I had an eerily similar situation happen to me and my spouse a few years back. We had broken up for a couple years and she was seeing someone else who had helped her buy her car. When they broke up and her and I started seeing each other again the guy had her car towed from her work to the dealership and paid to have the locks on the car changed as well as new keys. He then went on to taunt my now wife telling her that he had hid the car from her to punish her.

So we went down to her bank where the loan for the car was made and discovered that the title for the car was in both their names but it was written as “my wife, or her ex” so we took the title and she sold it to me. Now I own the car. I told the ex the car was in my name now and if he didn’t give it back to my wife then I’d have the police go get it. I provided proof for him and gave him 2 weeks to give the car back along with the new keys. In the end he gave it back and we didn’t have to involve the police.

The important bit is who’s name is on the title of the vehicle and how the names are worded on the title.