the border (I'm fortunate enough that WA is only 10 minutes away). Honda of America should provide these letters free of charge if you have any need for them that doesn't conflict with their non-competition agreement (ie: moving to Canada). All it should take is a phone call and a fax machine.

Washington state law requires that any vehicle being permanently exported must have the title presented to the point of export three business days before the vehicle is permitted to leave the country. This is different from taking a joyride north of the border, where the vehicle will be returning to the US. I can't say for sure that this is the same for other states, as I have only exported cars through WA, but it's likely the same for any other state. This requirement applies to all vehicles leaving the US, regardless of where the title was issued. Actually exporting the car is the buyer's responsibility, but it just helps if he has the title ahead of time.

It's not like you have to bend over backwards to get the title to the buyer, just ask him to check the export requirements at the border, and be prepared to courier the title ahead of the car when you receive payment. If the car is in California, it will take a week or so for shipping anyways.