Many Car Owners Delay Registration, Anticipating Reduced Registration Fees
There has been much anticipation surrounding the potential 50% reduction in registration fees for domestically assembled cars. On June 6th, during the 13th National Assembly session, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha announced that the Government would issue a decree to reduce registration fees for domestically produced and assembled cars.
Seizing this opportunity, many car buyers have purchased their vehicles early and are awaiting the official implementation of the reduced registration fees, expecting to save a significant amount of money. However, this decision has also led to some comical situations for these car owners.
Rental Cars for Long-Distance Travel
“I have to rent a self-drive car every time I need to travel long distances or to other provinces,” shared Nguyen Phu Khanh, a Honda CR-V owner from Thai Binh.
Mr. Nguyen Phu Khanh bought the Honda CR-V on June 15th but has not registered it yet. Photo: NVCC.
Mr. Khanh purchased his Honda CR-V on June 15th, and it has been almost two months since then, but the car still does not have an official license plate. Mr. Khanh shared that the Honda CR-V L had a discount of 120 million VND (around 5,000 USD), bringing the price down from 1.159 billion VND (around 48,000 USD) to 1.039 billion VND (around 43,500 USD). “If the 50% reduction in registration fees is applied, which is approximately 60 million VND (around 2,500 USD), I will save a considerable amount,” he said.
Due to the nature of his work, Mr. Khanh sometimes needs to travel long distances. However, as his car is not yet registered, he cannot pass through toll stations or expressways. Therefore, each time he needs to travel far, he has to spend a few million VND renting a self-drive car. When comparing this rental cost to the potential savings of 60 million VND from the reduced registration fee, Mr. Khanh believes that his decision to wait is reasonable.
Mercedes-Benz Owner Concerns About Maintenance
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy’s Mercdes-Benz C200 still without a license plate. Photo: NVCC.
Nguyen Quoc Huy, a Mercedes-Benz C200 owner, shared that he bought his car five months ago but has not registered it yet. He explained, “After purchasing the car, I intended to bid for a license plate, but after two unsuccessful attempts, I decided to wait when I heard about the potential reduction in registration fees.”
During these five months, Mr. Huy has been using a temporary license plate for local travel, but this plate is only valid for a specific route and has a 15-day limit, requiring frequent renewals. However, with his passion for driving, he has already clocked nearly 6,000 kilometers on the car.
Nonetheless, Mr. Huy finds himself in a comical situation. As his car approaches the recommended maintenance milestone suggested by the manufacturer, he realizes that there is no authorized Mercedes-Benz service center in Thai Binh. “I’m worried that without a license plate, it might be challenging to travel to Hanoi for the car’s maintenance,” he shared.
Hyundai SantaFe Owner Keeps Car Mostly at Home
As of August 2, Mr. Pham Tien Dat’s Hyundai SantaFe remains unregistered. Photo: NVCC.
Pham Tien Dat, a Hyundai SantaFe owner from Nghe An, shared that he bought his car five months ago but has mostly kept it at home. “I already have another car, so I’m not in a hurry to register this one. So far, it has only been driven about 1,000 kilometers,” he said.
With the potential 50% reduction in registration fees, Mr. Dat would save around 60 million VND (over 2,500 USD). According to him, this amount is significant enough to make anyone think twice, as even with the addition of necessary accessories like window tinting, floor mats, a dashcam, and insurance, there would still be money left over.
