PIC5453B

Bulletin No.: PIC5453B
Date: Sep-2016
Subject:
Handling Requests For Modifications To Permanently Import / Export Vehicles Between The US And
Canada
Models:
2017 and Prior GM Passenger Cars and Trucks
This PI was superseded to update model years and to add additional information. Please discard PIC5453A.
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern
General Motors (GM) and General Motors of Canada Company (GMCC) do not support cross border sales. Dealers are not authorized under their agreements
with GM or GM Canada to sell vehicles for export. Dealers in Canada should refer to GMCC Home Office Letter #2015-704 Vehicle Export, Import & Sale for
Resale.
Customers that live in one country but plan on moving to the other should contact the GM Customer Care Center (CCC) for information on warranty coverage.
For additional information to assist our Customers, refer below to the section applicable for their destination.
Important: GM cannot facilitate the import/export of vehicles with Branded titles (i.e., salvaged, totaled, rebuilt, etc.) or vehicles first sold as incomplete
vehicles.
Important: Recall clearance must be verified prior to importing the vehicle in order to avoid any delays during the import process. Open recalls must be
addressed in the country of the vehicles existing registration prior to importation. GM cannot make any exceptions for Recalls that remain Open due to lack of
parts.
Recommendation/Instructions
Exporting / Importing Vehicle from Canada to the USA
A customer may be permanently relocating from Canada to the United States and request to make modifications to their vehicle in order to meet U.S.
requirements.
Before purchasing and importing a vehicle into the USA, the Customer should be directed to the General Motors of Canada Customer Care Centre for
information on vehicle admissibility.
The General Motors of Canada Customer Care Centre is the sole authorized provider of a certification confirmation letter which helps our customers identify if
their vehicles meets the required USA regulatory standards necessary for importation into the USA. Contact the General Motors of Canada Customer Care
Centre at 1-800-263-3777 (English) or 1-800-263-7854 (French).
General Motors of Canada provides this service at no charge to our Customers as long as the vehicle is being imported for personal use and not for resale
according to Box 2B of US DOT Declaration Form HS-7 (http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/HS7_r.v.7.pdf).
In the case where GM Canada CCC is not able furnish a compliance letter, the vehicle could only be imported into the United States on a permanent basis
under Box 3 on the HS-7 Declaration form. Customers should be directed to a Registered Importer (RI) to modify the vehicle so that it complies with all
applicable FMVSS following importation.
A list of RI’s in active status with NHTSA can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import.
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the
remaining steps do not need to be performed.
General Motors of Canada does not provide support for customers importing or exporting vehicles to and from countries other than the USA.
Safety:
A General Motors of Canada certification confirmation letter may be issued to the Customer who is personally importing a vehicle if it complies with required
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FMVSS and is admissible to the USA under the provisions of NHTSA 49 CFR Part 591.5(g). Some CMVSS-certified vehicles may not meet some FMVSS such
as FMVSS 138 TPMS and FMVSS 208 Passenger Airbag status indicator labeling. The Customer should contact GM Canada CCC to determine if vehicle is
admissible to the USA. It may be possible to retrofit their vehicle to comply. This is a Customer-paid expense; not covered by GM warranty. The Customer will
need to provide a Repair Order from a GM Dealer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent as evidence that specified retrofit work was completed.
Emissions:
General Motors (GM) vehicles sold in Canada must comply with Canadian emission standards. Since 1998 model year, Canadian emissions regulations have
been aligned with those of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A selected number of Canadian vehicles are certified for all 50 states for emissions.
It is important to refer the customer to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the destination State to determine if the vehicle is admissible since a number
of States have aligned with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Standards rather than the EPA Standards. GM will not retrofit a vehicle to meet CARB if
it is already certified to EPA Federal emissions standards. 1996-1997 MY GM Canada vehicles were not compliant to EPA emissions standards and need to
have the OBD retrofit completed before considered compliant. As noted in GM Service Bulletin #02-06-04-039A, the retrofit can only be completed by a GM U.S.
dealer at the customer’s expense. Customer will need to provide a Repair Order from a GM Dealer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent as
evidence that specified retrofit work was completed.
Warranty Coverage in USA:
Important: Refer to GM service bulletin #16-NA-119: Warranty Administration - Servicing Vehicles from Canada (U.S. Dealers Only)
GM Service Policy & Procedures indicate that Canadian owners that are relocating their residence to the U.S. must register their vehicle properly in the U.S.
and if applicable, pay the cost to have their odometer converted to miles by an authorized GM Electronic Service Center for the vehicle to be eligible for warranty
coverage. Some vehicles may provide distance readouts in the original country's unit of measure (e.g. kilometers) and also miles and therefore do not require
conversion. In keeping with the General Motors Export Policy, New vehicles originally sold in Canada must have been in service in Canada for at least six (6)
months and must have at least 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) before a GM Service Agent in the U.S. is authorized to perform warranty work.
Exporting / Importing Vehicles from the USA to Canada
A customer may be permanently relocating from the United States to Canada and request to make modifications to their vehicle in order to meet Canadian
requirements.
Before purchasing and importing a vehicle into Canada, the Customer should be directed to the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program, for information
on vehicle admissibility, RIV exemptions, recall clearance documentation, vehicle modification requirements, vehicle branding history and Environment Canada
requirements http://www.riv.ca ).
General Motors of Canada Company does not provide support for customers importing or exporting vehicles to and from countries other than the USA
While we make no claims about the accuracy, we understand that the following website associated with the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) and created by
Transport Canada has information regarding the importation of vehicles into Canada, including the legal requirements for modifications to such vehicles.
http://www.riv.ca
Warranty Coverage in Canada:
Important: For latest dealer Documentation & Policy Updates, GMCC dealers should refer to General Motors of Canada Home Office Letter #2015-704
Subject: Vehicle Export, Import & Sale for Resale.
GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these technicians of conditions that may
occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools,
safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that
your vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.
WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION
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