Importing a Honda from the US: What GTA Buyers Should Know

Photo: American Honda (Honda US Newsroom). 2026 Honda Pilot.

Some GTA buyers look at US-market Hondas for lower sticker prices or trims that aren't available in Canada. Importing a vehicle from the US into Ontario involves Transport Canada, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV), OMVIC's exporter framework, and Honda Canada's position on warranty and parts.

This article doesn't recommend importing. It explains what the framework looks like so you can decide whether the savings justify the friction. The honest answer for most GTA buyers is that they don't.

The two paths for getting a US vehicle into Ontario

• Buy privately in the US and import it yourself (RIV process, federal inspection, provincial registration)
• Buy from a Canadian dealer or broker who imports from the US (OMVIC-registered Exporter class)

What Transport Canada and the RIV require

Every vehicle imported into Canada must be reported to the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) within 45 days of import. The RIV process confirms the vehicle complies with Canadian safety, emission, and equipment standards.

Some vehicles need modifications (daytime running lights, km/h speedometer, child seat anchors, French-language labels) before they can be registered in the province. The RIV inspection confirms what modifications are needed.

A vehicle that fails the RIV inspection cannot be registered in Ontario. This is rare but real for vehicles that don't meet Canadian standards.

Photo: American Honda (Honda US Newsroom). 2026 Honda Pilot.

What OMVIC's exporter framework means for the buyer

OMVIC's Exporter class of dealer registration is specifically for dealers who buy vehicles for export. Exporter-dealers in Ontario who sell to Canadian buyers must be registered as a general dealer or another retail-eligible class.

An OMVIC-registered Exporter who sells you a US-import vehicle in Ontario must comply with all the MVDA retail rules — all-in pricing, mandatory disclosures, the 90-day cancellation right. The exporter classification doesn't exempt them from the retail framework.

What Honda Canada does (and doesn't) cover on US imports

• Honda Canada's new-vehicle warranty applies only to vehicles Honda Canada distributed
• A US-market Honda sold by a US dealer comes with a US-market warranty that doesn't transfer to Canada
• Honda Plus extended warranty typically requires the vehicle to have been Honda Canada-distributed
• Parts availability for US-market Hondas in Canada can be limited for trim-specific components
• Recalls: Transport Canada issues Canadian recalls; US-market Hondas may not be covered by Canadian recall campaigns

The honest cost-benefit for most GTA buyers

• Lower US sticker price — sometimes 5-15% below Canadian MSRP
• Subtract: Transport Canada RIV fee ($195 + GST), federal inspection fee ($450 + GST), modification costs ($1,000-$3,000 if needed), HST on the declared value at the border, Ontario HST and licensing on registration
• Subtract: warranty downgrade (US warranty vs Canadian warranty), parts availability risk, recall coverage risk
• Subtract: the time and friction of the import process — typically 2-4 weeks of additional work
• Subtract: financing friction — Canadian lenders are cautious about imported vehicles
• Net: for most GTA buyers, the US sticker advantage disappears once the import costs and warranty differences are factored in