Who has taken their 4Runner to Mexico?

My wife and I are planning on taking a trip to visit family in Mexico for Christmas 2009 and I was wondering if anybody had any experience getting permission from Toyota Motor Credit to take their truck into Mexico. Mexico requires permission from the finace company to temporaraly import a financed vehicle. I'm sure Toyota Motor Credit will require me to buy a comperable full coverage insurance policy that is valid in Mexico, but I want to know if I will need anything beyond that. Or will they flat out deny me.

I was looking for an older SUV I could pay cash for to take but I would rather make the long drive in my 4Runner since I bought it to use it on adventures.

wazzuFreddo said:

My wife and I are planning on taking a trip to visit family in Mexico for Christmas 2009 and I was wondering if anybody had any experience getting permission from Toyota Motor Credit to take their truck into Mexico. Mexico requires permission from the finace company to temporaraly import a financed vehicle. I'm sure Toyota Motor Credit will require me to buy a comperable full coverage insurance policy that is valid in Mexico, but I want to know if I will need anything beyond that. Or will they flat out deny me.

I was looking for an older SUV I could pay cash for to take but I would rather make the long drive in my 4Runner since I bought it to use it on adventures.

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As long as you purchase insurance to cover you in Mexico you should be fine. Toyota Motor Credit should be able to provide you with references and if not contact your own carrier for either coverage in Mexico or referral to someone who will. If you are a member of AAA you might also contact them to find out what options they offer to their members. Your own and many policies include coverage 50 miles beyond the boarder of Mexico, NEVER exclusively rely on this!!!

You might also think about ways to protect you 4Runner while in Mexico.

Do you have wheel locks on your wheels? Would not want to come out some morning to find your 4Runner missing all it's wheels and tires.
What about the spare tire? Might want to protect that as well.
Speaking of the undercarriage what about protecting the cat converter from being stolen?

Sad that one has to think like this but a new 4Runner with USA tags in a foreign country has "Steal Me" written all over it.

Don't make the mistake of taking any firearm or any Ammo. into Mexico.

Below is a link to the insurance company I use for Mexico insurance.

http://www.mexadventure.com/

This site has a lot of general information and is a broker for many of the best (legitimate) insurance companies in Mexico. Read through the info pages and then check your insurance options and quotes carefully, there are some pretty important differences.

A few things I understand...

• Depending on how far you travel into Mexico, your US insurance may cover your vehicle, but YOU MUST HAVE MEXICAN LIABILITY.
• Mexico law requires you to have Mexican liability insurance. If you don't and you have an accident...enjoy your time in Mexican jail.
• Most auto credit companies only require insurance, but I think GM is a little stricter on this... check with your lender and also the insurance broker.
• You should not need a temporary import on the vehicle.. more info on that at the site listed.
• Check the policy quote carefully. Most Mexican insurance does not cover partial loss or vandalism. This means that you will only be covered if the vehicle is stolen, and no coverage if it is simply vandalized (broken window, scratched, etc)
• Check the repair coverage. Can you return the vehicle to the US for repairs? What is the value of the coverage? Some offer very low (unreasonable) hourly labor rates and others cover full US labor rates.
• Get as much liability coverage as possible.
• In most cases, loss value is for the "book value" of the vehicle and not replacement. It also will not cover additional loss for added modifications and accessories. However, do your research as a few polices let you add value to cover heavily modified vehicles.

I also choose to add some other options to my policy. For a small additional fee, you can add travel assistance to your coverage. check out some of the coverage...

Medical Evacuation & Medical Assistance: - Air and Land Ambulance coverage due to grave illness or injury - Plane tickets home for the travel group in the event that the driver suffers grave illness or injury - Round trip plane ticket for a companion to visit the insured in the event of grave illness or injury Trip Interruption - Plane tickets home in the event that you are stranded in Mexico - In the event that your vehicle is stolen or is not drivable - In the event that the driver of the vehicle suffers grave illness or injury. Roadside Assistance: - Towing of your vehicle to nearest repair shop - Locksmith, fuel, flat tire, and jumpstart services - Rental Car in the event that the insured vehicle is not drivable Legal Assistance and Bail Bond - Assistance and defense for car accidents and non-vehicle related accidents - Assistance in the event of robbery, assault, or violation 24/7 Assistance Hotline and Case Monitoring


This is of course just a quick list of some of what I've come to understand. There wasn't a lot of reliable information out there when I made my first trip so I tend to research a lot. I encourage you to do the same and yes, I do recommend Adventure Mexican Insurance as a broker.

Have a great trip, be safe.

I guess I'll just write to the lender and ask them what they need me to buy as far as limits are concerned before they'll send me an approval.

I'm not too worried about theft since it will get parked behind a locked gate every night at my in-laws house. Going to add on the factory alarm before I go though.

My father in law has done the trip a bunch of times in his van, but then again, he grew up there. I should also get a second spare, since this is what happened last time. Changing a tire on the side of a Mexican highway at 5:30 in the morning is exciting :bash:

Dude, don't drive ANY vehicle into that country! Rent a car and pay for the extra insurance. They will strip your vehicle the minute you turn your back! I do agree with others that you should be fine with the addition of the Mexico rider on your policy. My friends used to drive from SoCal into Mexico and they never had a problem. The border patrol will not stop you going in anyways.
P.S. Carry a gun...a big one.

I've driven my 4Runner into Mexico twice & my T100 P/U once, but only to the outskirts of Tijuana in the villages (I was down there doing work with a charity).

I always buy my Mexico insurance from AAA. Back when my 4Runner was being financed by a local credit Union the AAA rep just suggested I inform the credit union of my plans to take the vehicle into Mexico though I never informed the credit union, nor did anyone else that was in my group that I'm aware of.

As far as driving in Mexico goes, again I've only traveled in and around Tijuana and into some of the smaller villages therein. DO NOT bring a firearm! Don't make your vehicle look too American. My trucks have CB radio's, Sirrius satellite receivers. First thing I do when I get parked is to hide all that stuff.

Don't wash your T4R for a couple of weeks before your go, it's better if it looks a little "weathered". As was mentioned previously add wheel locks, secure your spare, when I'm down there it's generally to assist with a home building or improvement so I make sure to park within sight of where I'll be working.

Tinted windows are illegal in Mexico and at least in and around Tijuana the Federales are really looking for it. That having been said both of my Toy's have light tint on their side windows, I've driven both down there in the past 12 months and have had no problems. Also talking on a cell phone is outlawed, I don't know if headsets are allowed, navigating Tijuana is a white-knuckle experience for me and my phone generally doesn't work until I'm in-line to come back into the US.

Limit the amount of cash you carry on your person; don't carry a wallet, rather carry DL, insurance info and some cash (small bills) in a pocket. I've never had to pay a bribe but know of people in the group I volunteer with who have.

Carry whatever you need to keep you and anyone else you're traveling with running. Buy gas before you cross into Mexico. I don't carry extra gas (again, I don't drive that far into the country). I also make sure my spare tire is in good shape, jumper cables, standard fluids, etc. like you would carry for any road trip.

All that having been said I've never had a problem with corrupt Federalies or theft, in fact I've found the people to be very friendly and accommodating.

Have fun!

--Kevin