You’ll certainly agree with me that mechanics are generally expensive. However, some, especially the dishonest ones, are even more expensive than others. You find them using all sorts of fear tactics to squeeze money out of you.

One of the tactics used by dishonest mechanics is this; they tell you that one or more parts of your car need replacement and failure to do that immediately will lead to serious accidents. Apart from that, they also find ways to delay your car for as long as they can. Of course, I’m sure you know what that means – the more time your vehicle spends in their garage, the higher the total expense on the repairs.

Furthermore, you need to understand that it’s not only the dishonest mechanics that can delay your vehicle for a longer time than you expected. Some honest ones can also do that, especially if they find more faults during the repair process. Since that’s the fact; here’s a frequently asked question; how long can a mechanic keep your car?

There’s no limit to how long a mechanic can keep your car. Generally, if your car only develops minor issues, the mechanic should be able to fix it in a couple of hours. Major issues can take up to 14 days or even more. Furthermore, a mechanic can also keep your car for as long as you’re still yet to pay your dues.

In the rest of this post, I’ll further explain everything you need to know about how long your mechanics can keep your car. So, without wasting time, let’s get straight down to business.

Car Repair Takes Longer than Expected?

Why do car repairs sometimes take longer than expected? To answer the question, I’ll say that a lot of factors contribute to why most repairs end up taking longer time than expected.

One of the major factors that contribute to why car repairs take longer than expected is the type of issues affecting the car. For instance, a car transmission problem can take about 4 or 5 days for rebuilding the system. Also, it can take up to three days or approximately 16 working hours to fix a car with engine issues. So, if your vehicle has issues related to the ones above, you can always expect the mechanic to keep it around until the issues are fixed.

Furthermore, another common factor that contributes to why car repairs take a long time is the workload at the garage. If you’re patronizing a popular and experienced mechanic, the number of works needed to be executed could delay how quickly your vehicle gets fixed.

“Unforeseen issues” is another factor that could prolong how long your mechanic gets to keep your car. Here’s a scenario; you took your vehicle to your mechanic so you can replace the AC compressor. Usually, it takes about 3 to 6 hours to fix a car’s AC compressor completely. However, during the process of fixing the compressor, the mechanic detects a new faulty that you need to fix before you can drive your vehicle. That’s an example of how a car repair can get prolonged unexpectedly.

As previously mentioned, dishonest mechanics can also prolong the time it’ll take to fix your car. The more time your vehicle gets to use at the garage, the higher the repair costs get to be. To avoid this particular issue, you’ll need to research and opt for trustworthy mechanics to fix your cars.

How Long Can a Mechanic Legally Keep Your Car to Fix?

The answer to the question is pretty simple and direct; there’s no limit as to how long your mechanic can keep your car to fix.

Since you’re not under any obligation to take your car to the mechanic for a fix, you can always drive your car away or get it towed away from the mechanic when you feel the repair process is taking longer than expected. You’re always free to take your car to other mechanics for quick and effective fixes.

Generally speaking, car repairs can take up to 14 days or more depending on the type of issues affecting the vehicle. However, this only occurs in rare cases.

Furthermore, most car repairs will only take the mechanics a couple of hours or days to fix. After that, all you need to do is to pay your dues and drive your car away to your destination. However, in the case you’re unable to pay up your dues, a mechanic has the right to hold your car for as long as you pay back your debt.

Can I Sue My Mechanic for Taking Too Long?

So, after a long time of taking your vehicle to the mechanic for repair, the car hasn’t yet been fixed. Now, you want to know whether or not you can sue your mechanic for repair delays?

Of course, you can always sue your mechanic for taking too much time to get your car fixed. Depending on the amount of money sued for, you can always go for Small Claims or District court.

In small claims court, the highest you can sue for is $6,500 in most jurisdictions. If at all there’s a need to sue the mechanic higher than that, going to a district court will certainly be a good move for you. Most times, how long it takes for court proceedings to go could vary from state to state.

However, before going ahead to sue your mechanic, you need to communicate clearly with the mechanic to find exactly what is causing the delays.