Found my replacement vehicle. Can I get it imported?

I'm going to be taking the buyback and will end up with a check for $15k after paying off the loan. Surfing Craigslist the other day, and found this beauty:

http://montreal.craigslist.ca/cto/5629615310.html

I live in NY, about an hour from Montreal. $3500CDN = $2800US. A real steal no matter what kind of repairs it will need to be safe and reliable. But...Would I be able to certify and import it? Does anyone know what kind of emissions system this thing is rigged with?

A Phaeton diesel? Don't think there were any U.S. diesels, and as an answer to your first question, I'd have to say — NO. The second question, I have no idea.
OTOH, the only way to find out is try to import the thing.......

The Phaeton was one of the two vehicles that had automotive columnists exclaiming in shock that you could buy 3 Cadillacs for the price of one Volkswagen. Admittedly the V6 TDI wasn't the trim level involved, but assuming it was around $50,000 new (was probably more) it's highly unusual to have depreciated to less than 10% of its value in 10 years. My guess is there's something seriously wrong with it that the seller isn't disclosing.

Undervalued specialty vehicles are a common scam item. Just sayin'.

The Phaeton perhaps helps explain the disconnect between VW headquarters in Germany and execs here in the US. VW wanted to compete with Mercedes (Audi locks horns with BMW). The US market pretty much laughed it out of the country.

I think VW has a good niche in the US being the only German brand taking on Honda and Toyota. They should stick to that.

If it's not 25 years old or older, you won't be able to import it. End of story.

They never sold a TDI Phaeton in Canada or the US, and I'm pretty sure no Phaetons were sold in North America for the 2007 model year.

Maybe the seller legally imported it to Canada, but it looks scammy to me. Especially for the ridiculously low price for what would be a very rare car.

You can import a vehicle if it's 25 years or older, or if the engine is listed on the EPA's web site, i.e. you're importing a car that was sold here but has an engine that wasn't.

DieselDiesel said:

I'm going to be taking the buyback and will end up with a check for $15k after paying off the loan. Surfing Craigslist the other day, and found this beauty:

http://montreal.craigslist.ca/cto/5629615310.html

I live in NY, about an hour from Montreal. $3500CDN = $2800US. A real steal no matter what kind of repairs it will need to be safe and reliable. But...Would I be able to certify and import it? Does anyone know what kind of emissions system this thing is rigged with?

Click to expand...

That is undoubtedly a scam. There is no way that car could legally be in Canada.

I had heard at one time that there was a Phaeton tdi in Montreal as a diplomatic car. I believe there's also at least one in Washington DC.

Still could be a scam, would be nice to get the metadata from the photographs.

....didn't even bother to wash it for the pics....

Typical scammer!

That engine looks too big to be a six, looks more like the w12 they typically put in these cars, but ya, scam written all over it.

2015golfwagon said:

That engine looks too big to be a six, looks more like the w12 they typically put in these cars, but ya, scam written all over it.

Click to expand...

No, that's the 3.0L TDI. The W12 is much larger. You could get it but only in the SWB cars, not the LWB cars available in the US.

Since we can't see the plates it's hard to tell if those are German diplomatic plates for Canada or not...no idea.

IMO the probability of a scam is greater than 75% though...lol

Steve

A good 335d can be had for what your getting back from VW !!!! Got damn thing is a rocket