VOLVO CAR

SERVICE AND PARTS BUSINESS

Service Manager Bulletin
TITLE:

Recall Compliance Clearance Letter Requests
GROUP:

NO:

ISSUING DEPARTMENT:

CAR MARKET:

00

440

Certification, Regulatory &
Compliance

United States and Canada

REFERENCE BULLETINS:

Service Personnel:
Read and initial

SERVICE
MANAGER

SERVICE
WRITER

ISSUE DATE:

STATUS DATE:

2019-08-21

2019-09-11

WARRANTY
ADMINISTRATOR

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“Right first time in Time”

CERTIFICATION, REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE BULLETIN
Volvo Vehicles Imported from U.S. to Canada & Canada to U.S. Specific
Information & Policy Revision
Beginning in October 2019, Volvo is revising the policy of how a recall compliance clearance letter is
requested and obtained. All recall compliance clearance letter requests must go through our Volvo Car
Bookstore Website at http://www.volvotechinfo.com/. Please direct all inquiries for the recall letter to the
Volvo Car Bookstore website. Letters will not be issued unless all the required steps and information is
complete, and an administration fee of $1000USD has been paid to Volvo Car, USA. The administration
fee is now required to cover the volume of requests, and the required analytical/investigative work to
ensure the vehicle complies to specific U.S. or Canadian importation requirements. An authorized Volvo
retailer can assist in ensuring your Volvo can meet the following Canadian regulatory requirements for
importation and perform the necessary vehicle inspections.

Customer Information On Importing A U.S. Specification Volvo Into Canada
Please reference the below link for specific information on importing vehicles which are purchased in
the United States to Canada:
https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/importing-vehicle.html
Generally, a U.S. specification vehicle is a vehicle designed, built, tested and certified by Volvo to meet
all applicable U.S. EPA and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs). Before you import
your vehicle into Canada, please visit the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) to ensure your vehicle
is listed as admissible. Where a U.S. specification Volvo vehicle is listed as ADMISSIBLE, and requires
modifications, it may be extensive and expensive to perform these modifications (an authorized Volvo
Produced in the USA and available as an electronic document. Hard copy documents are printed in USA on recycled paper containing
a minimum of 50% wastepaper and 10% post-consumer waste.
© 2019 VOLVO CAR USA, LLC

Service Manager Bulletin 00-440
retainer will be able to assit and applicable service rates will apply). Any Volvo vehicle that cannot be
modified, for whatever reason, will not be allowed to remain in Canada and must be exported. A Volvo
admissible vehicle is one that has been certified and complies to all applicable U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards as evidenced by the compliance label which is affixed to the vehicle at the time
of manufacture indicating one of the following two 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:
A letter (information) from Volvo containing the same information as would have appeared on
the compliance label.
Please note that any vehicle which has been modified from it’s original certified state, other than regular
maintenance, may not be eligible for importation into Canada.
In addition, U.S. vehicles originally equipped with air bags, as required by U.S. FMVSS, must have
operational air bags at the time of vehicle inspection by the RIV for importation. All admissible vehicles
must have a Volvo issued 17 character alphanumeric sequence (VIN) as required by CMVSS (Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) 115.
Important Note on Active and Passive Restraint Systems, CMVSS-210
• Please note, passive restraint systems are identified as a 3-point system meeting CMVSS 210 (Seat
Belt Assembly Anchorages). No modifications are allowed to the seat belt anchorage system.
Important Note on Electronic Immobilization System, CMVSS-114
• Please note that every passenger vehicle manufactured after September 1, 2007 must be equipped
with an electronic immobilization system meeting CMVSS-114 and be operational at time of vehicle
inspection. Electronic immobilizers typically require a special key or a small electronic device to
start a vehicle’s engine. This type of system, when activated, prevents the operation of the engine in
response to any attempt to start the vehicle without using the authorized key, by shutting off one or
more parts of the engine’s electrical system.
Important Note on Daytime Running Lamps, CMVSS-108
• Please note that all Volvo vehicles imported into Canada must be equipped with functional daytime
running lamps at time of RIV vehicle inspection.
Important Note on Importation of Vehicles 15 Years Old or Older
• All Volvo vehicles fifteen (15) years old or older, as determined by the month and year of
manufacture, are no longer regulated under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act by virtue of their age.
While Transport Canada does not regulate the importation of these vehicles, it does not preclude
these vehicles from having to meet certain provincial/territorial safety and/or licensing requirements.
If this applies, you will be required to complete a Vehicle Import Form 1, at the time of importation,
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2019-09-11

Service Manager Bulletin 00-440
and present proof of ownership. Also, please contact the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
for further clearance requirements at the link below:
- http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html
Important Note On Owner’s Manuals & BiLinual Warning Labels
• Please visit an authorized Volvo retailer to obtain these required items for your vehicle. Please
reference the following link to find an authorized Volvo retailer: https://usdealers.volvocars.com/
search.html
Important Note On Confirmation of No Outstanding Recalls
• Confirmation that there are no outstanding recalls on your Volvo vehicle is a mandatory requirement
for the RIV Canadian inspection program. This confirmation has to be sent to the RIV as soon as
possible before, during or after the importation of your U.S. specification vehicle into Canada. The
Vehicle Inspection Form will only be released to you by the RIV upon receipt and acceptance of the
confirmation of no outstanding recalls. To obtain information and the recall compliance clearance
letter please visit our Volvo Car Bookstore Website at http://www.volvotechinfo.com/ and follow all
the required steps. A fee of $1000USD payable to Volvo Car, USA is required to be paid prior to the
letter being issued and emailed to you (see our Volvo Car Bookstore website for further information).

Customer Information On Importing Canadian Volvo Vehicles Into The U.S.
Please note that Canadian vehicles have emission control systems that are identical to the emission
control systems on equivalent vehicles that are Federally (U.S. EPA) certified in the United States.
However, although they are identical to a certified configuration, these Canadian vehicles may not have
an emissions compliance label identifying them as conforming to U.S. EPA requirements. You will need
to verify whether your Canadian vehicle in which you are importing is or is not identical to a U.S EPA
certified version.
A Canadian vehicle is identical to a U.S. EPA certified version if one of the following is true:
• The Canadian vehicle has an emission label stating it is certified to U.S. EPA Federal Emission
standards. Please reference the following link:
-- How to Find the Vehicle Emissions Label.
• Volvo has provided a letter of compliance to you stating your vehicle complies with all U.S. EPA
emission regulations.
Additionally, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may request you to submit the letter of
compliance which Volvo has issued to you, even if your Canadian vehicle is determined by the U.S.
EPA to be identical to a U.S. EPA certified version. You will also need to contact the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for NHTSA import regulations and further information on
specific guidelines for vehicle importation.
If your Canadian Volvo vehicle is not identical to a U.S. certified version, please refer to:
• section 2.1.2.2, “Canadian Vehicles Not Identical to United States Version Vehicles”, and
• section 2.1.3, “Non-United States Version Vehicles”, in the Procedures for Importing Vehicles and
Engines Manual (68 pp, 3.23 MB,, EPA-420-B-10-027, About PDF).
2019-09-11

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