I have a friend that wants to buy a new RX350 in the US then ship it to Canada. He thinks this will save him a lot of money.
He asked me if the warranty coverage would be good or void? Will SOS and Enform still work? Will XM work? How hard is it to convert the odometer to kilometers? Would this actually save money and has anyone ever done it? Anything else that needs to be changed with the car?

 

I've run across a few independent dealers in the GTA that specialize in importing and selling US cars, both used and new. You can save about 10 - 12 thousand on a new Lexus and all the work of importing it and registering it in Canada is already done for you. When I was speaking to one dealer about an Acura ZDX, he told me that Honda/Acura Canada would not warranty US cars, while Toyota/Lexus did. Best to call them and confirm though. XM will definitly work, not sure about Enform. Odomotor can likely be changed by the dealer, but best to confirm that too. Daytime running lights required in Canada.

 

I looked into it last spring. I was going to buy a low mileage current year used RX350 from a US Lexus dealer as Lexus protects CDN dealers by not letting US dealers sell to Canadians. My wife was nervous so went with CDN model. Felt I would save somewhere around $10,000 once all was said and done. Big plus is the US models have more choices than CDN ones - AWD/FWD, navigation without touring package etc. No big deal bringing across border either. Next one will definitely be from US.

 

Here is a recent thread from the Subaru Outback forum that has a lot of info:

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/...ng-us-car.html

 

I just found this on a Lexus PDF:
Are there geographic limitations to the Lexus Enform services?
Safety Connect services will function in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, and in Canada. The services will not function outside of the United
States in countries other than Canada.
Lexus Enform premium services Destination Assist and eDestination will function in the contiguous United States. These services may also function in Hawaii and limited areas of Alaska for vehicles that contain map data for those states. Destination Assist and eDestination will not function in Canada or in other
countries outside the United States.
Lexus Insider and SiriusXM services will function in the contiguous United States and Canada.
The NavTraffic, NavWeather and Sports and Stocks services are available in the 48 contiguous United States and D.C. For details about the SiriusXM
service coverage areas, visit www.siriusxm.com or call the SiriusXM Listener Care Center at 1-877-515-3987.

 

Hi - I recently purchased a 2010 RX 350 that was originally bought in the US and brought to Ontario, Canada. The previous owner did not register it here in Ontario. I took it to Don Valley North Lexus and they were able to transfer the remaining warranty without a problem or a charge. Very smooth, it already has daytime running lights and I just look at the inside of the speedometer which shows kilometers per hour. My understanding is other manufacturers aren't as gracious in transferring the warranty.

 

I too Purchased a 10 RX and I figure I saved over 10K and as I purchased a Canadian built RX there was no Import duty. Great vehicle and as long as Toyota Canada gouges us on pricing in Canada I will not purrchase a Toyota vehicle in Canada. There is absolutely no reason we should pay an additional 10k $ for a new RX 350 in Canada, especially when we build them right here in Canada.
There are no problems with with the warranty or service in Canada. Anyone considering buying a vehicle from the US and importing it to Canada should check on the RIV website for all the procedures and also check if the vehicle was built in North America to avoid the import duties.
Cheers,
Jim