Find a car defect lawyer in Houston: protect the car before it is gone

In a defect case the wrecked car is your best proof, and in Houston it may be sitting at a tow yard. HPD's tow line, 713-308-8580, can tell you where. A suit over a car defect generally must be filed within 2 years. A seller that did not make the car is usually not liable, so the maker is often the target.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (32)

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Road map of Houston showing the West Loop, ranked the most congested road in Texas, and the freeways around it where wrecked cars are towed from
Find a wrecked car through HPD's tow line: 713-308-8580. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where is my wrecked car after a crash in Houston?

If a wrecker took it, the car is probably at a tow yard, and it holds the proof of a defect. HPD's tow line is 713-308-8580. You can also search Findmytowedcar.com with the VIN or plate.

Costs start right away. Houston's non-consent tow rate is $232 for the first 20 miles and $4.64 for each extra mile. The free Tow and Go service is only for disabled vehicles with someone still at the car when the wrecker or police arrive.

Ask the yard in writing to hold the car, and tell your insurer the same. Texas courts say a party must keep evidence once it knows or should know a claim is substantially likely. A letter makes sure the other side knows.

What does my car's crash recorder show, and who can read it?

Many newer cars log crash data in an event data recorder. It can show whether belts were buckled. It keeps only a short window, typically 30 seconds or less.

Whoever owns the car owns its recorded data, or the lessee does on a lease. Anyone else generally needs consent or a court's authority to read it. Do not let a yard, a shop or a carmaker's rep pull it before your lawyer is involved.

What should I do in the first week after a Houston crash if I suspect a defect?

  1. Find the car with HPD's tow line and leave it as it is.
  2. Photograph the airbag, seat belt, tires or brake parts before anything is replaced.
  3. Order the crash report. HPD's website says reports take 5 to 8 days to process, and its mail form says to wait at least 10 days.
  4. Search your VIN for recalls and keep any recall letter.
  5. Check your policy for uninsured motorist coverage. Texas requires it unless a named insured rejected it in writing.
  6. Write down what failed and in what order, while you still remember it.

Who can I sue over a car defect in Houston?

WhoWhat Texas law saysWhat it means for you
CarmakerProduct rules cover any action against a maker or seller for injury from a defective product.The maker is usually the main target
Dealer or sellerA seller that did not make it is not liable unless an exception applies. One exception is a seller that actually knew of the defect.Ask what the dealer knew
Maker out of reachA seller can be liable if the maker is insolvent or out of the court's reach.A closed or foreign maker may not end the claim
Design claimYou must prove a safer alternative design.Expect to need an engineer
Federal standardsMeeting them creates a presumption of no liability that can be challenged.The maker will raise it

How long do I have to sue over a car defect in Houston?

Generally 2 years from the day you were hurt. Product claims also have an outer limit of 15 years after the defendant sold the product. The clock does not run while you are a minor.

Expect the maker to blame you. In a defect case, a jury that finds you more than 50 percent at fault leaves you with nothing under Texas law.

Which Houston offices and courts matter in a defect case?

If fire was part of the crash, the Houston Fire Marshal's Office oversees the Arson Bureau, which handles origin and cause work. Its office line is 832-395-8542.

Your lawyer will choose the court. Two sit downtown: Harris County's five Civil Courts at Law at 201 Caroline, 5th Floor, and the federal courthouse at 515 Rusk Avenue. The federal Houston Division covers Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Wharton counties.

Questions

Can I sue the Houston dealer that sold me the car?

Usually not, because a seller that did not make the car is not liable unless an exception applies. A seller that actually knew of the defect is one exception.

Does a recall repair cost anything?

No. The maker must fix a recalled defect without charge.

Where do I send a claim if a City of Houston vehicle was involved?

To the City Secretary's Office, P.O. Box 1562, Houston, TX 77251-1562, within 90 days of the injury.

How do I get my HPD crash report?

Buy it online through BuyCrash, or mail HPD Records a $6 check or money order.

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Sources (32)

  1. Houston Police, Towed Vehicles FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “You can call the tow line at 713-308-8580 or go to Findmytowedcar.com.”
  2. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  3. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “A seller that did not manufacture a product is not liable for harm caused to the claimant by that product unless the claimant proves”
  4. 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “typically 30 seconds or less”
  5. Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “may not be accessed by a person other than an owner or a lessee”
  6. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.005, checked 2026-11-09. “there was a safer alternative design”
  7. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “the seller actually knew of a defect to the product at the time the seller supplied the product”
  8. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.012, checked 2026-11-09. “before the end of 15 years after the date of the sale of the product by the defendant”
  9. Houston Police, Motorist Bill of Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “non-consent regulated tow rate, effective Jan. 1, 2026, is $232.00”
  10. Houston Police, Towed Vehicles FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “The no cost tow under the TOW AND GO program is only for vehicles that are disabled and has someone with the vehicle when the wrecker or police arrive.”
  11. Brookshire Bros. v. Aldridge (Tex. 2014), checked 2026-11-09. “a party knows or reasonably should know that there is a substantial chance that a claim will be filed”
  12. 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened”
  13. Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “is the property of the owner, or, in the case of a leased vehicle, the lessee”
  14. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident reports require 5 to 8 days processing time before they are available to the public.”
  15. Houston Police, Crash Report Request Form, checked 2026-11-08. “should not be submitted until at least 10 days after the crash date to allow time for receipt of the report”
  16. NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “you'll learn if a specific vehicle needs to be repaired as part of a recall”
  17. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “If you don't want it, you have to turn it down in writing.”
  18. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.001, checked 2026-11-09. “any action against a manufacturer or seller for recovery of damages arising out of personal injury, death, or property damage allegedly caused by a defective product”
  19. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “(A) insolvent; or (B) not subject to the jurisdiction of the court”
  20. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.008, checked 2026-11-09. “complied with mandatory safety standards or regulations adopted and promulgated by the federal government”
  21. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  23. Houston Fire Department, Fire Marshal Office, checked 2026-11-09. “The Fire Marshal's Office oversees the Arson Bureau which includes arson, origin/cause, intelligence, prosecution”
  24. Houston Fire Department, Fire Marshal Office, checked 2026-11-09. “HFD Arson Office: 832.395.8542”
  25. Harris County Civil Courts at Law, checked 2026-11-09. “Harris County Civil Courts at Law 201 Caroline • Houston, Texas 77002”
  26. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston, checked 2026-11-09. “Location: Bob Casey United States Courthouse 515 Rusk Avenue Houston, TX 77002”
  27. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston, checked 2026-11-09. “Counties: Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Wharton”
  28. 49 U.S.C. § 30120, checked 2026-11-09. “shall remedy the defect or noncompliance without charge when the vehicle or equipment is presented for remedy”
  29. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “City Secretary's Office City of Houston Post Office Box 1562 Houston, Texas 77251-1562”
  30. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained”
  31. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Crash Reports can be purchased online from the Texas Department of Transportation at https://buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com”
  32. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Send a check / money order for $6.00 (made payable to the City of Houston)”

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