Frequently Asked Questions
Does LP Auto only sell vehicles imported from the United States?
Why should I use LP Auto to import my New or Used car? Why should I import a car from the USA?
Can any car be imported into Canada?
How do I know which vehicles have duty and which vehicles do not?
Can I personally go to the USA and purchase a new car from a dealer? I have friends/family who live in the USA, can't they buy a new car in the USA and sell it to me?
What about warranty? If my car doesn't have warranty, can you provide me with one? Will the local dealer still service and perform maintenance on my car if it's a USA import?
Can I finance or lease a car that has been imported from the USA? What about modifications and paperwork?
What are the downsides to having a car imported from the USA?I am interested in an exotic vehicle, but I have been told by the manufacturer that it will cost me unheard of amounts of money to import it, is this true?
Does LP Auto only sell vehicles imported from the United States?
No, we also sell quality locally bought used vehicles. As we are located in Richmond, we have a lot of foreign clientele who are moving back to their home countries and need to sell their barely used vehicles fast. This means we get low mileage vehicles for very good deals and pass that savings on to you.
Absolutely! We thrive on trade ins, so please let us know what you have to sell and we will gladly DO OUR BEST TO provide you with the top trade in value for your vehicle.
Why should I use LP Auto to import my New or Used car?
At LP Auto, we have your best interest in mind. We not only STRIVE TO offer you brand new vehicles at prices thousands less than your local dealer, IT IS OUR MISSION TO offer you everything at a cheaper price. Whether you are interested in Warranties, Protection Products or Accessories, we will do our best to offer it all at a much lower price than your local dealer. We also offer low financing and leasing rates, while doing our best to get everyone approved.
We will handle all the paperwork, modifications, transportation, storage, inspections and negotiations for you. Importing can be a risky and needlessly expensive task if you do not know what you are doing. There are many different factors you must take into consideration prior to purchasing and importing a vehicle. At LP Auto, we strive to take all the risk out of importing your new or used vehicle, speed up the process which can take forever if you don't know the right people and best of all, majority of the time we can import your car for cheaper than you could import it for yourself. As we can wholesale vehicles, buy vehicles from the same sources that dealers in the USA do and know a lot of contacts in the USA auto industry we can generally buy vehicles from substantially less than you could. We also have preferred rates on shipping with carriers we trust and have our own holding facilities at the border to store your car while we wait for the paperwork to go through. We cut costs everywhere without sacrificing quality and security to make sure you have your car imported cheaper and faster.
Why should I import a car from the USA?
There are many reasons to import a car from the USA. Here are just a few:
- Better resale value. American cars are cheaper and can therefore be sold for less than the same model in Canada. This means that you can sell your car faster and lose less money in the long run.
- Better selection.There are much more vehicles available in the USA, so you can generally find exactly the vehicle you are looking for at a price you can afford.
- Condition. There are many states that have sunshine 95% of the year, so you will find vehicles that have never seen salt or snow and will therefore have no risk of any rust. As Canada has such extreme weather conditions, the vehicles here tend to be in much worse condition than vehicles from the south.
- Price, The obvious perk. American cars can usually be obtained at a substantially less cost than the comparable Canadian equivalent.
Can any car be imported into Canada?
No. If you would like to check your desired vehicle against the list of admissible vehicles.
Most vehicles are importable, and even if this list says there are conditions or things needed to be changed prior to import, contact us. We will be able to explain further and give you the costs associated with doing this. A lot of brands will make it seem near impossible to import a vehicle, but as we have imported nearly every make and model, we will let you know the truth about the cost to import your desired vehicle.
How do I know which vehicles have duty and which vehicles do not?
Vehicles manufactured outside of the Americas will incur a 6.1% charge for duty. The easiest way to tell if your vehicle will be subject to duty is by looking at the first character of the VIN number. If the VIN number starts with a letter, this means the vehicle is manufactured outside of the Americas and will incur the 6.1% duty. If the number starts with a number, this means the vehicle is manufactured in the Americas and will not incur any duties.
Can I personally go to the USA and purchase a new car from a dealer?
Unfortunately not. In 2008, many USA dealerships were doing this and it was possible to import a new vehicle yourself from the USA, but manufacturers have now placed strict rules with all of their dealers and a dealer could lose his franchise for selling to a Canadian. This has now completely stopped any Canadians from being able to import a brand new vehicle from the United States as it is not worth the risk to them.
I have friends/family who live in the USA, can't they buy a new car in the USA and sell it to me?
Yes they can, however they will most likely be subject to paying a higher price for the vehicle and state sales tax. This means you will possibly end up paying more for the vehicle. When you use LP Auto to import your new vehicle, you are only subject to Canadian sales tax and the end total will be most likely be cheaper than if you were to use a person from the USA to purchase the vehicle, as we get significantly larger discounts than any retail person would get, generally speaking.
Most vehicles have a full manufacturer's warranty that transfers into Canada. For those that do not have a warranty that transfers, we can provide a full bumper to bumper warranty for up to 5 years at a minimal cost.
If my car doesn't have warranty, can you provide me with one?
Yes, for those vehicles that do not have a warranty that transfers into Canada, we can provide a full bumper to bumper warranty for up to 5 years at a minimal cost. This warranty will be valid everywhere in Canada. If you choose to not take a warranty, most manufacturers will honour the warranty in the united states so you can take a trip down there if you ever require work.
Will the local dealer still service and perform maintenance on my car if it's a USA import?
Yes they will, for almost all models. Check with your sales agent to see if your vehicle can be serviced at any Canadian dealership.
Can I finance or lease a car that has been imported from the USA?
Yes! We offer finance rates at sometimes less than the local dealerships offers and leasing at aggressive rates as well!
What about modifications and paperwork?
We will complete everything. You just sit back and wait for the car to arrive.
What are the downsides to having a car imported from the USA?
Not really. Some people find the fact that their speedometer has big miles and small KM annoying, but most do not even notice it after a short period.
I am interested in an exotic vehicle, but I have been told by the manufacturer that it will cost me unheard of amounts of money to import it, is this true?
Depends. It can be very expensive however most manufacturers will lie to you to try and persuade you to buy the vehicle locally. Check with us to verify the actual costs of importation and we will gladly answer your questions. The savings for these vehicles can be very significant, sometimes greater than $30 000 by importing, so if we were your local exotic dealer, we would lie too!
