BALTIMORE, Md. — Another Maryland driver has received a refund after discovering he paid too much to register his car because of an incorrect weight classification. But like other drivers we've interviewed, he's questioning whether he'll get back the money he overpaid in previous years.
Bruce Reynolds drives a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. After seeing WMAR-2 News' reports about drivers whose vehicle weights didn't match manufacturer records, he decided to check his own.
"No, it's not something that normally crosses my mind," Reynolds told WMAR-2 News' Mallory Sofastaii when asked whether he'd ever thought to question his vehicle's weight class.
MORE COVERAGE: Another Maryland driver gets refund after being overcharged for vehicle registration
Reynolds compared the information he found online with his Maryland vehicle documents and noticed something didn't add up.
Volkswagen confirmed to WMAR-2 News that the manufacturer's shipping weight for his vehicle is 2,847 pounds. But his Maryland registration listed the Jetta in the more-than-3,700-pound weight class.
Under Maryland's current registration fee schedule, that's a difference of $71 per year, or $142 for Reynolds' two-year renewal.
And the incorrect weight wasn't new.
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration confirmed the weight originally came from VINtelligence in 2023. VINtelligence is a third-party system the agency uses to obtain vehicle information.
Reynolds has since received a $142 refund, along with an updated title and registration card.
But he still has questions about the earlier years.
"Do you expect to be refunded back to 2023?" Sofastaii asked.
"It would be nice, but there's no telling," Reynolds replied.
Reynolds isn't the first driver to question how far back the MVA will issue refunds.
Our investigation began after Maryland driver Meghan Parker discovered the weight class on her Subaru Outback had changed, increasing her registration fees. After questioning the classification, MVA corrected her record and issued an $82 refund.
Another driver, Alice Hatcher, discovered her Hyundai Elantra was listed in the highest weight class, even though Hyundai confirmed its manufacturer's shipping weight was just 2,976 pounds.
RELATED: Maryland drivers got registration refunds. Now MVA is looking for others who overpaid
MVA told WMAR-2 News that Hatcher's weight originally came from VINtelligence when her vehicle was titled in Maryland in 2022. The higher weight remained on her record when Maryland implemented new weight classifications in 2024.
Hatcher received a $71 refund, but only for her most recent registration.
In an August 26 email shared with WMAR-2 News, an MVA employee told Hatcher:
"The executive team has only authorized the weight change for current renewals not the previous ones. This is for everyone. Hopefully, in the future they will review this matter again."
WMAR-2 News asked MVA whether that policy has changed, how many customers have requested refunds, how many have received them and the total amount refunded so far.
The MVA said it is still considering how to address incorrect payments.
"As part of this review, the MVA is independently verifying information provided by the vendor and evaluating its options to address any incorrect payments," the agency said in an October 14 statement. "MVA will continue to issue refunds for active registrations that were charged incorrectly."
Following our reporting, MVA confirmed it was proactively reviewing vehicle records to identify inaccurate weights and customers who may be owed refunds, rather than relying solely on drivers to report potential errors.
The agency is working with Mobility Global, the company behind VINtelligence, to review the accuracy of vehicle weight information used to determine registration fees.
MVA previously expected its review to be completed by the end of October. Now, the agency says the process will take longer.
"Given the depth and scope of our ongoing review, we anticipate findings will take several additional weeks," MVA said.
The agency says it plans to release its findings once the review is complete and affected customers have been notified.
MORE: MVA reviewing vehicle weight data as more drivers could be owed registration refunds
The issue has also drawn attention from state lawmakers. Sen. J.B. Jennings previously questioned MVA about the accuracy of its weight data and whether other drivers could be owed refunds.
Sen. Shelly Hettleman, Senate chair of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, also confirmed that the Office of Legislative Audits is aware of the issue and looking into it as part of its regularly scheduled audit of MVA.
Maryland bases passenger vehicle registration fees on manufacturer's shipping weight, which isn't necessarily the same as curb weight or gross vehicle weight rating.
That distinction matters because the shipping weight can be difficult for drivers to find. It may not appear on the sticker inside the driver's door or in the owner's manual.
The manufacturer's certificate or statement of origin is generally the most reliable source, according to MVA. Drivers can also contact their vehicle's manufacturer with the VIN to request the manufacturer's shipping weight.
If the weight on your Maryland registration doesn't match the manufacturer's information, MVA encourages drivers to contact the agency through its Contact MVA platform to request a review.
Reynolds says checking is worth the effort.
"I would suggest everybody look into it. You know, it can't hurt if they're right. And it can hurt if it's wrong. Everybody's struggling nowadays, so anything you can get back is a help," he said.
Think you've been affected? You can also fill out WMAR-2 News' Matter for Mallory form to share your experience as we continue investigating vehicle registration fees and refunds.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.