It happened on West Little York and Shepherd Drive at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
The victim told Houston police he was driving in the area when he heard gunshots and suddenly felt a sharp pain.
He managed to drive to a relative's house a few blocks away on Boeneman Drive to seek help, police said.
Police said the man's car had several bullet holes through the rear end.
Investigators are now trying to figure out where the shots came from.
"He has no clue if the suspects were in a vehicle. He doesn't know if the suspects were shooting from a home or maybe from an apartment complex," Lt. R. Willkens said. "He doesn't know who they are."
The man is expected to recover.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call HPD.