Tijuana - Post Report Question and Answers

10,000 American cars per year are stolen in and around Tijuana each year. Get good insurance. You can take time off and take your car across the border for service. Be sure your car has high clearance and good shocks. Lots of potholes, unmarked speed bumps, and bad roads. Jeeps are great or other sturdy vehicles - Oct 2024

Carjackings are not really an issue for people who do not go to the worst parts of Tijuana (a USDH never would have any reason to go there). People at the Consulate have everything, from large SUVs to luxury sports cars, and in my neighborhood I have seen rich locals with Aston Martins, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, etc. Overall, I do recommend something with decent ground clearance for the rare occasion when the streets flood, and because speed bumps and potholes can be unpredictably worse than one may expect. There is no restriction that post nor the host Government places on types of vehicles though, so feel free to bring whatever suits your fancy. As a note, diplomatically accredited staff may be asked to keep their vehicles registered in the US, due to what seems to be a complicated local registration process. My recommendation would be to drive to post so that one can arrive with a car that can be used right away, then apply for diplomatic plates after one arrives. The advantage to having diplomatic plates is that one can then stop paying registration fees in the US until one needs to re-register in the US (which may save hundreds to thousands of dollars over a three-year tour). Some binational insurance policies in Mexico may also require that one has Mexican diplomatic plates. If you arrive from an overseas post with a car that has never been registered in the US or is not currently registered in the US, it may be recommended that you register your car in California (note: it's my understanding registering in CA could cause a sales tax issue). One should also note however if the car is financed through a bank then the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) will accept a notarized letter from the bank without requiring the title. I have also heard that it has been said that it will not make a difference with CBP nor Mexican authorities if you have dip plates or do not. In my experience, this is not true, as all of my other colleagues with US plates were pulled over at least once during their tour while I was never stopped. CBP recognizes that the plates are diplomatic and generally ask fewer questions (I know this because I started with California plates), and similarly with Mexican customs, they tried several times to pull me over until I had dip plates, but then never again. New cars sold in the US with warranties are still valid in North America and therefore one can have a new car serviced in San Diego under warranty. As a note: leased vehicles, however, cannot be taken outside of the US. - Apr 2023