[Subhuman]

Hey all!

I am selling my 97 Subie from WA to a close friend in Canada. Can anyone advise me on the following situation: The vehicle is missing the Statement of Compliance Label from the driver's side door (VIN Sticker), although clearly has the VIN alone in many places on the vehicle. Canadian border requires this sticker present or a letter of compliance with same information from manufacturer. WA does not reissue SOC Labels per DMV & state patrol VIN Inspection. Subaru USA only issues a Recall Compliance letter, which doesn't have the SOC info on it, and they cannot add it on. Subaru Canada does not have access to the American vehicle information. Dealer faxed me most of the relevant info, but Canadian customs requires that it is on manufacturers letterhead.

From Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicle website:
"The U.S. Statement of Compliance (SOC) label is usually found on the inside of the driver’s side door. Vehicles must have an official U.S. SOC label when they cross the border for import. If a vehicle does not have a U.S. SOC label, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) will accept a letter from the manufacturer containing the same information as the original label, including the the VIN, make, model, date of manufacture, gross vehicle weight ratings and axle weight ratings.
Once a vehicle has passed the RIV inspection process, the importer will receive a Canadian SOC label with instructions on where to place it on the vehicle."

ALSO WA State Patrol VIN Inspection office said that the SOC information is found in other places on the vehicle, but wouldn't tell me where. Does anyone know another location for SOC label or information on a vehicle?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Subhuman]

I got the dealer to fax me a printout of the production date with the car's info and so it has some of what we need, it's just this manufacturer's letterhead thing. My friend found in another sport, transport Canada, listed below, and they want the following info.

2. Admissible vehicles, except competition vehicles, snowmobile cutters and all terrain vehicles (ATVs), must be certified
by OEMs to all applicable U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs). Two criteria can be used to determine this:
a) a compliance label affixed to the vehicle at the time of main assembly with one of the following statements,
"This vehicle conforms to the applicable federal motor vehicle safety, bumper and theft prevention standards in
effect on the date of manufacture shown above"; or
"This vehicle conforms to all applicable U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards in effect on the date of
manufacture shown above"; or
b) a letter from the original manufacturer and and the final stage manufacturer (if applicable) containing the same information as
would appear on the compliance label.

 

[arthuruscg]

I don't know if there is a VIN or anything like that on the SOC Label, but could you check a junkyard and try to carefully peel on off?

 

[Wagondude]

Was the car repaired from an accident on the driver's side? My '06 is also missing the label. I wonder if it was repaired. That is the only reason I can think of for the label to be missing. The location for the label shows no sign of adhesive. If it was repaired, they did a good job. Sorry for the sidetrack, just wondering.

 

[Wagondude]

I don't know if there is a VIN or anything like that on the SOC Label, but could you check a junkyard and try to carefully peel on off?

They are VIN specific and designed to void the label if removed.

 

[Subhuman]

Thanks for the help. We went ahead without the label but with a printout from the dealer with all of the vehicle info as per the VIN which included the proof of manufacturing date (month and year), recall notifications, and that the vehicle met federal (US) road regulations which was the equivalent to the label but in long form. We didn't have to show US customs this info but did Canadian customs. However the Canadians seem to be willing to accept my word that the vehicle was built before the 15 year mark which after that would require proof that all recalls were fulfilled.

Interestingly the US customs guy who process my paperwork for export was only concerned that I had the title saying that "if (I had) the title then (I was) the owner" and thus he had no worries about legality of ownership. Didn't even ask about my wife who was listed as a co-owner.

The only issue we had was after export and then import the vehicle had to get an inspection for Canadian "road and law worthiness" and because I had unplugged the DRLs years ago and couldn't figure out how to properly plug them back in, in our VERY short time frame before my friend had to get back to her island, we had to pay the inspectors to wire the DRLs in as required by Canadian law. I also had to remove the one broken fog light. Didn't matter if a fog was missing just that it wasn't still installed with a broken lens.

So now my friend is back on her island with my Redbaru who is now a Canadian Subie... makes me wonder if I can claim citizenship because Redbaru was like family