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Cross-Border · SD + TJ
Cross-border towing between San Diego and Tijuana is one of the most complicated towing scenarios most people will ever face. Different countries. Different insurance requirements. Different legal systems. Customs checkpoints. Language barriers. And usually, all of this happens when you're stressed, stranded, and far from home.
I'm Robert, the owner of RJ Towing. My family has roots on both sides of the border, and cross-border towing has been a core part of our business for over fifteen years. We operate a dedicated Tijuana phone line, (664) 801-9382, because we understand that when your car breaks down in TJ, you need someone who speaks the language, knows the process, and has done this hundreds of times before.
This guide walks through every step of cross-border towing, from what to do when your car dies in Tijuana, to insurance requirements, port of entry logistics, and what happens at customs.
If your vehicle breaks down, gets in an accident, or won't start while you're in Tijuana, here is the sequence:
If you're on a major road like the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road (cuota) or Boulevard Agua Caliente, pull as far off the road as you can. Turn on your hazard lights. If it's dark, stay inside the vehicle with doors locked until help arrives.
Call our Tijuana line at (664) 801-9382. We answer in both English and Spanish. If you're not sure exactly where you are, describe nearby landmarks, a business, an intersection, a kilometer marker on the toll road. We can usually locate you quickly based on the description.
If you don't have Mexican cell service, try the following:
This is critical. An abandoned vehicle in Tijuana can be impounded by municipal transit police quickly, sometimes within hours. Once impounded, retrieval involves Mexican bureaucracy, fines, potential storage fees, and days of delays. Stay with your vehicle or make sure someone is present until the tow truck arrives.
Take photos of your vehicle, its location, any damage, and the surrounding area. If there was an accident, document the other vehicle, exchange information, and file a report with the local transit police (policía de transito) if required. This documentation matters for insurance claims and for crossing the vehicle back into the US.
Cross-border towing is not as simple as hooking up a car and driving across. There are legal and logistical layers. Here is how it works with RJ Towing.
This is the most common cross-border scenario, your car broke down in TJ and you need it back in the US.
Step 1: Mexican-Side Tow.We pick up your vehicle in Tijuana and transport it to the border staging area near the port of entry. Depending on where the vehicle is, this may involve our Tijuana-based equipment or coordination with a trusted Mexican tow partner we've worked with for years.
Step 2: Port of Entry Selection. Two main options:
Step 3: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Processing. When a towed vehicle crosses into the US, CBP may inspect it. You'll need:
Step 4: US-Side Delivery. Once through customs, we deliver the vehicle to your home, mechanic, body shop, or any San Diego County destination.
Less common, but it happens, you need a vehicle transported to a mechanic in Tijuana (where labor is cheaper), you're returning a Mexican-plated vehicle, or you're relocating.
Step 1: US-Side Pickup. We pick up the vehicle at your San Diego location.
Step 2: Southbound Crossing.Entering Mexico by vehicle is generally faster than entering the US. However, Mexican customs (Aduana) may stop the vehicle for inspection (red light / green light system). You'll need:
Step 3: Mexican-Side Delivery. We deliver to the destination in Tijuana or the broader border corridor.
This is the single most important thing to understand about driving or towing in Mexico: US auto insurance does not cover you in Mexico. Your State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, or USAA policy stops at the border.
Mexican law requires Mexican auto insurance. If you're involved in an accident in Mexico without valid Mexican insurance, you can be detained, your vehicle impounded, and you may face criminal liability, even if the accident wasn't your fault. Mexico's legal system treats auto accidents under the Napoleonic Code principle: you're considered responsible until proven otherwise.
When RJ Towing transports your vehicle across the border, our commercial towing insurance covers the vehicle while it's on our equipment. However, once the vehicle is dropped off in Mexico, you need your own Mexican policy if the vehicle will be driven.
If the vehicle is inoperable and staying at a shop, insurance is less urgent but still recommended in case of theft or fire at the shop.
If you have a vehicle with Mexican plates that needs to be towed to San Diego, additional considerations apply:
You drove to Rosarito for the weekend, the car won't start Sunday morning, and you need to get home to San Diego for work Monday. We pick up in Rosarito, transport to the San Ysidro crossing, process through CBP, and deliver to your San Diego address or mechanic.
You were in a fender-bender on Boulevard Insurgentes. The other driver's insurance is handling their side, but your car is undriveable. We coordinate with local transit police for the accident report, transport the vehicle to the border, process customs, and deliver to your insurance-approved body shop in San Diego.
You crossed into Tijuana for affordable dental work or to pick up prescriptions. You parked in a lot off Avenida Revolución, and when you came back the car wouldn't start, dead battery, flat tire, or it just won't turn over. We can either provide roadside assistance on the Mexican side or tow the vehicle back to San Diego.
You want to get body work or paint done in TJ because the prices are significantly lower than San Diego shops. We transport the vehicle southbound, and then bring it back when the work is complete. Two trips, one company, one point of contact.
Some specialty repairs, particularly for European vehicles, are better handled by San Diego mechanics with specific diagnostic equipment. We tow the Mexican-plated vehicle to the San Diego shop and return it when work is done.
Cross-border towing is priced on a per-job basis because variables differ significantly: distance within Mexico, wait time at the border, customs processing time, vehicle size, and time of day.
As a general framework:
We always provide a quote before dispatching so there are no surprises.
Most San Diego towing companies will not cross the border. They don't have the insurance, the relationships, the equipment on the Mexican side, or the language fluency to handle the process. Some will subcontract to a Mexican tow company, which means two companies, two invoices, and a handoff at the border where communication can break down.
RJ Towing handles the entire chain. One company. One phone number. Bilingual dispatch on both sides. We've been doing this for over fifteen years, and our family connections to the Tijuana community mean we know the roads, the officials, and the process intimately.
If you're planning a trip to Baja, save the Tijuana number in your phone before you cross. If something goes wrong on the other side of the border, you'll have a direct line to bilingual help, no searching, no guessing, no language barriers.
Cross-border towing is stressful. But with the right company, it doesn't have to be a disaster.
RJ Towing Service is a family-owned towing company based at 2881 G St, San Diego, CA 92102, specializing in cross-border towing between San Diego and Tijuana. We provide 24/7 bilingual dispatch, emergency towing, flatbed towing, accident towing, and full roadside assistance across San Diego County and the Tijuana-Rosarito corridor. Hablamos español.
Written by
15+ years responding to San Diego roadside calls
Real roadside experience from RJ Towing, San Diego's family-owned bilingual tow operation. 15+ years, 5+ trucks, covering every freeway in the county and the Tijuana border corridor.
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This article was written by the same team that answers the phone when you call. Bilingual dispatch, 15-30 minute response, 24/7 across San Diego County and the Tijuana border corridor.
(619) 872-5285
Hablamos español. Llama al (619) 872-5285 o línea Tijuana (664) 801-9382.
Servicio en Tijuana: (664) 801-9382