The Ins & Outs of Driving in Mexico Part 6 What to do if your car breaks down in Mexico
This is Part 6 of my 6 Part series on Driving in Mexico. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
What to do if you break down in Mexico
If you plan on bringing your car to Mexico, you should make sure it is in good shape before you come. As with any long car trip, you’ll want to check your tires, change your oil, check fluid levels and filters, etc.
In spite of your best preparations, sometimes things can still go wrong with your car. This does not mean your trip is ruined… here are a few pointers:
If you are on the main highways in Mexico, especially on toll roads and in what are called tourism corridors, areas of interest to tourists, the government sponsors rolling mechanics called the “Angeles Verdes” (Green Angels in English). The Green Angels patrol major highways and stop to help motorists in need. They can help out with minor repairs, or a little gas if you didn’t top up at the last gas station. If your problem is beyond their ability to fix on the road, they can call a tow truck for you. The Green Angels services are free but if you need a tow, the tow operators fees would apply. If you are stranded, you can dial 078 on your cell phone for assistance.
Av. Vallarta in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
A quick note about cell phones: If you plan to travel in Mexico, it’s a good idea to carry a cell phone. Call your provider before you come to Mexico to see if they have international roaming plans, and have them turn it on for you. Once you get to the border, confirm that your international service is working. Another alternative is to pick up a pay as you go phone when you get into Mexico. Just look for one of the ubiquitous Telcel stores in any shopping plaza in the country. They sell the “Plan Amigo” kits with a cheap phone and minutes for about $50USD. I recommend Telcel because they have the most coverage in rural areas and you can buy minutes for them on just about any street corner in the country.
A good mechanic is hard to find anywhere in the world. In Mexico you can walk into a primitive dirt lot and find a mechanical wizard …or not. It’s really hard to tell and looks can be deceiving. If you were helped out by a Green Angel, ask him where you should take your car. If you weren’t, ask around a little… ask where you had lunch, or at the hotel, or at the auto parts store. Once you have your mechanic, ask for a price up front (that’s the same advice I give if you want to take a Taxi, btw). Most people in Mexico are honest and helpful, but there are crooks everywhere and waiting for the mechanic to finish before discussing price is an invitation for the unscrupulous ones to charge whatever their hearts desire. Car repairs are not always straightforward and may end up costing more than the estimate (hence the name: estimate), that doesn’t necessarily make the mechanic a crook. But if you run into someone who gets evasive when you ask about cost up front, you may want to try another mechanic.
Mexican mechanics are pretty good at adapting and jury rigging. That’s why they call it “a la Mexicana,” or Mexican Style. This is good because parts for your car may not be available, or may be very hard to come by. Even if you see a car just like yours driving by, parts may not be interchangeable between American cars and their Mexican counterparts; even if the car is the same make and model,and both may have been built in the same Mexican factory… Strange but true. Your mechanic may suggest some odd solutions, but chances are they will work and get you down the road. Just be careful that his fix doesn’t make any permanent changes that can’t be undone later.
If you have read all six parts of this post, thanks for reading. A lot of what I said may sound alarming; I tried to be a little bit pessimistic for the benefit of the first time driver in Mexico because it is important that you take the time to learn the ropes carefully when driving in Mexico, but once you have a little experience, you’ll find that driving here is no more difficult (a bit more exciting, maybe) than driving at home. Just remember to do as they say in Texas… “Drive Friendly” and you’ll be fine.
Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
I’d like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or remarks.
The Ins & Outs of Driving in Mexico Part 4 Temporary Permission to Bring Your Car into Mexico
This is Part 4 of my 6 part series on Driving in Mexico. To jump to other parts, click here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6
How to Get a Temporary Permission for Your Car in Mexico
Everything I have said up until now is academic if you don’t have a car to drive in Mexico. It is perfectly legal to bring your car into Mexico with you, but you’ll need to get a permit to do so and there are restrictions.
If you come to Mexico by car, you’ll cross the border at one of several border cities such as Laredo, Nogales, or Tijuana. The procedure varies slightly from city to city, but generally you cross the border and make a customs declaration (as necessary), get your tourist visa, your car permission, then on to the checkpoint. Usually, the first 3 items can be done right at the border, in some cases, such as Nuevo Laredo, you need to drive into town to get permissions after clearing customs at the border. Either way once you have your permissions and proceed into the interior of Mexico, you are going to run into a checkpoint.
Getting your car into Mexico takes a little extra effort, but it is well worth it
There is an agreement between Mexico and the United States that allows US citizens (and by default pretty much everyone else) to cross the border and visit Mexico without a visa so long as they go no further than 25 kilometers into the country. At the 26 kilometer mark there is a checkpoint where your documentation is checked. In order to proceed further you will need a tourist visa and vehicle permission. If you don’t have these two items you’ll be sent back to the border to get them. Fortunately neither is hard to come by (as long as you have come prepared).
While at the border, you simply need to present your passport (along with your application and a fee) in order to receive an FM-T tourist visa, which are both generally good for six months. Once you have your Visa, you can get your Vehicle permission. Vehicle permissions are a little trickier, you’ll need the following documentation:
- Temporary Vehicle Importation Application (Available at the border)
- Tourist Visa (The one you just got from immigration)
- Passport
- Drivers License
- Credit Card
- Copy of the vehicle’s title or, if the vehicle is financed, a copy of the letter of credit from the finance company, plus a letter from the finance company authorizing you to take the vehicle to Mexico. You’ll want to contact your finance company well in advance of your trip to get that straightened out… you don’t want to try to figure that out while you are stuck at the border!
- Copies of your visa, passport, driver’s license, credit card and vehicle documentation (there is usually someone there with a copy machine who will make your copies for a small fee)
Take all your paperwork to the vehicle permission representative, who will enter your information into the computer, charge your credit card for the application fee (around $20 US) plus they keep a copy of your credit card as guarantee that you will remove the car from the country when you leave Mexico. Once the paperwork has been processed, the representative will go to your vehicle to confirm the serial number and affix the permission sticker to the inside of your windshield. They will give you the permission documents and you are on your way. The car permission is granted for the same duration as the visa; usually six months. Crossing the border can take from one to many hours depending on where you cross and how busy they are at the time. I usually assume the crossing will take half a day and make my travel plans accordingly. Before you travel, you’ll want to check with your nearest Mexican consulate to confirm these requirements as they may change at any time.
As I mentioned, there are some restrictions. When you leave Mexico, you need to turn in the vehicle permission. If you don’t you may find a charge on your credit card for up to several hundred dollars. This varies depending on the value of the car. Also, you won’t be able to get another permission for future trips until the first permission is canceled. Another thing, Mexican nationals may not drive your car unless you are in it. The only exception being if the person is married to you and they have a marriage certificate to prove it. If a Mexican national is caught driving your car without you in it, the Mexican is likely to end up in jail and your car confiscated… it’s difficult, if not impossible to get your car back in such a case.
Next: Part 5 – What to do if you get into a car accident in Mexico
I’d like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or remarks.
Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6
The Ins & Outs of Driving in Mexico Part 2 The Roads in Mexico
This is part 2 of my 6 part post on Driving in Mexico, Click here for Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
The Roads in Mexico
The other half of the safety equation is the roads themselves. The roads in Mexico are generally pretty good… not great, but serviceable. If it is your first time, you’ll want to stick to the toll roads (autopistas de cuota) as much as you can. They can get a little expensive, but the roads are usually in very good condition with wider shoulders, passing lanes, better grades, less curves, etc. But toll roads don’t go everywhere. When you are on the free road just go easy, there is usually a lot of truck traffic, so be patient and pass when it is safe. The lines on the road are similar to those in the USA; dashed lines mean you can pass, solid means do not pass. You’ll see some roads where the lines are either very faded or non existent, just use some common sense and understand that there is less room for error on Mexican roads. Some roads, like the stretch between Tepic and Puerto Vallarta, are long twisty two lane mountain roads. These roads can definitely try your patience as there are few opportunities to pass and getting stuck behind a truck trying to go up a grade is never fun. In those cases just take a deep breath and relax… the one good thing is many of these roads have fantastic scenery, which makes it easier to enjoy the ride.
The road to Puerto Vallarta has excellent scenery and a canopy of trees you won't want to miss!
Gas stations are not as plentiful as in the USA or Canada, so don’t let yourself go below a quarter tank. If you are not sure where the next gas is, it’s better to top off than to find yourself out f gas in the middle of nowhere. A lot of people travel with GPS’s these days, and GPS data in Mexico is pretty good. But if you still prefer to use a map, then you’ll need a good road atlas. The “Rand McNally” type atlas in Mexico is called Guia Roji. Guia Roji prints map atlases for the entire country as well as city atlases for major cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. These guides are usually available in gas stations (those with a convenience store), book stores and news stands all over the country.
In Part 3, I’ll give some pointers on how to drive in Mexico. Meanwhile, I’d like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or remarks.
Click here for Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
The Ins & Outs of Driving in Mexico Part 1 Is it Safe to Drive in Mexico?
I recently ran across a question on a travel forum from a person asking if it was safe to take a family driving vacation in Mexico. As I was writing my response, it occurred to me that my readers here might find the information useful, so I decided to post a more detailed answer here. It has since grown into a 6 part post covering roads, driving, getting permission to bring your car to Mexico, accidents and breakdowns. I am interested in what you think, please leave a comment if you found this information useful!
Click here for Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
Is it Safe to Drive in Mexico?
I have lived and driven extensively in Mexico for the last 12 years. I have never really felt worried for my personal security. In fact, most people I have met have been friendly and helpful… although some get a little intimidated by foreigners (or at least at the prospect of trying to communicate with foreigners). It helps if you can speak some Spanish.
Driving into Down Town Puerto Vallarta
Mexico has been taking a lot of heat recently because the the “drug war”. These issues are generally centered around border towns and once you get past those towns it is largely a non issue. There are no gangs of ‘banditos’ roaming the countryside looking for wayward gringos (unless you include timeshare salesmen 
). I remember someone saying of Las Vegas in the 50′s and 60′s, “No one got shot who didn’t deserve it.” I’m not condoning the violence, I’m just saying that as a disinterested 3rd party your chances of getting involved in some sort of violence while passing through a border town in Mexico are next to nil. When visiting the interior of Mexico, you will find many amazing places like Puerto Vallarta, Guanajuato, Morelia, Guadalajara, Mascota… way too many places to list here… which will more than make up for the perceived risk of coming to Mexico.
In large metropolitan areas like Mexico City there are areas you probably don’t want to go, as is the case in any big city. If you are staying in places like that, use common sense and stay at a decent hotel (which should keep you in a decent part of town). Use the same rules you’d use when visiting New York City or Detroit.
Next up in Part 2 – The Roads in Mexico. Meanwhile, I’d like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or remarks.
