Korean Job Discussion Forums

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

Does anyone know someone who has taken a car from Korea to Canada. I am having some trouble getting the documents I need. I know I need a letter from Hyundai stating that my car met American or Canadian saftey standards when it was built. I know I also need a letter from Hyundai stating there are no callbacks/recalls outstanding on my car.

The problem is that Hyundai refuses to address either issue. They won't say if my car meets American or Canadian standards and if there are any current callbacks on my car. I contacted Hyundai Canada and they seem to think that it should be easy for Hyundai Korea to get this information for me, but Hyundai Korea refuses to even answer the questions let alone provide me with any documentation. I bought my car 16 months ago so it is not like it is really old. It is a 2007 Hyundai Tucson. Any information or help anyone can provide would be great!

lonestarkorea · Joined: 23 May 2007 Location: Seoul

It's basically impossible to import a used vehicle into Canada from overseas unless it is at least 15 yrs old. Had a numbnut who thought he could get around this somehow and shipped his 2006 Hyundai Terracan to Vancouver. Customs would not release it, and in the end he had to sell/ship it to a customer in Europe (since newer Korean SUVs match the Euro 4 norms), for peanuts. Korean cars made for the KOREAN market are NOT U.S. specs, but rather Euro 3-4 compliant if at all. The Hyundai you buy in Korean to drive in Korea has TOTALLY different specs than the cars Hyundai exports to N.A.

I'm in the market for a Tucson, by the way. Email [email protected] with details.

It IS possible to import a used car from the US into Canada, provided it already has US (N.A.) specs, in which case it's still a headache but doable.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/mj/import.htm

Vehicles Purchased Overseas

Residents of Canada cannot normally import a car from overseas countries unless it is at least 15 years old. The relatively few exceptions to this rule can be found in CCRA publications.

Vehicles imported from overseas must be thoroughly cleaned before shipment to Canada in order to remove soil and plant material. The CFIA will inspect your vehicle, at your expense, to ensure that this requirement has been met. If your car fails the inspection, you will be responsible for the cost of a thorough cleaning and a second inspection.

shaunew · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Location: Calgary

Don't you know that if you drive a Korean car in North America people laugh at you and think you are poor. My buddy bought a Kai and everyone laughed at him for being so stupid.

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

Lonestar, great info!! Thank you so much. I have been trying to get that information for about 6 months now. The Canadian website makes it seem like cars can be shipped, but the lack of info. from Hyundai was killing me. I will email you about the car in a few months once my departure date is closer.

As for driving a Korean car back home I am not too stressed about it. I am poor and I stopped caring what people thought of me around the time I graduated from high school.

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject:

I'll likely give you eight million won for the car when it comes time.

Get more if you can but I'll surely pay that much cash for it in good condition.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

You cannot take a general purpose car from Korea to Canada.
You can take an antique for museum purposes, or temporarily take a racing car but you CANNOT take a road car for general use.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/rc4105-eng.html#P010

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Suwoner10 · Joined: 10 Dec 2007

You'd need some sort of floatation device for sure. then maybe a pair of oars.

lonestarkorea · Joined: 23 May 2007 Location: Seoul

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

It's a shame the company won't talk to you about the quality of their cars here in Korea. Kinda lame really. I talked to an employee and he told me the truth (an employee of KIA auto manufacturing). The Korean cars built for the Korean market do not meet the standard of cars manufactured for Canada. So they cannot be imported. Period. I was hoping to import a Kia Pride (new 5 door model) but no dice.

Perhaps the Korean car companies would be in a lot of trouble if the Korean people knew that Canadians were getting better built Hyundais and Kias than here in the mother land? Perhaps that is why they don't have the common courtesy to let you know.....

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

peppermint · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:23 am Post subject:

my understanding is that it's more about emission standards than safety standards

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

That is just what I am doing. Sell the car and take a hit.

I knew from looking at Cnd gov't websites that I needed to get letters stating that the car met Canadian standards and had no current callbacks on it from Hyundai Korea(as I stated in my OP). What I didn't know is if my car could meet Canadian standards because Hyundai would not tell me that information. That is why I asked for help here. I know that cars are made differently from country to country, but I have no idea how that affects a car's ability to pass saftey standards in each country so that is why I needed to find out if my car would meet Cnd standards. You are right the Canadian websites are very helpful. I got all the information I could from them this past summer, but haven't been able to get any information from Hyundai Korea in relation to the information from Canada. Thanks to my post here I now know that my car will not meet standards. Thanks to all you provided helpful information.