kdepew

A month or two ago, the Indigo Ink Pearl Scion xA I ordered arrived. However, I had specified they not drill holes in the bumper for the front license plate and told them I wouldn't take the car if they did. The car had the front bumper holes drilled. The Dealer told me they were drilled before the car came into the port.

I posted on this site and everyone said that wasn't true and that the holes were drilled at the dealer. Thus, I went to another dealer and ordered another car. I made it extremely clear I didn't want the license plate holes. They said that was no problem and that the other dealer just messed up. They just called me and told me that the car came in with the holes already drilled. He said they are drilling them at the port.

Several people with Tc's indicated they got their cars w/o the front license plate holes drilled in Texas. Has anyone gotten an xA w/o the holes drilled? Do I have any chance at getting a car w/o the holes drilled? I've had two dealers in a row tell me it wasn't a problem at all to get the car w/o the holes drilled. Both times they didn't deliver. I've waited twice already. I figure I have one more chance since they are going to quit making them soon. I really, really don't want a front license plate bracket, and I don't want to see two holes in the front of my bumper. I know Texas law says you have to have a front license plate, but I'm not going to have one and have been driving my current car for 12 years w/o one and w/o a single problem.

It shouldn't be so hard to get a car w/o the holes drilled. Does anyone know for sure if this is possible? If not, are there any nearby states I could get a car from w/o the front holes drilled?

captainscion

It is a state law that you have a front plate in Texas. However, the dealership is not required to enforce that law. All Scion's arrive at the dealership unpreped. There are a few items on each model that need to be installed before delivery. One of these items is the front plate mounting bracket. It appears that someone at the dealership is not monitoring the delivery status or prep of your ordered vehicle. If you need any help, then PM me.

Mikea

Sounds like you are getting some kind of run around. I have had a few customers request what you have and it was done to there request. However mistakes do happen. Vehicle come into dealerships all hours of the day and night and there is no real way to ensure that it won't happen.

We are a small dealership and the trucks pass in front of us before they pull in. This helps becuase as soon as we see the ordered vehicle we can go back there and tell our delivery deptartment. Unless we tell them when the vehicles are here there is no way for them to remeber what is needed.

kdepew

This is what they told me tonight. They said that all Scion xAs are now coming from the port with the license plate bracket installed. He said he looked at the car before they pulled it off of the truck and it already had it installed. He said that none of the Scion Tc's or xB's come with the license plate bracket installed but the xA's must be coming that way. I did look around the dealership and was surprised to see xB's and Tc's w/o the front license plate brackets. All of the xA's did have them. Maybe they aren't installing the brackets until someone buys the car. The other dealer had license plate brackets on all of their cars on the lot.

That is pretty much the same thing my first dealer told me. The first dealer said they started putting the license plate brackets on BEFORE they come into port because the xA's bumper is easy to crack when drilling the hole. I know they aren't putting the bracket on before the cars come into port, but I'm now starting to believe they are putting the brackets on at the port when they install the options.

On another note, the "my" xA did look really nice. The foglamps (I know I could have installed them myself) looked really good. The car did have a pretty large maybe 3 inch by 5 inch scuff/light scratch on the corner. It looked like they rubbed something up against it. It was very light though. It showed up well under the dealership lights and wouldn't rub off with my fingers, but it didn't look deep at all and probably would have buffed right out. If I would have taken the car, I would have requested the scratch/scuff be buffed out before I took it. Otherwise, it appeared to be ding free and deep scratch free.

Not sure what my next step is. It is probably stupid, but I really hate front license plates. I really wish Texas would have passed the law removing the requirement for front license plates. Then, I wouldn't have to deal with this. I got lucky on my first new car that the license plate bracket wasn't drilled into the bumper. It screwed in up underneath the top o the front air intake. It removed without leaving any holes.

jonathan110987

so i just got pulled over yesterday cause i didnt have a front plate... just a warning.. i just told him that i hadnt had a chance to take the car in to get the bumper drilled. then he looked at my bumper and then was like u need to get it done.

devilman13

It's a law, no way around it, I got a ticket for it like a year ago. No warning, just a ticket and a Have a nice day crap.

transformerXA

yeah we were in a covoy coming from paris texas, we where on a two lane road and our whole line got pulled over and was giving those without front plates warnings

Madzozs

Is there any chance they'll be like the police around most of NY. If you don't have a front plate drilled in, you can have it sitting on the dash. It's still in the front of the car and visible.

devilman13

It depends on the cop, some say Yes and other No, I've asked a dozen or so, friends and family. They all say the same thing. It's up to the officer.....Which is BS.

gjpjr84

^yup

and when i had mine off i kept it in the back seat. when i got pulled over i just grabbed it and said, it came off earlier and i dont have screw to put it back yet. they just told me "okay be sure to put it back on"

UV7

For those of you who get ticketed for this, here's a possible way around it.
I own an old IROC-Z that has NEVER had a front license plate on it and it is near 20 years old! I have been pulled over and issued tickets for it in the past, but I never wanted to drill the nose in order to install the bracket. I always used the same excuse and was able to get the ticket dismissed every time.
Go to the hardware store and buy a couple of machine screws similar to the ones that would hold the bracket on. Get a receipt. Take the receipt to the court clerk and state that the bracket fell off because of a broken screw. Tell the clerk that you have fixed the problem. They will more than likely dismiss the ticket.

kdepew

I'm amazed you guys are having so much trouble with the police with no front license plate. My 3000GT hasn't had a front license plate since the day I bought it in 1994. I've been stopped for about 4 speeding tickets and maybe 8 times for expired inspection stickers/tags, and the police have never even mentioned my lack of a front license plate.

My wife's 1993 Jeep Wrangler hasn't had a valid front license plate since about 1997. She put on a Texas A&M plate (probably highly illegal since it looked very much like a valid Texas license plate). Police never harassed her about it. One cop did get confused by it since he thought it was real when giving her a speeding ticket. I am surprised he didn't bust her. Someone stole the A&M plate 2 years ago and its been w/o any front plate since then.

At any rate, I don't want holes in the bumper of my xA for a license plate. If at all possible, I'm going to get one without the holes.

UV7

It's really very little trouble considering the fact that both license plate tickets, across a span of several years, were given because the cop who pulled me over couldn't find anything else to write me up for. It happens when you drive through the Willowbrook area in a car that turns 420+ hp at the wheels.
The 1st ticket was the best. The cop that pulled me over was an HPD officer. HPD frequented the Willowbrook area during and shortly after the 249/1960 over/underpass was completed. I was headed eastbound on 1960 (for those that don't know the area, 1960 is 9 lanes wide at Willowbrook, 4 each way, plus the turn lane!). The HPD officer had another car stopped, pulled up into the parking lot on the opposite side of 1960. I saw him long before he saw me. As I was nearing the last light at Willowbrook Mall (the one just prior to Toys R' Us), he obviously heard my Camaro coming up the street. I knew the instant I saw his head whip around to look my direction, that he would be pulling out after me. Make no mistake, I was NOT speeding, racing, or driving eradically in any way. He quickly finished his ticket or whatever he was doing, jumped into his Crown Vic and without lights or siren, sped across all 9 lanes of traffic, through a designated "turn only" crossover and came to a halt within inches of my rear bumper. The light I was stopped at was still red. The light turned green, but before I could even begin to lift the clutch, he turned on the lights. I pulled over into the Toys R' Us parking lot. He quickly jumped out of his car and came to the window. After looking at my driver's license, insurance, and the usual, "Where you comin' from, where you headed?" speech, he began to walk around the car, checking every little detail thoroughly. He even verified that the VIN listed on my insurance matched the VIN stamped on my car. I asked repeatedly, "Why did you pull me over?" No answer. After rounding my car twice, kneeling beside it to check under the car for cats or a cutout, asking me to lift the hood, asking me to open the hatch, etc., he turned and said, "The reason I pulled you over is because you do not have a front license plate." My response was quite sarcastic. "WOW! You could tell that from behind me? Do you have X-Ray vision or is that just a trick you learned at the academy?" Knowing that he had never been directly in front of me enough to judge whether I had, in fact, had a license plate on the front of the car prior to pulling me over, he turned a bit red, I assume from a bit of embarassment. He knew he was full of it and he knew I knew it as well. I smiled, took the ticket, bought my screws, took the receipt to the court and got the ticket dismissed.
...no biggy.

devilman13

Go to the hardware store and buy a couple of machine screws similar to the ones that would hold the bracket on. Get a receipt. Take the receipt to the court clerk and state that the bracket fell off because of a broken screw. Tell the clerk that you have fixed the problem. They will more than likely dismiss the ticket.

Sound great teal the court clerk tales a cop to go, and the cop says, OK Lets go look, and he take a look at your car and sees no holes. What are you goint to say then. By the way this happening to me

UV7

This is why I never go to the court in the same car I am having the issue with. I keep my Camaro as far from courthouses as I possibly can.
I have never had the court clerk give a crap enough to even warrant having a look. Most of the time, they are so busy they couldn't care less.

devilman13

It's hard, to do that if you only have one car. The cops in DFW are punks, so don't drive your camaro up here in the DFW area. Because there just looking for suckers. I not being a dick this is just the truth. Guys if you want to drive around with no front L-Plate, I don't care, but If you get a ticket, don't forget" I TOLD YOU SO!!!"

later

ScionGurlx2

they drilled the holes crooked in my front bumper for the license plate. i had to take it back to the dealership and now they're replacing the whole bumper bc of the crooked holes

konsumer

what dealership?

Celt

In Arkansas they only give you one plate. Could I get a ticket when im in DFW?
There is no helmet law for bikes either but, they do have a seat belt law WEIRD

dpope

This law about front license plates here in Texas has double standards. Like what about the corvettes? I have yet to see one that has a license plate stuck on its nose. Do they get busted for that?