CORRECTION: TXDMV & Local Police Departments Seek Victims Of Austin Auto Dealer

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and the Austin Police Department (APD) are asking consumers who purchased a used vehicle from Discount Auto Sales located at 1198 Airport Boulevard or 1124 Airport Boulevard in Austin between January 2014 and April 2016 but never received a title to come forward. Investigators are also interested in consumers who paid taxes in cash at the time of purchase or completed the entire transaction with cash.

Affected consumers should complete a Motor Vehicle Dealer Complaint form, available online at www.txdmv.gov/dealercomplaint or by calling TxDMV at 1-888-368-4689.

Texas law requires auto dealers to file a buyer’s title paperwork with the county within 30 calendar days of the date of sale, or 45 days for seller-financed purchases. There may be more than 200 titles that were not properly transferred by this dealer, and the consumers may not know where to turn for assistance.

TxDMV reminds consumers of two important steps they can take to protect themselves before purchasing a used vehicle:

1. Make Sure the Dealer is Properly Licensed: Texas auto dealers are required to be licensed by the state. Before purchasing, you can search TxDMV’s license database to see if the dealer has a license: www.txdmv.gov/dealerlist.
2. Do a Title Check: With the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and for a small fee, you can obtain a vehicle’s title history to find out if it is salvaged, rebuilt or was damaged in a flood. A Title Check cross references the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, a national consumer protection database that provides title information from states across the country. Title Check is available at www.txdmv.gov/titlecheck.