Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

lwmosher

Mar 7, 2011, 9:42 PM

Post #1 of 10 (4930 views)

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Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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My Toyota Highlander Hybrid with Minnesota plates and a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit needs major ($7,000) hybrid system repairs in Queretaro and Toyota USA says that the warranty will only be honored in the US. I have HDI Seguros insurance.

Two questions:

1. Will the insurance company pay to haul the vehicle to Laredo (the nearest Toyota dealer in the US)?

2. Do I have to go with the car so it may be legally removed from Mexico to preserve my right to the Temporary Vehicle import Permit? (I understand that someone needs to check the vehicle out of Mexico or I will have problems in the future with a vehicle in Mexico.) I wonder if the towing company can deal with canceling the import permit if I am not there.

BEST ANSWERS SO FAR:
1. There is a $300 maximum on towing benefit. The estimated cost of a carrier to the border is about $1,000 before the $300 is deducted. That gets you to the border. Then you have to pay about $350 more for a US towing company to cross the border to Nuevo Laredo and get the vehicle out of Mexico and into the US. The biggest charge is for all the waiting time, estimated at 3 hours (perhaps even an x-ray of the vehicle according to the US towing service).

2. The owner and the title need to be present to show that the vehicle is not stolen and that it is legally leaving Mexico and legally entering the US. Apparently there is the possibility of having a power of attorney in favor of the person in possession of the vehicle if you want to run the risk of having the power of attorney challenged. The rules regarding the Temporary Vehicle Import Permit have apparently been changed so that if you are properly registered with Banjercito and you have a continuously effective FM3 you may come and go across the border without having to cancel the permit and reinstate the permit every 6 months or every time you leave Mexico.

(This post was edited by lwmosher on Mar 9, 2011, 4:45 PM)

sparks

Mar 8, 2011, 5:40 AM

Post #2 of 10 (4912 views)

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Re: [lwmosher] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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Don't know what kind of "professional" towing company you'll find ... but I sure wouldn't trust them to deal with legalities at the border. And can your 'pros' even cross the border without you ... or without switching tow companies

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playaboy

Mar 14, 2011, 8:22 AM

Post #3 of 10 (4749 views)

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Re: [lwmosher] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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My Mom and Dad had a Mini Cooper hauled by a professional car transport company from Oaxaca to Los Angeles CA. It turned out to be a costly nightmare with a huge delay in receiving the car. Sad to say that the only way to be sure to get the truck to the Toyota dealer in the States is to accompanying it all the way. Stay with you truck.

Maybe you should talk to Robt65. He has a pickup truck, lives in the area, and offers a moving service. He can put it on a trailer and pull it up there with you. I don't know how much he charges but you could ask him.

There is not going to be an inexpensive way to get the truck to the States.

gene089

Mar 14, 2011, 7:07 PM

Post #4 of 10 (4692 views)

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Re: [lwmosher] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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Twenty five years ago, I had a Honda bust a rubber overhead cam belt at 60 mph outside of Zacatecas and the car quit. A friendly gentleman from Guadalajara stopped and picked me and my wife up and took us into Zacatecas to a hotel and called a wrecker for us. Our Spanish was practically nil and he helped immensely. I tried to pay him for his help but he refused. The wrecker towed the car in to a shop in Zacatecas and the mechanic told me the valves were bent and he could not fix it. He arranged a flat bed truck to truck the can in to N.L. for $500, where the truck driver helped arrange for a N.L. wrecker to haul the car in to Laredo to the Honda dealer. Mexican Customs were not interested in the export of the vehicle and U.S. Customs were not either as long as we were not smuggling anything and we were not. I believe they felt sorry for our situation and waved us through. The temporary permit had most of the 6 months remaining so taking the car out was legal and we later went back to finish our rudely interupted vacation with the same temporary permit. Nothing $800 couldn't fix.

dongringo_catemaco

Mar 19, 2011, 2:42 PM

Post #5 of 10 (4557 views)

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Re: [lwmosher] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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Twice in the last 4 years, I crossed the border in Matamoros, and had my driver hand in the vehicle docs without any reference to my visa . I think the docs have nothing to do with the person, just the vehicle. I may be wrong, though, in other locales.
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RickS

Mar 19, 2011, 7:30 PM

Post #6 of 10 (4538 views)

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Re: [dongringo_catemaco] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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If by 'docs' you mean the temporary vehicle importation documentation, they have everything to do with the person. My experience is that the officials at the border crossings where I have crossed are just more focused on taking pictures of the VIN#, ascertaining that the papers you hand them match the computer records, and then removing the sticker from the vehicle. I've never been asked to 'prove' I was the person who actually imported the vehicle. YMMV

dongringo_catemaco

Mar 19, 2011, 8:07 PM

Post #7 of 10 (4531 views)

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Re: [RickS] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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so what are you saying? Do the docs or the person matter?
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Rolly

Mar 19, 2011, 8:19 PM

Post #8 of 10 (4528 views)

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Re: [dongringo_catemaco] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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"they have everything to do with the person." I think Rick meant to say nothing to do with the person.. . Because that would be correct. The permit holder does not have to be present to turn it in.

Rolly Pirate

dongringo_catemaco

Mar 19, 2011, 9:06 PM

Post #9 of 10 (4516 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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so are we all clear on this now?
the car and its paper work matter
Mexican customs could care less who is the person exporting the car.

(This post was edited by dongringo_catemaco on Mar 19, 2011, 9:08 PM)

Rolly

Mar 19, 2011, 9:16 PM

Post #10 of 10 (4508 views)

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Re: [dongringo_catemaco] Hauling Car with US Plates To Laredo for Repairs

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Es verdad.

Rolly Pirate