ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland drivers have already received refunds after discovering the weight listed for their vehicles caused them to pay too much in registration fees. Now, the state is looking for others who may have been affected.
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration confirmed to WMAR-2 News' Mallory Sofastaii that it is proactively reviewing vehicle records to identify inaccurate weights and customers who may be owed refunds. The review comes after our Matter for Mallory reporting first uncovered drivers who had been overcharged and raised questions about how widespread the issue could be.
The agency expects to complete its review by the end of October. It is working with Mobility Global, the company behind VINtelligence, a third-party system MVA uses for vehicle weight information.
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And the issue is getting another layer of scrutiny.
“[The Office of Legislative Audits] OLA is in the middle of their regularly scheduled audit of MVA, they are aware of this issue and are looking into it,” said Sen. Shelly Hettleman, Senate chair of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee.
It is not yet clear how extensively the vehicle-weight issue will factor into that audit or when OLA will release its findings.
Tag and title businesses taking a closer look
The businesses that process vehicle title and registration transactions every day are also paying closer attention.
Beth Caro, executive director of the Maryland Vehicle Titling Association, said the association's board is advising members to take a closer look at vehicle weights and the information used during registration transactions.
“Just pause, pay attention a little bit more, and if there's a question or if that customer has a question, let's go to some really good resources where we know that that information is coming from the manufacturer is accurate,” Caro said.
Caro said her members regularly encounter information that needs to be corrected during transactions, though those issues are not limited to vehicle weight.
“Based on speaking with our members, what they're seeing, what they're also being questioned or asked by customers coming in — it's usually maybe a 1 out of 10 that there's something like that needs to be corrected,” Caro said. “And I say something like that because it's not always just the weight.”
Finding the right weight isn't easy
Maryland bases passenger vehicle registration fees on a vehicle's manufacturer's shipping weight, with heavier vehicles paying more.
But independently verifying that number can be difficult.
Caro showed WMAR-2 News some of the tools available to tag and title businesses and consumers, including resources available through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, or NMVTIS.
Most of the reports we found require a purchase. The free resource we checked did not provide manufacturer's shipping weight. Even the system Caro uses displayed curb weight, a different measurement.
“Yes, so that is going to be different than shipping weight, because you also have, as noted, the fluids, the weight that's added to the vehicle after it comes into port,” Caro said.
The MVA says the most reliable source for manufacturer's shipping weight is the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, but most drivers do not have that document.
The agency has also used VINtelligence to obtain vehicle weight information.
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WMAR-2 News has repeatedly asked Mobility Global about the original source of the shipping-weight data provided through VINtelligence and how that information is verified. The company has not answered those questions.
After we brought Alice Hatcher's case to the company, a spokesperson for Mobility Global said her vehicle's incorrect weight was a “data processing anomaly” that has been corrected.
Drivers have already received refunds
Hatcher is among the drivers who received money back after questioning the weight reflected on their Maryland records.
Her Hyundai Elantra had been listed in the state's highest passenger vehicle weight class of more than 3,700 pounds.
WMAR-2 News provided Hatcher's VIN to Hyundai Motor America, which researched the original Manufacturer's Statement of Origin and confirmed the vehicle's manufacturer's shipping weight is 2,976 pounds — more than 700 pounds below the weight class reflected on her Maryland records.
“I don't have a vehicle that is doing as much damage to the road as a heavier vehicle, so I shouldn't have to pay that price,” Hatcher said.
The MVA corrected Hatcher's record and issued a $71 refund. But the refund covered only her most recent registration, even though the MVA says the higher weight had been on her record since the vehicle was titled in Maryland in 2022.
“It should really be assessed in full, and I would believe that most of our members would be feeling the same way because we're also Maryland residents that pay registration fees as well,” Caro said.
Meghan Parker also received an $82 refund after our initial report found her Subaru had been moved into a higher weight class.
“I have told all my friends and family in the state of Maryland to please check,” Parker said.
READ MORE: Maryland driver questioned her registration fee and ended up getting a refund
State Sen. J.B. Jennings subsequently sent a letter to MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer citing our reporting and asking the agency to conduct a broader review, identify affected motorists and issue refunds where appropriate.
If something doesn’t add up, the MVA says drivers should contact the agency to have their record reviewed and corrected if necessary.
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.