How to make sure the used car you’re buying is ready to hit the road before you shell out cash

HOUSTON – Is the used vehicle you’re buying ready to hit the road?

One Houston police sergeant says many times it’s not, and the person buying it has no idea. In some cases, there could inspection issues or maybe the vehicle is a salvage.

That sergeant says buying a vehicle that’s not as its advertised not only creates issues for the buyer, but also law enforcement officials who could be focusing on more serious crimes. He says that in many cases the issues could be avoided.

Last Thursday, we introduced you to Rafael Perro, who paid cash for tax title and license for this 2009 Subaru Forester from Reliable Cash Cars on Highway 249. He still hasn’t been able to register it a year and a half later, because the DMV said he was missing necessary paperwork.

The sergeant who works the traffic enforcement division saw our story and ran the paper tag the dealer gave Perro. He found out it wasn’t legit, because the vehicle hadn’t been inspected since 2019. Perro bought the vehicle in 2022. To issue a paper plate, the vehicle had to have been inspected within the past 6 months.

The sergeant told us about two websites you check to help make sure your car is up to standard before you buy it.

The first is www.mytxcar.org you can enter the vehicles vin number and review state inspection reports.

The sergeant also identified another growing problem among used car purchasers. Dealers selling salvaged vehicles without disclosing that to the buyer, which is a state-jail felony.  

The second website we want to tell you about is for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. You can visit www.nicb.org/vincheck to find out the vehicles salvage status.

When it comes to the issue of paper tags, the sergeant warns drivers to be extra careful because the use of a fake tags is a misdemeanor that could be applied to both the seller and the person driving the vehicle. A legit tag should have a watermark of the Texas flag, most of the fake ones are just copies.

You can also scan the QR code on the Tag to ensure it come back to the vehicle.

You can also go to the DMV or a police station and have someone run the vin number with the plate number.