Cars ?

je007 · Dec 2, 2013

so can I buy a used car and drive it here in cancun? I have 180 day card ,guy said I can buy his car and just sighn the papers and drive it. what ? any know whats up. I need transpo! lol

Steve · Dec 3, 2013

As far as I understand you cant register a car if you only have a tourist visa. You can certainly hand over the cash to buy one, but driving it legally is a different matter!

CancunMole · Dec 4, 2013

Marlo said: ↑

Steve is correct. You can buy it but cannot register it. The registered name is the legal owner of the vehicle. They're also the person responsible for accidents -- not like in the US or Canada where the driver is held responsible for an accident. If you buy a car and have an accident, you're in for a world of legal trouble...you both would be.
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We purchased a Mexican plated vehicle while we held FM3's then found out we could not register it in our name as the law had changed. We are lucky enough to have a dear Mexican friend who offered to register it in their name for us. The ownership title is in our name, the registration and insurance policy is in the friend's name. Both my husband, with the title showing his ownership, and our friend went to do the registration with no problems or concerns at the Registry.

je007 · Dec 5, 2013

thanks

I think I will just avoid that whole car situation.

CancunMole · Dec 5, 2013

Marlo said: ↑

Cancunmole, you won't have any problems registering the car with Mexican national -- it's the accident part that can quickly turn one's life into misery. I've been here several years on an FM3 and am still without a car because I refuse to drive a vehicle that is registered to someone else. Even getting pulled over for a standard check or traffic violation can pose problems when the driver's license name does not match the name on the registration.

I know of a few people that have lived temporary nightmares from driving a MX car in someone else's name -- the latest was my Mexican female neighbor, who ended up in jail this past summer over an accident in centro. She ended up being arrested and kept for the night until the registered owner (who lived in D.F.!) was able to fetch her and prove they owned the car and that she had 'permission' to drive it (aka, it wasn't stolen).

She went through horrible verbal treatment as a citizen and ended up paying $4,000 in 'favor fees' -- her husband had to pay $2,000 to bring her food and later, another $2,000 to bring her a futon to sleep on when they found out she was being held for the night. My neighbor also had to agree to pay $1,000 in the standard 'forgiveness' contract. Oh, btw -- the car was registered to her mother.

In my opinion, it's just not worth it.
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Copies of all the paperwork, title showing ownership, registration and insurance coverage are kept in the vehicle at all times.

According to our insurance Agent, there shouldn't be any problems with who may be driving even in case of an accident.

ETA:

<U>

Advantages of a Mexican-Plated Car
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Unlike a foreign-plated vehicle, anyone can drive a Mexican-plated vehicle as long as they have a valid driver’s license and permission, and no extra insurance is required.

You can sell your Mexican-plated vehicle, but a foreign-plated vehicle must leave the country to have the ownership legally transferred.

Although there is a cost for the annual renewal fees, this could be offset by having to maintain insurance and registration costs of keeping a foreign-plated vehicle here in Mexico. (But many foreign plated car owners do not keep them properly registered in the USA or Canada… but that’s another story all together.

If you work in Mexico, you may be able to take the cost of buying a Mexican plated car as a tax deduction again your Mexican income tax if you use the car for your work here in Mexico.

There are warranty issues with some manufacturers, as they will not honor the warranty of a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico. Be sure to check that before you bring your car down.

If you buy a new Mexican plated car that comes with a Warranty you should not have problems with warranty service and you may have trouble getting warranty coverage for a foreign plated car.

Parts may be easier to obtain for a Mexican-plated vehicle

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http://www.chapalaclub.com/2011/06/mexican-plated-car-usa-plated-car/

tristan1749 · Dec 9, 2013

Marlo said: ↑

That's the key word here - should. There shouldn't be any problems -- but there usually are. A 'rule' here is like a Mexican stop sign -- it's merely a suggestion.

As your first cut and past note says, as long as they have a valid driver’s license and permission. The word 'permission' is defined by the officers who stop you.

The information you've provided is from a blog -- it's not from anything officially Mexican (government). Misinformation runs rampant when it comes to expat 'advice'. I personally do not take advice from blogs. I do however, heed to real life facts and experiences. To each their own.
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I sure would never defend the driving habits of Cancun motorists,but, personally, my wife and I have owned and driven 5 or 6 cars in Mexico and never had a single issue over who was driving what car, although stopped numerous times through the years. Sounds to me like the case you cite is a very rare case. Believe me, I've been stopped many times through the years. I've been asked for mordidas, lectured and belittled, but thats about it. I did get one cocky little Rambo in Yucatan who spent 15 minutes showing me who was boss and made me produce everything but my birth certificate. But it ended ok.

Btw, isn't most "advice" on blogs based on "real life facts and experiences"? Anyone would be a fool to merely take blog advice as gospel, but it sure can help to guide us,sometimes. Isn't your story just a "blog anecdote"?

V · Dec 13, 2013

Unlike a foreign-plated vehicle, anyone can drive a Mexican-plated vehicle as long as they have a valid driver’s license and permission, and no extra insurance is required.
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I have no quarrel with this quote but, as a side note and interestingly, my Mexican auto insurance with AXA excludes coverage for any driver who is not a resident of Mexico, meaning my family members and friends would not be covered in the event of an accident if they were driving my Mexican plated car, with or without my permission. I discovered this quirk in the insurance while looking through the policy, after I'd allowed friends and family to drive!

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Cars ?

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