Buying an imported car can often fill the void of a car owner who is in search of a particular style, look or feel that isn’t available in the local car market. Some car buyers and collectors are only after owning specific car brands and vehicle models that are not manufactured in Australia and can only be achieved by importing cars. Regardless of the reason for owning an imported car, there are some common myths about buying imports so let’s address them so you can make an informed decision when considering to import or not.
It’s always costs too much to import cars
Importing cars follow a process and like anything there are associated costs involved when importing to Australia. This doesn’t necessarily mean that importing cars are always going to be more costly than buying one that is readily available in the local market. A majority of car manufacturers are already manufacturing cars outside Australia, countries like Japan encourage car owners to keep their vehicles up to date by taxing vehicles older than 13 years at a higher tax rate. Therefore cars in other countries may be significantly cheaper to secure, making it more affordable to import.
Parts for imported cars are hard to get
To be fair, a majority of car parts are not manufactured in Australia but overseas. The reason that local domestic brands have parts available readily easily is because a bulk of these parts is imported from overseas manufacturers to cater for the local market. Unless the imported car is significantly old you will not have issues finding parts aboard as manufacturers do still manufacturer parts. The cost of shipping parts can be offset by the cheap cost of raw material and labour compared to parts manufactured locally.
Local mechanics don’t repair imported cars
Maintenance and repair of imported cars is no different to any car that is domestically available. Of course there are benefits towards having a mechanic that specializes in the particular make or model of a vehicle however the main routine inspections and service intervals can be adequately looked at by any certified car mechanic. Oil change, brake maintenance, repairs on exhaust, belts and hoses are typical things that can be confidently carried out by your local mechanic.