Hello,

I am debating about bringing my 2006 Mazda Tribute SUV here and use if for a couple of months and then sell it. It's in excellent shape and has 6 cyl engine and loaded on options. Is there a good re-sale market here for such vehicles where it would sell for more here than in the US (after the shipping charges). Seems like there would be given the exchange rate difference between US dolllar and te EURO. Any exoerience or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

This has been done before, not a good idea. Just my warning...others with specifics will probably post soon.

Bad idea. You'll need a bunch of things like lamps changed to meet EU and TÜV spec, and where the hell do you think you're going to find Mazda parts around here? That's like trying to find parts for an Opal or Skoda in Tennessee. And an SUV? How many glasses of stupid juice did you have with that balanced breakfast of milk, toast and Trix? Gas costs US$8.14/gal here. And the roads are narrower.

woof.

I would think the opposite is true.

Don't do it - complete waste of time, effort and nothing but hassle.

Not a bad idea to bring it for long term, 2+ years.
Bad idea to bring it for a short term, less than 2 years.
Worse idea to try to sell it within a year (or two, can't remember exactly) as you will be liable for import taxes.

BTW, Mazda parts are easy to find and Mazda's are sold here. Parts are just more expensive here and that goes for almost every make and model.

do not do it. if it was porsche or mercedes then fine. they have dealers here who are importing these 2 kinds and selling them here for good prices.
2 points to bear in mind:
1. the car is for collection.
2. the cars from california/in general in the US do not get ruined as much as they do here. weather - moisture- it is not really the snow but the moisture as such. thus a proche or mercedes that has been in Germany is not a preferred item than the one that has lived in the US. I have a German friend who just bought a Mercedes collector's item from one of the snow areas in the US and he is bringing it here.

What would be the legalities one must go through to import cars into Germany from the US to sell? I was debating this business with my knowledge in automobiles and me making the move. It only makes sense for me to do it! I have been looking at bringing over a Porsche 911 and a BMW M3. Both cars are in beautiful condition and would be more likely then not be available for quick sale in the country. Would I need dealer licences? What type of taxes could I epxect to pay? Duties? Anything else? Shipping costs are not a big deal for me as I plan on moving them with the rest of my personal belongings.

Must be owned 6 months prior to your move and then for 12 months after arrival to avoid import taxes. They come as personal property. I don't know if you can bring two cars. Maybe if your married you can bring two?

Here is the rest - it is a cut & paste job of responses I sent another person shipping a 635i. It may seem out of order but I don’t have time for a complete reread & repost.

There are several threads on TT about procuring local car insurance and documents required to prove you had a safe driving record.

Port pickup:

My moving company delivered it to my doorstep so I really can't answer anything about the shipping line. The mover gave me the customs clearance form 0060 at dropoff. I ordered my insurance info ahead of time, the double white card. Then I drove it around Germany & Austria for 6 months with Texas plates. Got stopped twice by police to see if car was stolen (I guess X-5s are hot items). They looked at my International License (AAA), Insurance card and Customs form 0060. They opened the hood and got some info, probably the engine block or VIN, and ran it through a database and then let me go.

There is an outfit up in near Hamburg that quoted me 2195 Euro to get the Tuv. They told me over the phone that since I was a resident I was not allowed to drive with Texas plates. Only tourists. But I did it anyway.

I ended up doing the work in Munich. The whole process ran about 2400 Euro.

Initial TUV - 200 Euro. They go over the car to see what needs to be done.
I had to replace my Bi-Xenons and park lights, add headlight washers (Required for Xenon, not Halogen), add rear fog lights (one required but BMW computer looks for two otherwise you will always have a fault displayed), get vehicle info from BMW (50 Euro).

BMW quoted me 5000 Euro for conversion. Buying parts on e-bay and using a private mechanic I cut it down to about 1950 Euro labor & parts, it also included 280 Euro to BMW to flash the computer to Euro specs

I just got my German plates Monday. 66 Euro registration plus 23 Euro for plates. Then a bill a month later for 202 Euro for Tax.

Registration required Original Title, Customs form 0060, passport, insurance, Tuv & emissions test, and Bank account info.

Could be easier to use outfit up north. They will go to the port and pick it up for you, and then do the mods and you get it from them. The way I did it was a little more work but now when I leave I can sell it or sell the Xenons and replace with my originals. The place up in Hamburg will just get a TUV waiver no new headlights.

Company is : http://www.heimann-thiel.de/english/index.htm

The Xenon’s - here we go. Are exactly the same, except they do not have the ECE symbol. They are DOT approved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECE_Regulations#Headlamps

The TUV will look over the car and what they are looking for are Little Circles with a Block E and number inside. If it has this on the windows then windows OK, if it is on the Tires, then Tires OK, and Headlights - Not OK. BMW wanted 800 Euro for just one headlight assembly - no ballast, computer, or xenon bulb - just an empty shell.
I got mine off e-bay (Used), both - with computers, ballast, Xenon bulbs, everything for 900 Euro. They just plugged right in. Be careful on e-bay. The X-5 Xenon's ECE stamp is a paper sticker on the top of the headlight. The first pair a bought didn't have the paper. I took it by the TUV before I installed them and they said no go. Then I made sure it had the ECE paper stamp on the next pair I bought.
The Xenon headlight parking light also does not conform to German Standards. In the X-5 the headlight assembly includes the turn signal & park lights. Getting the ECE Xenon solved all these issues. I also did not have a headlight washer system. Required for Xenon in Germany. That ran 180 Euro for parts and 150 Euro for labor. If your car came from the factory with Xenon (35Watts) you cannot switch to Halogen (85Watt). Which of course you can by used for 300 Euro and does not require headlight washers.

I do not have the Nav system.

The first time I filled up it was...130 Euro. It sucks when you fill up. However, in the states I was filling up once a week. Here I fill up once a month so the total monthly outlay is the same for me.

I just got the standard plates. I went by the dealer and they gave me a pair of plate holders for free. The normal plates fit on the X-5.
At the registration office they have a variety of sizes that should fit your vehicle. You can even search an online database and get specialized plates for an extra 30 Euro.

Last the fog lights. Do you have front fog lights? I have them in my car. I had to buy, e-bay again, a new light control switch, 50 Euro (US fog lights have one button, the German ones have two buttons, front & back) Then I had to lay two separate lines to the rear of the car where the rear fog light goes. Just check out a German 635i to see where it is located. Your US 635i should be the same, you just don’t have the bulbs or wiring. Part of BMW flashing your computer will program the new light switch for fog lights.

Start looking on German e-bay. When the car arrives take it to a dealer and let them work up a quote. Say thanks and then you'll have a list of part numbers.

http://fahrzeugteile.listings.ebay.de:80/F...ListingItemList

I have the 3.0 engine with all weather tires. I got lucky there - they had the ECE stamp.

Good luck.

I'm in process to bring 06 Nissan Murano from California to Germany in June. I have checked the windshield / windows and tires and they don't seem to have any E logo with circle on it. Does this mean that I have to change those item once I arrive in Germany? I hope not.

Based on the Tüv inspection I got for my X-5 that is all they looked for. I think you are going to have problems.

Please review:

European Union

In the European Union the classifications for vehicle types are defined by [1]:
Commission Directive 2001/116/EC of 20 December 2001, adapting to technical progress Council Directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers[2]
Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 March 2002 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheeled motor vehicles and repealing Council Directive 92/61/EEC
European Community, is based on the Community's WVTA (whole vehicle type-approval) system. Under this system, manufacturers can obtain certification for a vehicle type in one Member State if it meets the EC technical requirements and then market it EU-wide with no need for further tests. Total technical harmonisation has already been achieved in three vehicle categories (passenger cars, motorcycles and tractors) and will soon be extended to other vehicle categories (coaches and utility vehicles). It is essential that European car manufacturers be ensured access to as large a market as possible.
While the Community type-approval system allows manufacturers to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the internal market, worldwide technical harmonisation in the context of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) offers them a market which extends beyond European borders.

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECE_Regulations#Headlamps

If you haven't shipped the vehicle yet I would reconsider.

The E logo is not an absolute necessity. The TÜV can certify that their function is equivalent which allows you to keep them. I forget the official term for this, but it's mostly used for stuff that would be very difficult to change like glass and belts. I doubt they're going to let you keep tires and headlights without an E logo, though.

yes, mazdas are sold in germany, but not the tribute. it's a shared platform with the ford escape and neither SUV is sold in germany, for reasons stated above (size of roads, cost of gas, etc). hence, better not to bring it as parts and service will be a headache.

related question: can anyone recommend a good car-shipping company from the east coast? i'm planning to ship a classic bmw over (personal car. no money-making plans) in a container or half container (not roll-on roll-off). have had tips for west-coast shippers but none from east coast (car is in nc).

thanks in advance for any suggestions.

The Ford Escape is sold as the Ford Maverick in Europe. I've seen Mazda Tributes on the roads here as well so they are not unknown

i stand corrected... didn't see them on the mazda website, so i assumed they weren't sold here. but i now see that there are used ones on www.mobile.de. i would nonetheless advise against bringing it over.

Parts supply for a certain number of Mazda models can be extremely difficult/pricy, even if they are/were marketed in Europe.

I experienced that with new coolant piping for a Mazda 929 Sedan, which would have had to be imported from Japan (the car is now tuckering happily in Iraq as a consequence).

Which insurance company will insure a car that is still US registered while driving in Germany? I mean when I first ship the car I would like to drive on California License plates for 6 months before converting my car to German rules.

USAA

Well, USAA is only for Military personnel or family member that was in Military. I don't have anybody in my family that was part of US military. I called them and they couldn't help me. I need to find another insurance that I can insure my car for the 1st six months with California Plates?

I'm a contractor with no other military attachment (prior service, family), so no USAA for me. I use Geico, which is an agent for AIG, and so far, they have been pleasant to deal with. I do pay significantly more than my co-workers who can use USAA, but I'm also younger than they are. Geico has offices in Bamberg and Ramstein (or Kaiserslautern?), neither of which I've ever had to set foot in - everything can be handled over the phone and mail.

Texmandie,

you know when I contacted Geico they asked me few questions to see if I qualify for the insurance in Germany and they came back to me that I don't qualify? I told them that I'm moving to Germany for work and taking my car with me. May be I should have just told them that I'm on vacation and bringing my car? Can you tell me with who did you deal with at Geico?
Thanks,

Joe