Buying a Rav4 outside of CA

Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase a Rav4 EV outside of CA? Maybe a loophole?


[Moderator edit]:

Kohler Controller said:

I thought you had to have a CA address to lease one of these. No complications leasing to an out-of-stater?

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I know this should be obvious, but if you bought new, please don't get a felony fraud conviction for applying for the California $2500 rebate when you don't qualify as an out-of-state resident. Obviously, you couldn't lease out-of-state without committing fraud, or the dealer committing fraud.

If a dealer knowingly leased or sold a new car to you out-of-state, they would be in BIG trouble. Toyota USA could get into a fraud situation with California Air Resources Board (CARB) when they report the sale as in-state for Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) compliance, WHICH IS THE ONLY REASON THEY PRODUCED THIS CAR.

But, the $7500 federal tax credit works everywhere in the USA.

If you bought used, none of the above would apply.



http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8936.pdf
Internal Revenue Service ... Use this form to claim the credit for certain plug-in electric vehicles. .... For tax years beginning after 2008, use Form 8936.

You can call a CA dealer and have it shipped to you.

Issues would be:

Having it serviced by your local dealer should an issue arise.

Getting incentives on it from your state: i.e. in NJ there is no sales tax on ZEV cars, but it it not yet on the list of approved vehicles.

The only incentives that I'm concerned with is the $7500 cash back from Toyota. I know the $7500 tax credit from Federal isn't an issue, and my rebate from SC is $1500. I purchased my Leaf from out of state, so I know the government incentives will apply, I'm just curious about the Toyota rebate.

Yes. We already have a few non-CA members here on the forum located in Washington, Oregon and Colorado. There has been several threads posted on this subject, so just do a SEARCH for more information.

The "cashback" incentive from Toyota is a misnomer. It is actually called a "subvention" and must be applied to purchase. I don't think you can get it in a lease, although there are still incentives for leasing as well.

Just want to be sure I'm understanding this correctly. The $7500 from Toyota is subtracted from the sticker price, correct? Thanks in advance. Also, anyone have any preferred dealers?

Charlestonleafer said:

Just want to be sure I'm understanding this correctly. The $7500 from Toyota is subtracted from the sticker price, correct? Thanks in advance. Also, anyone have any preferred dealers?

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Yes, the "subvention" $7000/$7500 cash is applied to the car, and I think it's required to have Toyota 0% financing (I could be wrong there).

Dianne Whitmore at Carson Toyota is well respected in the Prius community, and they reportedly had 17 in stock just a few weeks ago.

Tony is right. The $7,500 Toyota subvention cash will be applied to the loan (you must take out a loan with Toyota Financial). It's offered at 36, 48 or 60 months, all at 0% interest. I was originally going to pay cash, but why not enjoy using Toyota's money for no interest? Even the piddly amount I'm making on my money market account is better than that (although not by much).

I'm from Washington State, and I purchased my Rav EV at Carson Toyota ... using Dianne Whitmire, just as Tony mentioned. She was fantastic, and if it's OK to list her number here, it's (949) 689-0717. (If this is not approved, I'll promptly remove it). Carson Toyota was great - and they tweaked the reverse beep for me (to a single beep) before they shipped the car.

A couple of considerations for out of staters. Most importantly, you should find a dealership in your local area that will commit to servicing your Rav EV. It takes special servicing, and many don't understand the requirements involved ... so be certain they're capable and willing to service your EV before you commit. You don't want to have to ship your vehicle to California when in need of service. Frankly, this is ridiculous for Toyota to expect anyway ... Americans move regularly, and will need to service their vehicle in their new local area.

Secondly, you will need to arrange for transport yourself. Dianne at Carson has a recommended shipper, if you decide to go through her.

Charlestonleafer said:

The only incentives that I'm concerned with is the $7500 cash back from Toyota. I know the $7500 tax credit from Federal isn't an issue, and my rebate from SC is $1500. I purchased my Leaf from out of state, so I know the government incentives will apply, I'm just curious about the Toyota rebate.

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The Toyota rebate does apply. It's not a rebate, per se, but applies $7,000 or $7,500 to your down payment. So we put another $6k down, making a $13k down payment, 0% for 60 mos.

When I bought mine, the Toyota rebate was applied as cash to the deal so it acted as a downpayment on the 0% financing.
So I negotiated a little off the MSRP, then subtracted the Toyota cash, then finance, at 0%, the rest.

As has been said above, the only real issue with purchasing out of state is that "IF" your car has a problem with the EV specfic parts then the local dealership might not have the tools and almost certainly does not have the expertise to fix it. You will have to use this forum to help your local service shop becasue yours will be the only one they have ever seen. If you are comfortable with cars, I don't think it will be a big deal. If you are the type that drops the car at the dealer and expects to come back tomorrow with it fixed, this might not work well.

jspearman - where are you? I didn't see your Rav4 EV on the map http://www.zeemaps.com/Rav4EVOwners.

I am from Pennsylvania. I've put deposit on a leaf from dealer in San Diego and arranged shipper. I own a Leaf and have had a great experience with it but want a second EV for my wife. Dealer in San Diego made it sound like any Toyota dealer could do basic service...tire rotation,
top off liquids, etc. What other regular service is their really?

I imagine if I go ask my local dealer before hand they are likely to say, No Way. But if I show up and say, hey...I juste moved here from
California..needs service. Do you guys think this is unrealistic? I've already signed all paperwork...I always prefer to jump first and
figure it out later...Doesn't the plug in prius have similar components? Fluids?

I realize if there is something major I may be waiting a long while for a part, but can a car company legally refuse to service a vehicle that they
produced? As has been mentioned, what if someone buys this in California and 2 years later moves to North Carolina? They're really going to refuse servicing it?

What have your experiences been with local dealers..did they figure it out? Again, how much servicing is there really...rotate tires, top off liquids, no?

Thanks for advice...

CORRECTION: Meant to say I put a deposit on a RAV 4 EV...already bought the Leaf...

Pennsylvania RAV said:

CORRECTION: Meant to say I put a deposit on a RAV 4 EV...already bought the Leaf...

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Anything we say will be a complete guess, and even if there was a law that was foolproof and they had to service your Rav4, but refused, then what?

I'd go for it, and it sounds like you will.

Hi Pennsylvania. Wow, a real risk taker! I applaud your spunk!

To best of my knowledge the real issue to an out state buyer is the Tesla battery pack and drivetrain. Not the replacement parts, but the "tools" for servicing; the battery pack especially. I believe these tools had to be obtained by any RAV4 EV "authorized" dealers in CA, and the investment in the "special" tools required to service (i.e. R&R) Tesla components probably are not cheap! An OOS dealer will most likely never procure such tools and that is your main obstacle to getting service (on these particular components) in PA.

If its any consulation, the major Tesla parts on the car, including the humongous battery pack, seem to be very well designed. In fact, the battery and drivetrain (electric motor and gearing) were originally designed for the Tesla Roadster. I believe they are identical. So, as only a extreme fall back measure, you "might" (and I use that term guardedly) be able to get repairs performed by a Tesla dealer on those particular components in a RAV4 EV. However, I suspect you would have to pay out of your own pocket (not using any Toyota warranty coverage). If you know of a VERY customer satisfaction oriented Toyota dealer, maybe - MAYBE - that dealer will subcontract out the repairs to Tesla and pick up the tab under Toyota's warranty.

Fwiw, the RAV4 EV is a PHENOMENAL car to drive anywhere, not only in CA! And for the deeply discounted prices currently offered for a purchase in CA, any OOS warranty and dealer support issues will be largely offset by all the money you are saving up front, not to mention the $7500 tax credit. Worse case you may have to ship the car back to CA for any "possible" major repairs.

GOOD LUCK! And if you get one, I suspect your wife will be eternally grateful. :mrgreen:

Dsinned said:

?..In fact, the battery and drivetrain (electric motor and gearing) were originally designed for the Tesla Roadster. I believe they are identical. :

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Definitely not the Roadster motor !!! Identical to Model S only.

Potential Out-of-State Warranty Issues???


Yeah like maybe the gearbox whine that some are experiencing and I had in the rental. Issues can be very real and Toyota will most likely REQUIRE the owner, any owner regardless of there location, to have the vehicle drivetrain serviced by a certified Rav4EV dealer. As a Rav4EV owner I could no more require a non-certified Toyota dealer in CA to work on those specific components let alone an out-of-state dealer. Each certified dealer had the option of becoming part of the Rav4EV program or not. Many didn't. This whole thing's a loser for Toyota and I doubt they gleefully will send trained personal and equipment around the country to placate some owner who gamed them. On the other hand what's another few thousand dollars in authorizing warranty payments to non-certified dealers when there throwing 10K around on each Rav. Guess we really won't know until someone tests the waters..... Any out-of-state whiners yet? (I'm talking of the gearbox kind, of course)

RecActVeh said:

Any out-of-state whiners yet? (I'm talking of the gearbox kind, of course)

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I am not sure if my gearbox is overly loud. It sure is less noisy than any ICE car and about the same as my Leaf.

I plan to drop my car off at the dealer for the 5K maintenance interval at the dealer down the street even though I can take it anywhere since the maintenance is the same as the ICE version as is all the suggested maintenance. That will be in a couple months so we'll see what happens.

The extended warranty that I added is specifically good at all Toyota dealerships so it is their problem and not mine.

Denver,

What exactly is the routine maintenance...ie. assuming I'm good for the first year or two....are they just rotating tires
and checking liquids. I presume they have the ability to top off the coolant?

Denver...have you taken your RAV to a non-RAV dealer? What have they done? What have they said?
Issues?

Thanks for all your help..

This sounds like a great car and quite frankly getting guts of a car that's nearly the base model Model S
for 31k (after 10k Toyota rebate, 7,500 fed tax credit, and 3,500 Pennsylvania Tax Credit)....just can't
hardly refuse.

Other question? They're trying to sell me extended service 75k, 8 yr package at San Diego dealer.. Is this
a waste of money, if Toyota isn't going to service it here in Lancaster, PA anyway?

Thanks for all your help and expertise out there....
We gotta keep pushing the big boys to do the right thing and adopt EV technology...

I'm interested in your questions...but either way...I'm going for it!
Lancaster, PA

For what its worth, I've spoken to a service manager at an NJ dealership regarding the issue of servicing the car. Officially, they aren't allowed to touch it for the reasons Dsinned outlined.
However, the service techs have watched and have been tested on a training video for the Rav4 EV. The regional service director told him there is a good chance the car will come out east. Just a matter of corporate deciding when or whether to take the plunge.

Pennsylvania RAV said:

What exactly is the routine maintenance...ie. assuming I'm good for the first year or two....are they just rotating tires
and checking liquids. I presume they have the ability to top off the coolant?

Denver...have you taken your RAV to a non-RAV dealer? What have they done? What have they said?
Issues?

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I've summarized the scheduled maintenance here:

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=224

Just FYI, the Warranty and Maintenance Guide also states:

To obtain warranty service in the United States, U.S. territories or Canada, take your vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealership. If your vehicle cannot be driven, contact your nearest Toyota dealership for towing assistance. You do not have to pay for towing to the nearest Toyota dealership if your vehicle is inoperable due to failure of a warranted part.
The Toyota RAV4 EV is being offered in limited quantities in certain California markets. While non-powertrain warranty service can be performed by any Toyota dealership, powertrain and high voltage component warranty service must only be performed by an authorized RAV4 EV dealership. Because your electric powertrain warranty service can only be performed by an authorized RAV4 EV dealership, Toyota does not recommend home-basin the vehicle outside the state of California.

Pennsylvania RAV said:

This sounds like a great car and quite frankly getting guts of a car that's nearly the base model Model S
for 31k (after 10k Toyota rebate, 7,500 fed tax credit, and 3,500 Pennsylvania Tax Credit)....just can't
hardly refuse.

Other question? They're trying to sell me extended service 75k, 8 yr package at San Diego dealer.. Is this
a waste of money, if Toyota isn't going to service it here in Lancaster, PA anyway?

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That's $1000 more than CA's rebate ($2500), so definitely one thing going in your favor as an OOS buyer. IMHO, paying only $31k for an EV this good is a STEAL!

I recommend ACTON Toyota in Maine as your best bet for a fair shake on purchasing an extended warranty. I believe what the S.D. dealer is trying to sell you, can be purchased from ACTON for $725 (with a ZERO deductible).