Well, I'm going to add my two cents worth. I live in Missouri and purchased a Truck with a Missouri Title. It had not been registered in 20 years and the Title Vin number was incorrect by one alpha character to the tag on the inside of the door opening, so the title didn't "match". Although I could have gotten away with registering that way, I worked with the DMV (recommend you go to a small town license office in a rural community, they usually know what they are doing) The Missouri Highway Patrol came out, documented the engine serial number, ran a stolen vehicle check and signed off on the vin tag issue and I got a new correct title in just a few days. It may take a bit of effort but you should be able to get this problem handled, legally. Best of luck.
