Need some advice

[bswhitehead]

We would like to buy a 2001 V70XC in the U.S. and import it into Canada. There is one on Ebay which looks good but I would love to hear from anyone who has done it with regard to pros and cons. Did you have to pay duty? Were modifications required to the car? i.e. running lights, car seat anchors?? From reading other posts it sounds like the early 2001 models had some problems. How can I tell from the VIN when it was manufactured? What should I be looking for or what questions should I ask the seller? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

[pauldunlop22]

I researched Volvos for 8 months before deciding on a 2002 V70 XC. By following the forums here and at Swedespeed forums I got a good idea of the model I wanted. There is a federal government site How to import an automobile to canada (do a search). The site is extremely helpful. If you want to talk in person on the phone let me know. I found the experience wonderful. I actually found our car on eBay south of Buffalo NewYork (not far from Toronto. I had been looking for a west coast car so it would be relatively salt free but this one turned up and sounded great. And I did not need to ship it East to Toronto. I called the seller and arranged to come and look at it that friday a couple of days before the auction closed. The seller was a low overhead high end car seller. He was very nice and helpful (no pressure). The car was immaculate clean ,low miles (36,500mi) still on warrantee. A little more expensive than I had budgeted ($19,500) but we decided that it was a very good deal. We had the car checked out, put a down payment on it and later wired the money. It was such a great deal that We would have enjoyed buying another car through this seller if we had the need! Ok. You need to know the model and year you want. We took the 2002 ..less problems than earlier models. when you find the car you like you need to run a check on its title and either see it personally or arrange an independent mechanic to assess it. At the government web site you are given step by step process to import. Most recent volvos are importable with little modifications. Mine reQuired a couple of biligual stickers but not much more (car computer update to Canadian standards KM , centegrade etc) you need to insure the car (no big deal). When you import the car you will pay approx. $180.00 import fee, airconditioner tax, Gst. 6.1% duty . When you get the car across the border you have 2-3 weeks to get it updated to Canadian standards at a volvo place as mentioned and tested and a federal centre ie Canadian Tire locations in ontario. then certified and registered and license, pay prov sales tax. Then finally, its yours. In spite of all this Our deal was a good one well worth the efforts. I would have had to pay over $30,000 Canadian in Toronto area. You really have to be patient to find the right car for you! If you would like I can speak more regarding our experiences let me know. I have some suggestions on the West coast in Washington state. Good Luck!!