Import or buy a vehicle in Panama? What we wish we had known.... 

A very nice man named William sent me this advice. I think it might be helpful for others: Sorry about your experience but it’s Panamá. Things are different here. I’m not a “certified mechanic” but I work in my own cars and rebuild older cars as a hobby in the states. That being said. You can get Parts for cars made in the U.S ( I imported a 2011 Silverado and 05 Land cruiser. I bought a 03 Jeep Wranglerand and 07 FJ cruiser here that was imported by some one. Mechanics here are not certified mechanics. A few good ones but majority not so much on cars made here or not( again no difference except some models here have Diesel engines). I would never recommend anyone buying a car unseen here or the states. If your not mechanically inclined bring someone with you who is. Lastly you fender flare that is glued on is a good indicator that your truck was wrecked and repaired. Have your husband and/or mechanic check for any misalignments hood/fender/door. Then look at front spindle rotor, control arms. They will cannibalize on car to complete another. Probably why window washer tank had a hole in it. When I went to buy a car I found out it’s best to avoid lot of used car lots unless very reputable. I saw them repairing wrecked vehicles and trying to sell them as never been wrecked. They also will buy cars with salvaged titles (totaled) flood damage. Ship them here and repair them and sell. I pulled up to a used dealer to look at FJ I was interested in and they were in rush undercoating it 😂looked like a 5 year old that got hold of paint can. I looked underneath scraped little off the whole fame was just rust. They tried to cover up. Helpful hint, if speed o meter is In MPH it probably was a salvaged vehicle shipped/towed here. Second if you look through paper work get previous insurance company and ask if car was been in accident. Hope everything works out with your truck but would check if truck was in wreck and how bad.

Thanks for sharing your mistakes, but whatever happen to you in life is a learning lesson.

I totally agree the dealer’s mechanics won’t tell you what is wrong with the car. So is best to have a trusty mechanic on your side.

Wow, another exciting adventure! Glad you bought a Hilux, normally a great vehicle. My 4Runner is basically a Hilux SUV and although I'd love to bring it (or our Tacoma) the added expense isn't worth it. If you hear of another middleman that does a better job, please let us all know. I saw a comment about Suzuki and that's an interesting idea. I prefer a 4x4 truck and will prolly get a Hilux though, I've had 37? Vehicles and love Toyota products.

I want you to know that I've watched most of your videos and you're an awesome person. I appreciate you taking the time to share the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of moving to Panama. Great job and thank you very much.

FYI - not all hilux have anti-lock brakes. SRV should. Good video. When I buy cars here in Panama, I show up with a checklist and a good flashlight, and take notes. I also know exact questions to ask about that particular model. Look up the Texas DOT annual safety inspection checklist. It's good. It's always a fun moment letting the owner know about their car. Also, always check under the floor mats for wet spots. Good video.

Exactly on point ....im going through this issue i already knew i had to buy a car here for the exact things you pointed out. I also know i want a 4x4 that has parts easy to get, my two options are hillux or frontier ..im getting a hillux (again more parts available for repairs as well as knowledge that might be beyond my scope) now my issue is finding one.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I certainly learned from it. Btw, you are a great story teller - you keep it flowing and interesting.

Very helpful- thank you. Please know you can use your emergency brake as a regular brake. Not only in case of faulty brakes but also to assist when going over very steep terrain. Just determine which wheels your emergency brakes engage on so you can determine when best to use them (in a non emergency sitch)..

Hi Mary. So sorry this happened but thanks for sharing. Great advice on telling people to just purchase a vehicle in Panama. We are advising people the same.

Great information, thank you so much ☺️❤️🙏

Thanks for sharing your experience, without whitewashing. Really helpful.

Do you ever see the mini trucks down there? Like a Subaru Sambar, por ejemplo?

Thank you for taking time to make these videos. Very helpful. Thank you.

Love your videos! After watching how your property water well and generator surprisingly worked I was thinking you must be the luckiest people in the world. But I guess luck runs out occasionally. Any Toyota dealer here in the states will have that check off list filled out every time they do any routine maintenance, even taking off wheels to look at brakes. I think that middleman position must be the most lucrative job in the world. He would certainly improve his business by ensuring some sort of quality control from his dealers. Always wished I could get a Hylux as they are generally the go to hauler about anywhere in the world except in the states. It should serve you well! Look forward to seeing the tropical dream develop on the coast!

I agree Toyota Hilux are everywhere in Panama. I like best automatic. Do they work great driving in mountains though? I mean automatic Toyota Hilux?

There are so many factors to consider. Cars made for cold weather states will have features that a warm weather state (or country) doesn't need. Even the license plates. Minor example, In NY you use two plates. One in the front and one in the rear. In SC cars don't even have a spot for the front plate. My car has a steering wheel heater. Why would I need that in Panama? Etc. etc. Just buy your car in country.

SUPER HELPFUL nitty gritty! I wish you good luck with your vehicle in the future.

How old and how many miles or km did this vehicle have at the time? Panapass is like ez pass in the east coast.

Absolutely right, I made the huge mistake of importing a car to Costa Rica. It was a big mistake and a total nightmare.

I know this is a 2 year old video, but how is this vehicle doing? In part of your video you mentioned, "our new vehicle", but most of the description sounded like a used vehicle. This vehicle sounds like a flood damage vehicle. What does the title look like? What is Panama's law on salvage vehicles, flood damage vehicles? I would be curious what their laws are in this regard, as they do get flooding when it rains a lot. A hole in a windshield wiper tank is not very common, unless the plastic container was pinched from sort of accident. Do they have alignment shops in Panama? In terms of of year, how old was this vehicle, based on the year you bought it? Was there a major difference between this one and a brand new one, that was an advantage for you? I am unfamiliar with prices there, so any info, as to why buy used, would be helpful. When brand new vehicles get flood or hail damage, in the states, they are totaled. Curious what the laws are there on them. Also, what is the specifics on the toll pass?... this is the 1st I have heard of that. Thank you for doing this video. Great information! Also, I have heard that when you have a Pencionado visa, you get to import a vehicle duty free, every two years... is this still the case or are there hidden fees?

Th.anks for being candid

Where is the best dealer to buy in Panama?

Hello from CO!! My dad was in the army and stationed in Panama, so went through Junior High and High School there (Curundu Jr High and Balboa H.S 1980-1985). I really enjoyed it there! I look forward to returning with my wife; at least for a vacation, and who knows what else! Wow...about the only thing worse that could have happened (short of your family careening off of the cliff with no brakes) is for your middle man to have no showed you at the airport, you have paid in full for your vehicle, and nobody or car in sight!. Ughhhh. Thank you very much for these tips!! They are all so valid. Those Toyota Hilux's are awesome! I've used them all over the world in my various military travels. As I had watched a few "moving to Panama" videos, I hadn't really thought about vehicles, nor which kind. I like the Hilux option!! I wish they had them in the states too! Looking back at it, we were lucky. Back when US soldiers were stationed there, we were able to ship 1 vehicle at no expense to us. My dad did buy a jeep there; but I believe he did it through the overseas car sales wing of the PX system. Safe travels.

Everything you described is pretty minor in terms of the issues are all general maintenance items and the fact that it was a used vehicle. Some dealers at least in the states will go over the vehicle fixing many of the issues you experienced especially the brakes because of it being a legal liability. The vehicles are expected to pass state inspections which include things like the brakes, the oil change, not so much.

Can I get GMC Canyon or F150 there in Panama

i am surprised of how much this sounds like brazil. if you want to get to know a country fast buy a car i guess. i wonder what you think about that video now / after some years. thx

Great information.

My brother sold his card and he forgot to cancel the PANAPASS.....once I got in my email a letter to my mother saying she had to pay 300.00 and something for the use of the corredor (high way) so the person who purchased the car took advantage of my brother mistake but I wonder how ENA people who are in charge of corredor knew my email to send that information to my mother....In your case was a mistake to verify the PANAMAPASS in your Hilux and this is a common mistake that a lot of people do when sale vehicules because focos only in the whole sale but not in little details like this.. the story could be different..the previous owner forget to remove his name from his panapass and you take advantage of that....negative $23.00 dollars is nothing....my mother has to pay over $300.00 dollars because my brother´s mistake and the new owner took advantage of this mistake....

Use RainX in the rainy season, better than wipers.

Hi Mary, thanks so much for your videos. You're really heping us with our planned move to Panama in a couple of years. I'm also an online educator :)

Hello good day you really get a scammer that middleman was known good at all he was to get all of that do because you pay him you have to be careful I live here in Panama 12 years now

You’re middle man was useless, my wife dose this here in Panama (she’s Panamanian) she finds cars for foreigners she negotiates the price down she takes her mechanic too inspect the car she checks the cars history (ie) service history etc. She’s always busy looking for the best car for peoples budget and all her work comes from recommendations. And she does this for a flat fee. And she’s friends with everyone she’s found a car for.

Yes front brakes wear faster than rears. Sounds like minor repairs and things that should have been picked up on. Always put new rotors on when you replace the pads. Overheated brakes will warp rotors.

First thank you for taking the time to do these videos. They are very good. I would like to comment on a few things though. When in Panama or any other country, sorry to say, one must stop being a gringo. You desired a "special vehicle". You admitted auto trans is rare in Panama, therefore your choices of trucks are limited. When I went to Panama and rented a car, it was standard. Foreign countries tend to have "standard trans cars" WHY? gas prices plus more control going over bad roads. Their rules/customs and the US are very different. I was stuck in traffic. There was an accident. The car turned over on the side and those Panamanians were trying to turn the car back upright. I am sorry I did not have a video of this. Completely un-American. In the US, we would have 3 cop cars, tow truck, fire fighters, and two attorneys present at the scene. Brakes including install for a $100, golly, let me come to Panama and have all my car work done. I am sorry to say, the other stuff wrong with the truck was extremely minor, and ANY used car in any locale, there would be minor if not major issues. The guy who found the truck for you, well, he is just that a middle man and is gets a finder's fee for locating what you are looking for, which in this case is NOT common in Panama, a truck with auto trans. You did not say the year or how many miles or I guess kilometers the truck had on it. This could have been an "indicator." As far as bringing a car into Panama, and I am not quite ready to do anything now, but I have an antique car and I will need to look into if it is worth bringing this to Panama. I asked on FB about this, and apparently there are old cars in Panama and a mechanic who can repair them, if needed. I would not blame yourself over this transaction, I would never assume brake fade on a newer car, this is an "old car issue", today, there are disk brakes, anti-lock, modern technology on cars. The fact the brakes were worn is not a fade issue but rather a "maintenance issue."

Check your air conditioner filter under or behind the globe compsrtment. . Usually they are very dirty and that helps to avoid damage in the evaporador, wich is a pricy repair.

i experienced about all the same problems with buying a car in panama,and like you tell in the video,yes all comes on your own account,dealers knows nothing,middleman does only make the sale,checking things??? yes they say they did,but hell no not even the windowwhipers

Checking the oil dipstick for quantity and quality is the first thing anybody should check for. "middle man" didn't do it, very lame!

that is why I'm buying brand new from hyundai dealership which comes with the warranties for up to 10yr/100,000 miles

At this point I’m not a happy person says it all

I don’t read comments, but I think you must buy an scanner to read any code of any part of your car that needs to be fixed, google it and know exactly what your car need, knowing that go to mechanic and say what you want that he fix, and that’s the way you’ll live happy with the condition of your car, don’t wait until something happens to your car, scan an fix, scan and fix, google and RU-vid are there to help you, every 5000 mile or every 3 months change the oil, every 15000 mile change the outside aire filter, every 10000 miles change cabin air filter, don’t forget spark plugs, battery and shocks, pay attention in essential things, keep your gas tank full for any emergency, be always ready, this is your car no body cares only you

My radiator brokes on my wsy to Almirante. I fix it on Changuinola. There are plenty shops there and some speaks english.

Towing the car from Bocas to Panama City? Check with your insurance company. Some companies give you two free tows a year.

Is the ITBMS 7% tax added to the gross value - value, insurance, freight to Panama AND the customs import duty? I was a customs officer in Britain, and valuation there (and in other EU states) was CIF (cost, insurance, freight) plus any customs duty due (and plus any local excise taxes on cars) - so we found people saw "cheap" cars whilst on holiday in Florida which, by the time they'd paid the shipment costs and the duty and taxes due, weren't so cheap.

What do you think about the strategy of just foregoing all of those problems, and buying a new car in Panama?

We see this a lot in Boquete. That is why we felt it is was cheaper in the long run to go to a dealership and purchase a vehicle. In Boquete they want to charge us more for a 7 year old used car than the car we bought brand new at the Suzuki dealership.

II'm just seeing your video today, what was the total paid for everything.

Hold on here did you say the road was taken out by a hurricane. I don’t live in Panama yet but I have been there several times and from what I understand is that Panama does not get hurricanes. I was going to recommend this video but when you said hurricane it kinda made this video lose credibility.

fix up your vehicle before shipping over and stock up on regular wear items. Buy a scan tool also and you can check vehicles in Panama and find any codes that were removed if they were. For an everyday driver I agree buy a vehicle in Panama.

Is there a spare tire in working order? Is there a jack to lift the vehicle.... so many people don't look until its needed

I guess bringing my HEMI Ram sounds out of the question. I can only imagine what shipping charges are on 5500lbs?? Hopefully they don't use Fedex. If anyone knows, what is the average vehicle in Panama, we're doing the expat thing in 2 years. I'm very excited.

Thank you for the information We live in Virginia and we’re debating whether to ship furniture or to sale and start over. Weather to drive vehicles down or start over. Scotty Kilmer channel channel is a mechanic and always recommend what vehicles are best. Also great advice and entertainment.

about warranties,hell yes,they give 3 yrs on almost everything,but in reality its till their front door.if you go out their door,you have no warranty what so ever

I wish you had done a very brief synopsis at the beginning of this video. And then gone into detail.

How about if there are any loan or fee attashed to the CAR. Can you sjekk that somewhere?

Snake is really fast hard to believe scary

I thought I read that if you are coming on a Pensionado Visa, that you can import both your car and your home goods with no import tax. Do you know if that was not true or has changed?

The USA has problems -I’m a retired mech.This can happen here!

I am not sure if I missed it, but what is the cost for that buying service?

Hahahaa- guess I didn’t look at your list of videos - sorry about the comment on video 2

I know that hindsight is 20-20 but is there a reason why you didn't rent a vehicle for the first month and properly do your homework while your boots were on the ground? Great video as always thanks!

Get to the point quicker. I'm just to move to another video.

How much did you pay?

no disrespect, this is a real concern I have with moving to jungle regions..IQ who would sell a car without ensuring the buyer can drive and brake the car safely? I dont even think its intentionally being shady, they just really dont know any better, and that concerns me...low IQ is a threat. I want self-sustainable mountain property, but Im also thinking just get a spot in TOC tower with solid infrastructure, safety isolation

For almost an hour I've been waiting for the "import vs buy" thing... Very talkative lady missed the main goal crying about used car like there was nothing like that back in the US. Mercy....

How old is your car and how much did it cost? Was it more or less it would be in US?

if the "middle man" is paid a commission by the dealer, aren't you just buying a car, unchecked from the dealer's proxy agent? You seem like a really switched on and organised person and I have to say, I had to watch your video twice and read the comments through again as I couldn't believe you had done this. It is only my opinion and I don't want to hurt your feelings but this really was something no one should ever do. I thank you for taking the time to post this but I'm really surprised people would buy a car this way! Buy in haste, repent at leisure. So very different from the uber careful and detail minded person you seem to be. Genuinely sorry this happened to you.

In Panama doing maintenance on a vehicle consists of filling the fuel tank and Gerry rigging other problems or ignoring them. While like most stereotypes, this behavior while the norm, does have some exceptions. Buyer beware on everything in Panama.

Buy sight unseen with middleman, license to steal, nightmare to remember. Rent a car and then look to buy directly. Trying to save a $1 you will lose many more. Middlemans job was to prevent any headaches, how did he do? May be a nice guy but he's failed at the one job you hired him for. Please don't recommend him to me.

1st..youre a s m o k e s h o w 2nd..ive been Toyota/Lexus all my life, you were right to assume it would go ok but a poor previous owner can turn any ride into a lemon