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This is a Canadian car located an hour outside of Toronto and about 1.5 hours from Buffalo. I purchased this car 6.5 years ago as a CPO car from a BMW dealer.
This rare 6 speed wagon with the M Sports package/M Aerodynamics package is almost fully loaded (only missing Night Vision and Adaptive Cruise) and includes items such as Heads Up Display, Ventilated Nasca leather seats, Lane Departure warning, and Park Distance Control. This Space Grey wagon is accident and repaint free - a clean Carproof (Canadian Carfax) is available.
It is in great shape and a joy to drive and serves as a wonderful long distance cruiser (got to love those Nasca seats). The car has 215,000 kms (134,000 miles), of which 144,000 kms I put on myself. I have all receipts for work/parts purchased during my ownership and some service records from the original owner (HPFP replaced under first owner).
On the negative side, there is moisture at the oil pan but no drips - new gasket will probably be needed within a year. There are a few rock chips on the hood (touched up), small scratches on the rear bumper and 2 small chips on the windshield (filled). The air bag sensor seat cushion on the passenger side malfunctioned and instead of an expensive new cushion I replaced with a bypass module which means that the car always thinks there is a passenger.
The original 135 style wheels are included with snow tires. The snow tires are pretty well done and the wheels should be refinished after 10 years of winter use. I also have a set of BMW roof racks designed specifically for 5 series wagon with no rails.
Basically you need bill of sale, registration, and a couple of forms/letter. The EPA form is 3520-1 - my car has the EPA sticker under the hood so is in compliance. The other form is DOT HS-7 which covers US safety standards - this link provides more info: file:///home/chronos/u-1c1f65fcfe0d69a50c232eed526df84edaa586b6/Downloads/VIG%20Canada09122017.pdf
BMWs coming into Canada don't have the required FMVSS label so you have to ask BMW for the letter to state the car is in compliance. That really is the biggest pain in the ass for bringing a Canadian car into the US. I phoned BMW last week to see if I could get a letter prior to a sale but they said it has to be sent to the new owner at a US address and can take up to 2 weeks (so you would have to buy the car and then wait a couple of weeks before bringing it across at the border). Based on forums I've read regarding bringing in e60/61, BMW will say in the letter that it is in compliance with everything except the speedometer. Therefore customs will let you bring it in but tell you that you have a certain time period to have a dealer change the speedometer cluster from km/hr to m/hr. In addition, customs will also collect a 2.5% duty.
Car is staying in Canada. I think the paperwork for importing into the US was too much of a hassle. I'm not sure why US DOT wouldn't allow manufacturers to list models and required compliance modifications instead of requesting a letter which seems to put a wrench into any transactions.
ADL0827, I looked at your listing many times and came very close to taking the plunge but chickened out due to the paperwork involved. Once it sold, I immediately regretted it.
I found a one owner 2009 535xiT Auto/M-sport in Space Grey/Black at Policaro BMW in Brampton, on the north side of Toronto. I called them to see if they could provide the letter if I purchased the car and to my surprise they had it one day after signing the bill of sale. With that in hand everything has been pretty easy. All the rest of the paperwork is being handled by a registered importer in Buffalo, Stonewell Corp (https://www.stonewellcorp.com), for a little less than $900 USD. Since this car is being purchased for personal use and not resale, they have been very helpful in trying to make the process as simple and inexpensive as possible. I'll fly up in a week with a used MPH speedo, take delivery of the car, and then head over to Dashboard Instrument Cluster (Dashboard Instrument Cluster problem | Speedometer repair) about 30 minutes away, who will swap the clusters for $350 CAD. Then I'll head to the port of Buffalo where the paperwork will already be waiting.
Going through a dealership definitely makes getting the letter much easier. Just out of curiosity I call customer relations at BMW North American (800-831-1117) and after wading through a lot of menus, finally spoke to a representative who emailed me a confusing named "warranty validation" form, which requires a title, bill of sale, or invoice. He stated that once I filled that out I would get the letter of compliance in 10 days.
I'm still wishing I had pulled the trigger on your manual wagon, but at least I found a very nice one owner. I'll let you know how smooth it is in a week once I cross over.
Congrats on your purchase! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy the car.
That's great that dealer was able to get the letter together so quickly - that was really one of the biggest hurdles that scared away potential buyers of my car. I hope the weather's good for your trip back and there's no surprises with the car. A few years back I flew out and bought a Triumph TR6 in BC and drove it home (4 days) - it can be a bit stressful and exciting flying in to buy a car sight unseen. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on quirks/issues with the e61......and I do miss that wagon!
09-28-2018, 05:00 PM
2008 BMW 535xi M Sport Touring 6MT
