robert broere
Active Member
ny has mine as a suburban as well.but all my friends say .you bought a pick up.
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Is the Trac an SUV or pickup? (DMV problem)
- Thread starter Collin Lyon
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Gypsy me
Well-Known Member
Arizona says my Trac is a SW....station wagon...:wacko: I thougth they just got the wrong spec for it but the lady assured me it was correct... go figure...
Gary Kong
Active Member
Here is the bizarro part of the enforcement end. I was informed to not issue a cite for a Trac (I asked, I own one) if it had non-commercial/non-truck plates if there was a bed cover and the gate up BUT if the bed was open and was carrying so much as a bag of groceries or tools that it was in clear violation as carrying stuff in the bed made it more of a commercial use vehicle. Go figure.
Now, this is probably not the letter or even spirit of the law, but more based on what would hold up in court. I'm a California cop, but in a city so I try to avoid motor vehicle technical violations for the most part, I leave that nitpicking enforcement to the CHP.
IMHO...it is based on the legal theory of...mo money mo money.
Now, this is probably not the letter or even spirit of the law, but more based on what would hold up in court. I'm a California cop, but in a city so I try to avoid motor vehicle technical violations for the most part, I leave that nitpicking enforcement to the CHP.
IMHO...it is based on the legal theory of...mo money mo money.
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Ron Dacher
Active Member
I live in Calif and my 01, which I bought new, is classified as a pickup by the DMV.
David Ponder
Well-Known Member
When I went to register mine I wanted to transfer my existing truck tags for the truck I traded in. the lady told me an explorer had to have car tags. I explained it was a truck, and she asked her supervisor, who told her "Oh yes, Sport Tracs have to have truck tags"
This is in Missouri.
This is in Missouri.
ray moyer
Well-Known Member
on the ford site its a SUV... mine is registered as an SUV in TN
Jeffrey Travis
Well-Known Member
It's a truck only because I do not drive an SUV and also because it is a truck, and that should not be considered commercial, unless you plan on using it to run your small (or large) company except on Tuesdays when you have to drive granny to the doctor.
How does 'Hot Wheels' classify it?
How does 'Hot Wheels' classify it?
Gary DiPietroSr
Well-Known Member
In CT I have car plates because the dealer said it had a tonneau cover. Works for me.
Teri Reed
Member
When I lived in California I had an S-10 and they tried to pull that crap with me. Don't remember exactly what I said that ended the controversy but they did end up changing their mind. Probably just persistence but you should escalate it with them.
Eltee is right about it being a money issue.
Eltee is right about it being a money issue.
The thing that gets me is that it is classified as a COMMERCIAL vehicle, not at a Pick-up. There is a difference.
In Ohio, my trailer can be registered two different ways. Commercial or non-commercial.
If I were to use my trailer to make money, more than I would if I hauled scrap for pocket cash..in other words for business use, I have to register it as a commercial trailer.
For personal use, it is non-commercial.
The same should be for a pick-up. If it is used to haul around a sheet of plywood from Home Depot for my hobbies or home inprovment, there is no reason why I should have to register it like a construction company or plumber would.
In the end, it is about money and control. By charging you more than they should, the state dictates what you can and can't drive. They make more money and never gie you anything in return and take away the right a man or woman has to drive what he or she wants to drive.
Tom
In Ohio, my trailer can be registered two different ways. Commercial or non-commercial.
If I were to use my trailer to make money, more than I would if I hauled scrap for pocket cash..in other words for business use, I have to register it as a commercial trailer.
For personal use, it is non-commercial.
The same should be for a pick-up. If it is used to haul around a sheet of plywood from Home Depot for my hobbies or home inprovment, there is no reason why I should have to register it like a construction company or plumber would.
In the end, it is about money and control. By charging you more than they should, the state dictates what you can and can't drive. They make more money and never gie you anything in return and take away the right a man or woman has to drive what he or she wants to drive.
Tom
Chris Petrilla
Active Member
When I lived in California, the DMV had it classified as a truck with commercial plates.
In Utah, it was a truck with personal plates.
Now, in Texas, it is classified as an SUV. But, I have seen other ST's with commercial plates.
Go figure.
Chris
In Utah, it was a truck with personal plates.
Now, in Texas, it is classified as an SUV. But, I have seen other ST's with commercial plates.
Go figure.
Chris
Andy Chase
Well-Known Member
This is why I'm glad I live in MN where a license plate is a license plate. Unless you buy the more expensive wildilfe plates, hunting and non game. I've got one on my F-150 and the other on my ST.
Rich Lacilla
Member
I live in CT and have passenger plates. The dealer told me as long as it had 4 doors and a back seat it could be registered with car plates. Also, my ST had no tonneau cover when I bought it.
Joe B 4
Active Member
I got rid of my big Dodge Mega Cab for this reason($280 weight fee) and was advised by local DMV that if the back had a cover it would be a "passenger car". I will have to follow up as I do not want to be paying for a commercial truck plate if I am not making money using it. Sounds like a class action suit could be in store for CA as if they are classifying every truck as commercial, they are raking in the green. Too think, with schemes like this we are still in a deficit.
Thomas Rogers
Well-Known Member
Rich L from CT said:
Technically, I suspect that advice is generally wrong.
What about a large utility truck with crew-cab like used by construction and highway workers? Those have 4 doors and a back seat, but also often a monster utility box. They would qualify with the dealer stated criteria, but I am sure they couldn't be registered as a car.
TJR
The dealer told me as long as it had 4 doors and a back seat it could be registered with car plates.
Technically, I suspect that advice is generally wrong.
What about a large utility truck with crew-cab like used by construction and highway workers? Those have 4 doors and a back seat, but also often a monster utility box. They would qualify with the dealer stated criteria, but I am sure they couldn't be registered as a car.
TJR
They would qualify with the dealer stated criteria, but I am sure they couldn't be registered as a car.
if it is used for personal use, then it could. you can not compare something that is used in contruction as a private vehicle.
Your comment is moot.
Tom
Robin Cox
Active Member
Move to North Carolina. Regular car and truck plates are the same. Ford has mentioned the ST as the first SUT. On their web site as most everyone knows, it is and SUV. Just watch out for blue lights in Virginia.......
Thomas Rogers
Well-Known Member
Caymen,
I guess my point was a subtle one so I will restate.
My point, and it is not moot, was to correct the notion that there is a state in which if one has a vehicle that has 4 doors and a rear seat it can always, under no uncertain terms, be registered as a car. That's simply not the case. I am sure I can show ample examples of vehicles that fit that criteria that cannot be registered as a car regardless the state.
You go on to say that one "cannot compare something that is used in construction as a private vehicle." That, my friend, is moot. Because the claim that was made gave no distinction. It only said, and I quote:
Again, that's simply not true in all cases matching the criteria given. I gave one such case, you say it isn't a fair one, but it certainly meets the simple criteria clearly given.
TJR
I guess my point was a subtle one so I will restate.
My point, and it is not moot, was to correct the notion that there is a state in which if one has a vehicle that has 4 doors and a rear seat it can always, under no uncertain terms, be registered as a car. That's simply not the case. I am sure I can show ample examples of vehicles that fit that criteria that cannot be registered as a car regardless the state.
You go on to say that one "cannot compare something that is used in construction as a private vehicle." That, my friend, is moot. Because the claim that was made gave no distinction. It only said, and I quote:
...as long as it had 4 doors and a back seat it could be registered with car plates
Again, that's simply not true in all cases matching the criteria given. I gave one such case, you say it isn't a fair one, but it certainly meets the simple criteria clearly given.
TJR
...as long as it had 4 doors and a back seat it could be registered with car plates
You missed one imperative word. That word is "COULD". In other words, not always but sometimes.
A quad cab mega truck, used to tow a camper around the USA is not a commercial vehicle. It
be a commercial vehicle if it were used to tow mega campers to and from a factory that makes them. That same vehicle COULD be used as a private vehicle. It doesn't HAVE to be used as a commercial vehicle though some people use them as commercial vehicles.COULD
It COULD be someone that likes to drive the biggest vehicle on the planet. It does not mean that since it was designed as a vehicle that COULD be used a a commercial vehicle MUST be treated as one.
Tom
This same topic was discussed here in 2001 when California started the controversy by recalling many Sport Trac owners registrations saying that the vehicle was not an SUV but was infact a truck and that additional fees applied.
One of the factors was the open bed. It seems that if the bed was empty, it could qualify as an SUV but if you hauled anything in the bed, you could be consideted a truck ans subject to a ticket if the vehicle was registered as an SUV???
ford considers the Sport Trac an SUV, however by definition it is really a 4 door, midsized pickup truck. Here in Texas we can register them either way and can even register them as a Farm vehicle and pay even less for registration, but there are some limitations on highway use.
I would recommend that you register the vehicle the way your state says it should be registered, not the way Ford whould like you to think it is.
...Rich
One of the factors was the open bed. It seems that if the bed was empty, it could qualify as an SUV but if you hauled anything in the bed, you could be consideted a truck ans subject to a ticket if the vehicle was registered as an SUV???
ford considers the Sport Trac an SUV, however by definition it is really a 4 door, midsized pickup truck. Here in Texas we can register them either way and can even register them as a Farm vehicle and pay even less for registration, but there are some limitations on highway use.
I would recommend that you register the vehicle the way your state says it should be registered, not the way Ford whould like you to think it is.
...Rich
