Legalizing car from U.S.

Wife is visiting her son in U.S. He is going to sell his 2010 mini cooper and will give her a 'real deal'. The question here is: Can that car be registered in Mexico by going through normal/legal channels? tx mucho

Ask the mini cooper dealership in Guadalajara. Car dealers seem to able to do things that even the brokers can't do.

They have a BMW/Mini dealership in Guadalajara. There are lots of them around so parts and service won't be an issue.

What are the first letters of the VIN#?

Thanks all, will call the suggested tomorrow and try for the VIN next week.

Only Vin# starting with 1,2,3,4 or 5.... NAFTA built vehicles..... can be Nationalized. One could bring it in on a temporary permit (TIP) if one is still Temporal and keep it as long as one is Temporal.

One really has to consider the import costs. Unless the car has some special significance it is probably going to cost at least 40,000 pesos, even if it can be imported.
A quick look here shows 2010 mini's from 149000p to 159000p with reasonable mileage for the age.
Also you are looking at mph not kmh. Not a big jump from one to another but it put me off buying imported cars when looking for an older used car this year. A lot of imported cars at dealers here have been imported are on sale cheap from the US because they are repaired after an accident and cannot be sold in the US because that has to be declared but not in Mexico.
Mercado Libre and Amazon Mexico are excellent sources of OEM car parts compared to the prices at dealers. Most delivered within 1 or 2 days and imported (Amazon Mx when necessary) within a week.

40,000 pesos minimum? That crosses the When A Deal Isn't A Deal line. Thanks Dave.

I've also heard (pure rumor, no facts...but likely)that when there's a flood, many cars are unloaded after cleanup into Mexican dealerships.
Personally, I'd hesitate to buy a used car in Mexico unless you know its history.

If you have your heart set on a mini check out the dealership in GDL. I have a friend who just bought a 2017 mini clubman there with only 30k for less than 1/2 price of new and this car is mint.

gringal wrote:
Personally, I'd hesitate to buy a used car in Mexico unless you know its history.

I'm with you, Gringal.

gringal wrote:I've also heard (pure rumor, no facts...but likely)that when there's a flood, many cars are unloaded after cleanup into Mexican dealerships.
Personally, I'd hesitate to buy a used car in Mexico unless you know its history.

I disagree. I have bought two cars for myself and other cars for other people. It was easy and you can tell the condition of a car and a mechanic can tell you even more. Flooded cars are easy to detect you just have to look underneath. They can never clean up a flooded car completely. Yes I understand many people can't tell condition of a car but a hired paid mechanic can.

And its not likely a dealership would risk selling such vehicles.

oncesubtle wrote:40,000 pesos minimum? That crosses the When A Deal Isn't A Deal line. Thanks Dave.  

And Jalisco plates another 4-5000p

I agree CBob. I have now owned three vehicles in Mexico. The first was a second hand VW bug that chugged for 9 years. Only sold it because we needed air conditioning on the coast. The second vehicle was a new Chevy C2. We had it for six years and we sold it to get a vehicle that had a wider swing on the door and more room for my hubby to get in and out. It was also bought second hand Nissan and is now 12 years old and still doesn't have 50,000 km. on it.
Other than the coast, the climate in Mexico is very kind to cars. Depending on where the car has spent most of its life, it should be a factor when considering importation. Snow and salt on the roads in winter? Fuggedaboutit!
If I continue to take care of this "motor barely broken in" car, it should last the rest of my life. That's good value.

gringal wrote:I've also heard (pure rumor, no facts...but likely)that when there's a flood, many cars are unloaded after cleanup into Mexican dealerships.
Personally, I'd hesitate to buy a used car in Mexico unless you know its history.

Even if they brought all the "flooded" cars in the US to Mexico, which I doubt, it would be an infinitesimally small pct. of that product sold here.  A lot are cleaned up and remain right there in the US.

Yes, they are often sold in the U.S. My point is that it's a good thing to know the car's history if buying used. Okay?

I owned a US Mini Cooper 2006 model for 12 years, had it here the first 3 years until I went permanente. Had no problems with mine in either country. Service at the dealership in Guad was great and cost about 35% of what it did in Scottsdale, AZ. When I sold my house and remaining US possessions last year in Phoenix, I sold it to my neighbor who had lusted after it for years and he's driving it daily for work without problems. I almost got caught in the scam Tio Corp was a victim of for importing it back in 2013, luckily I never gave them any money.

Bottom line is that a Mini bought originally in the US will have a "W" for Germany (used to stand for West Germany) in the VIN. I know they're made in Oxford, England but are owned by BMW and they get "W" VIN's...or at least did back when I got mine. So that makes them unimportable.

If you like Minis, just buy one that's been imported by a dealer into Mexico. It will have a "W" VIN but wil have come through the proper channels.