I imported my vehicle in the winter of 2010 and I drove my vehicle in Canada for several months before I imported it. And though I did not have any problems, I have read several posts regarding importation problems since then with one poster being told they could NOT drive the car into Canada until it's been exported (I don't think they were given correct information) and another who was told they were required to import the car at the time of landing (I don't believe this is accurate either) so definitely do some research as the rules may have changed and/or be applied improperly.
my previous post regarding the importation of vehicles...edited...is below
...finished importing my car from the US. The RIV instructions require that you have a clear title (or a written agreement with your lender to allow you to export to Canada). The owner's name on the title must match the name of the immigrant importing it as goods. In addition the car must be deemed "importable" by the RIV and they provide a list of cars on their website. The car also has to be exported from the US and, as PMM mentioned in his post, you must provide copies of the title several days before you wish to export. The US export officers will check your title, identity, and the VIN on the vehicle to insure they all match. The export office is only open Mon through Fri work day hours and Friday is their busiest day (reference to Buffalo border crossing at Lewiston).
All imported cars require a recall clearance letter which is easier to obtain (and get any recall work done) while you are still in the states. In Canada you will have to pay for any recall work and THEN request reimbursement and the clearance letter from the US branch of your car manufacturer. Then there are required modifications to your vehicle (like day time running lights) to meet safety and emission standards in Canada; because it meets US standards does not mean it meets those in Canada.
Here are the costs I incurred in the process...
Cost of the Recall Clearance letter $0, but I had to have several updates which required I returned to the states if I didn't want to pay the CAN car dealership then request a refund.
Cost to export $0, but took over an hour due to the volume of exporters...mostly truckers loaded with multiple vehicles
Cost to import $204.75 payable to RIV which can be paid online or at the border
Cost to install day time running lights $80 after some searching...Crappy Tire (the nickname for Canadian Tire) wanted over $400 to do the same work!
Cost for safety and emissions testing $39.99 and $89.99 cost controlled I think and I had this done at Crappy Tire.
Cost to register and get tags in ON $125.00
Cost for US driver record for insurance purposes $7
Cost to insure the vehicle in ON even with highest driver safety rating (no insurance claims, no tickets and they want proof for the last 10 years) $1741 which almost $1000 more than my US insurance plan
Some of these costs also included taxes and some were tax exempt because it was on my goods to follow.
There are a lot of steps to get this done. But you'll get sense of what you are in for. I suggest you run the recall check now and get fixed anything that shows up, and then request the clearance letter. Get a 10 year driver's record from the state where you are licensed and a 10 year claims record from your insurance company (make copies). You will need one or both for exchanging your license and qualifying for insurance. Make sure you have your car title and make several copies (export office requests two) in preparation to export. Then start saving for all the costs involved. I'm NOT kidding, the insurance prices in ON were quite a shock.
