What are the impacts of car registration under someone else's name?

[LeBrantley]

Car registration under someone else's name violates the law. More information about this practice is as follows: Risks: If the current vehicle owner commits a hit-and-run, traffic police will not investigate the current owner's responsibility but will attribute it to the original owner; the original owner will have to bear medical expenses, nursing costs, and other compensations; in severe cases, they may also face legal liabilities; if there are traffic violations, the original owner will be held responsible for the violations; in first-tier cities, the original owner cannot purchase a new car or obtain a license plate. Definition: 'Registration under someone else's name' refers to the practice where locals profit by leasing their ID cards to non-locals for use, making it their occupation.

[DiDaniella]

I once helped a relative by registering a car under my name. Later, he defaulted on the car loan, and the bank kept chasing me for repayment, completely ruining my credit record. The worst part was when the car got into an accident, and the victim directly sued me in court because the vehicle registration was under my name. At the time, I ended up paying over 20,000 yuan just in lawyer fees, and the court ruled that I was jointly liable, freezing my salary card for half a year. Looking back now, I really regret it—no matter how close someone is, you should never agree to register a car under your name. Legally, the registered owner is considered the vehicle's owner, and you can't escape liability for anything that happens, facing financial loss at best or even jail time at worst.

[Hadley]

Buying a car under someone else's name might seem like a hassle-free way to avoid license plate lotteries, but it's actually full of hidden risks. A friend of mine bought a cheap car under someone else's name two years ago, only to have it impounded by traffic police after three months. Turns out the original owner had defaulted on a large auto loan, and the finance company filed for asset preservation. Not only did my friend lose both the money and the car, but he also got dragged into legal battles. What's worse, the car racked up 62 traffic violations, all recorded under the original owner's license. Every time he needed to settle a violation, he had to beg the owner to take time off work and visit the traffic office—they nearly came to blows over it. Honestly, driving a car registered under someone else's name is like driving with a ticking time bomb—you never know when it'll blow up.

[DeKyle]

Using a 'beihu' car (a car registered under someone else's name) in daily life is particularly troublesome. Once, my car was rear-ended, and the insurance company insisted that the registered owner be present for the claim. When I tried to contact the original owner, they were on vacation abroad, delaying the process for over twenty days. After finally settling the claim and going to the repair shop, the 4S store said they couldn't process direct insurance payment, forcing me to pay 8,000 yuan out of pocket. Even routine tasks like annual vehicle inspections require the original owner's ID card, meaning I have to take half a day off every month just to get the documents. The situation gets even worse when dealing with used car transfers. Last time, during the transfer process, the original owner suddenly demanded 5,000 yuan as a 'benefit fee,' which was incredibly frustrating.

[SiennaDella]

Now that the personal credit reporting system is interconnected, the risks of being a 'ghost owner' have significantly increased. Last year, a drunk driver who was using a car registered under my name fled the scene after causing an accident, and the case was directly linked to my credit record, resulting in a 15% increase in my mortgage interest rate. Later, the same car accumulated over six thousand yuan in unpaid parking fees, and when the property management company filed a lawsuit, I was also listed as a defendant. The most frustrating part was when I applied for a talent apartment last year, the system flagged an unresolved lawsuit and directly rejected my application. These hidden costs are far more terrifying than imagined. At the time, I thought I was saving thirty thousand yuan on a license plate, but now the losses have already exceeded one hundred thousand yuan.

[DelJessica]

Especially in cities with purchase restrictions, the risks associated with using a proxy car owner increase exponentially. A colleague of mine found that the proxy owner suddenly went missing, and the vehicle was automatically locked after its annual inspection expired. Only after visiting the vehicle management office did he realize that the registered owner needed to verify their identity via facial recognition. In the end, the car had to be scrapped. Even worse, due to tightened policies last year, it was discovered that he had an un-scrapped vehicle under his name, resulting in a three-year disqualification from the license plate lottery. Now, he has to squeeze onto the subway every time he goes out. Honestly, policy risks are the most uncontrollable. Many people who took advantage of cheap proxy ownership back then are now regretting it.