While we're talking imports, here is a VOSA approved organisation (ex-VOSA people) that specialises in pre-qualifying independent imports for the ESVA test: www.modelreports.com and can save independent importers a lot of money and hassle. Credit to '4x4 and MPV Driver' magazine.
HJ
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It more than likely won't show as an import on the Logbook. Rules were changed a few years ago for cars imported from Europe.
The easiest way is to look at the start of the service book which will show dealer that PDI'd the car.
I have heard, although I have no proof and the person that told me was renowned for embellishing stories, that some dealers throw away the service book and get a new one saying the old one was lost. Therefore, the new car will be even more difficult to sus as an import.
Can anyone tell me if the above paragraph could be true?
I must say, that I have no problem with imports as long as the price is right and I am told at the purchase stage.
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A few years ago I lost a service book - a new one was provided by the service department for the princely sum of £2.
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The most important matter in this whole issue, which I don't believe has been addressed yet, is that there was a parts incompatibility problem with it. There shouldn't be any mechanical difference between a UK and 'import' car. So either you have got some weird and wonderful grey-market oddity or the garage is lying about the part not fitting - they've just spotted it as an import.
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Was it by any chance a light unit? Could they differ?
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As per Retro's comments :-
"It more than likely won't show as an import on the Logbook. Rules were changed a few years ago for cars imported from Europe".
This is true.
My V5 shows no overt references to the car as being an import as it came from Europe.
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What was the part that didn't fit - I can't think of any parts on a BMW that would be MoT-critical that would be different from mainland European spec. Check your V5 to see if it really is an import - it could be that the service dept were saying this to cover the fact that they'd ordered the wrong part!
A cracked headlight would cause it to fail an MOT and only a RHD headlamp unit would fit.
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I am becoming more & more convinced that my posts are invisible.
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Why is there no text in the post above..........
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If you paint them white then the headlights will pick them out better...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I am becoming more & more convinced that my posts are invisible.
Who said that? :-)
Seriously, you made a good point above, there should be no reason an 'import' is any different from a UK car, but there is a stigma attached to them so our Comrade should have been able to secure a discount at purchase time.
I still want to know what part wouldn't fit, a RHD light unit might have been different to the one removed but it still would have fitted...
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Some people still haven't seen the light...:-)
But, as I say, if you paint the posts white then the headlights will pick them out more clearly.......:-))
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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>> I am becoming more & more convinced that my posts are >> invisible. >> Who said that? :-) Seriously, you made a good point above, there should be no reason an 'import' is any different from a UK car, but there is a stigma attached to them so our Comrade should have been able to secure a discount at purchase time.
To those who bypassed my first post (or who just didn't see it), I don't understand why 'imports' are considered to be inferior. Do we always ask for cars that are a higher spec. than the rest of Europe?
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I bought an imported Fiat Punto Sporting and it's a higher spec than the UK car. The downside is it only has a 2 year warranty rather than 3 years.
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Sorry have not checked back until now to see the replies! The part that did not fit was a shock absorber - it was leaking.
I rang BMW and they confirmed it was an import.
Cant find my log book - have been a bit hasty chucking stuff in nooks, crannies and cupboards, as house is up for sale. So I need to have a proper hunt for this. But Im pretty sure it says nothing about being an import. Anyhows you dont get the log book until 8 weeks after buying a car! I also asked the sales guy when I bought it, if it was a UK car, as I had looked at an import before this one. Had been warned againts buying one for insurance purposes as my insurance is already massive!
Best get hunting for my paperwork.....
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There's a couple of reports on the PistonHeads forum about BMW dealers doing this (in error, of course). They refund the money immediately when they get found out - sorry, when it becomes apparent.
You were sold a car that is not as described, so they committed an offence. How long have you had it?
You're right about the insurance - many co's require you to tell them it's an import.
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I'll be surprised if an 'import' BMW of the same model type has a different shock to a UK model. I'm assuming this is a RHD car? Something doesn't add up here.
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I have often heard in roadtests of cars being tested pre-production on German roads and then being panned for their ride quality on "inferior" British roads, so I would not be surprised if the shocks were different.
I agree with the post about getting money back. Sometimes, well a lot of times actually, Dealers get on my nerves by giving lower prices for imported cars and then "forgetting" said fact at sale time. My case as outlined above is a case in point.
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Probably not relevant, but BMW models destined for the USA get different suspension settings/components than European cars. Is it also possible that the UK importer specs a different suspension than other mainland countries?. I have read in certain car reviews where the "launch" model will differ from the one that individual countries get. One in particular (don't remember the manufacturer)specifically stated that the suspension would be firmed up for the UK market.
Having said that, Euro spec suspension components are often retro fitted to US spec cars by enthusiast owners so hard to imagine that a part actually didn't fit. Maybe it did fit, but the technician realized that fitting disimilar suspension components would be detrimental. I certainly wouldn't want two different shock damping rates on either side of my car.
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Great minds and all that, eh Retro?. Or is it, fools seldom differ? 8-)
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>>You're right about the insurance - many co's require you to tell them it's an import.>>
It's a point - apart from what can prove higher premiums - in the links I provided earlier.
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I have often seen references to Irish imports (does this include N Ireland?), which I assume means cars originally destined for the Irish (Eire?) market. Are cars imported from Ireland significantly different from UK spec. cars and, if so, why is this?
As for differences in the road quality between different parts of Europe, well there are massive differences in road quality within the UK. How one could set shock absorbers to suit every road surface in the UK, I just don't know.
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I live in NI, cars destined for N. Ireland are always UK spec and UK price. Cars destined for the RoI may differ in terms of equipment or badging - for example, when I was investigating importing a Seat Leon a few years ago, the UK badge designation of S, SE, Sport did not match that of the RoI which used Stella, Signo, Sport. I ended up buying a right-hooker from Holland, as the 110 bhp TDi engine was not available on the Irish market at all, only the 90. When importing from any country, you need to make sure that the car you're buying matches/exceeds the UK spec in order avoid higher insurance costs, heavier depreciation, etc - so make sure that if the UK model has an alarm and four airbags fitted as standard, these are fitted to your European import - even if you have to specify them as an optional extra.
I seem to remember hearing/reading that VW Passats destined for the southern market were fitted (as standard) with stiffer/more robust suspension than UK cars - don't know if this is true or not, but if so, I wish I'd bought an Irish-spec Passat instead of forking out for Konis ...
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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