How Long Can a Dealership Hold Your Car for Repair in Michigan?
Last updated: October 2026
Car repairs can be both frustrating and time-consuming, especially if your vehicle turns out to be a lemon. As a car owner, one of your biggest concerns when it comes to car repairs is how long it will take for your vehicle to be fixed.
In Michigan, there are laws in place that protect consumers from having their car held for repair for an unreasonable amount of time. It's important to understand dealership obligations and your rights under Michigan's lemon law and the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act.
At Ronald S. Weiss, Attorney & Counselor, we are dedicated to helping you protect your rights as a vehicle owner when it comes to dealership repairs and maintenance delays.
Key Takeaways
Michigan sets no fixed number of days a dealership may keep a vehicle for repair, but the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act requires a written estimate before work begins and bars charges above the estimate without your consent.
For a new vehicle under warranty, the days matter under the lemon law: 30 or more days out of service within the warranty term or the first year, counting partial days, creates a presumption that the vehicle is a lemon.
After 25 days out of service, or after the third repair attempt for the same defect, you must send the manufacturer a written notice by return-receipt mail, which starts a five-business-day final repair clock.
Complaints about a repair facility go to the Michigan Department of State, which licenses repair shops; lemon law claims go against the manufacturer, not the dealership.
Understanding Your Rights as a Car Owner in Michigan
In Michigan, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act was enacted to protect consumers from unfair practices by dealerships and repair shops. Under this act, MCL 257.1332, a dealership or any registered repair facility must give you a written estimate that itemizes parts and labor before it starts work, for any repair costing $50 or more. The facility may not charge more than the estimate without your consent, except for an overage of 10 percent or $50, whichever is less, and it must get that consent after it learns the estimate is insufficient and before it does the additional work.
If a diagnosis is needed, the diagnostic charge must be in the estimate before the diagnosis begins, and if you decline the repair after the diagnosis, the shop may charge only the reasonable cost of reassembling the vehicle. The Michigan Department of State, which registers repair facilities, adds several rules: you are entitled to the replaced parts on request, any warranty on the repair must be in writing, the final invoice must be signed, and the shop may not charge storage fees without prior notice or while a dispute over the repair is unresolved.
The Act does not require the shop to state a completion date, and it does not set a deadline for finishing the work. That means the estimate is where you protect yourself. Ask the service department to write an anticipated completion date on the repair order when you drop the vehicle off, and ask for a revised date in writing each time the first one passes. If a dealership performs work you did not authorize or exceeds the estimate without consent, you are not obligated to pay the unauthorized amount, and the Department of State can investigate the facility.
What Constitutes an Unreasonable Amount of Time?
While the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act does not state a specific time frame for vehicle repair, it does state that any amount of time that is considered unreasonable will depend on several factors. These factors typically include:
The type of repair being performed
The availability of parts
Any unforeseen circumstances or delays beyond the dealership's control
In general, a dealership that keeps your vehicle well past its own estimate without a parts-related reason, or that cannot say when the repair will be finished, is holding it for an unreasonable time.
For an ordinary repair you are paying for, the remedy is to demand the vehicle back and pay only for authorized work completed.
For a warranty repair on a new vehicle, the lemon law supplies the benchmark: every day the vehicle is out of service counts toward the 30-day presumption described below, and the 25th day triggers your right to send the manufacturer a written notice.
Understanding Michigan's Lemon Law
In addition to the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act, Michigan also has a "Lemon Law" in place to protect consumers who have purchased a vehicle with significant defects.
Under this law, if your vehicle has a significant defect that is covered by the warranty that occurred within a specific period or after a number of miles traveled and cannot be fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts, you may be entitled to a refund or replacement vehicle.
However, it is important to note that this law applies only to a new passenger car, SUV, pickup, or van bought or leased in Michigan or by a Michigan resident, and only if the defect is reported to the manufacturer or dealer within the warranty term or one year of delivery, whichever comes first, under MCL 257.1402. Used vehicles qualify only if they are still under the original warranty and the defect is reported within one year of the original delivery. Michigan sets no mileage limit. The claim runs against the manufacturer, not the dealership; the dealership’s role is to perform and document the repairs.
What Is a "Reasonable" Time for Repairs for a Lemon?
Determining how long a dealership can hold your lemon for repairs depends on several factors. Generally, under Michigan Lemon Law, a reasonable time considers whether the repair attempts are effective and timely. The law specifically addresses the following relevant points:
If the same defect has been subject to repair four or more times within two years of the first repair attempt and still exists, MCL 257.1403 presumes the manufacturer has had a reasonable number of attempts, and you may seek a refund or a replacement vehicle.
If your vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of 30 or more days, counting partial days, within the warranty term or the first year after delivery, whichever ends first, the same presumption applies. The days do not have to be continuous or involve the same defect; three separate visits of 10 days each reach the threshold.
After the third repair attempt for the same defect, or after the 25th day out of service, you must notify the manufacturer in writing by a return-receipt mail service. The manufacturer must then tell you where to deliver the vehicle and has five business days after receiving it there to make a final repair. If that fails, the manufacturer must, within 30 days, replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price. Supply chain problems and parts shortages may explain a delay, but they do not stop the days from counting or excuse the manufacturer from these deadlines.
If repairs are taking too long or defects keep returning, document every interaction with the dealership and keep every repair order, since the drop-off and pick-up dates on those orders are how the 30 days are proven. Collecting them is the first of the steps to take toward a buyback, and the same records determine how long your car is protected once the first year passes.
What to Do if Your Car is Being Held for an Unreasonable Amount of Time
If you believe that your car is being held for an unreasonable amount of time, it's important to take action to exercise your rights under Michigan's lemon law and the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act. Some actions you can take include the following:
Communicate with the dealership: Request a written explanation for the delay and an updated completion date. If the repairs continue to be delayed, you may want to consider seeking legal assistance.
Consult with an attorney: If your vehicle is being held for repairs beyond the estimated time frame, you may have a legal case against the dealership. An experienced lemon law attorney can help you understand your rights and options.
File a complaint: In Michigan, a complaint about the repair facility itself, such as work performed without an estimate, unauthorized charges, or refusal to return the vehicle, goes to the Michigan Department of State’s Regulatory Monitoring Division, which registers repair shops and can inspect their records. A complaint about the manufacturer’s handling of a warranty defect is a lemon law matter, and the Michigan Attorney General publishes guidance on the process. Contact our office before filing either complaint so the timing does not interfere with the written notice the lemon law requires.
At Ronald S. Weiss, Attorney & Counselor, we are experienced in dealing with dealership repair delays and other consumer protection in Michigan. We can help you uphold your rights as a car owner and make sure you aren't taken advantage of by dealerships.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
At Ronald S. Weiss, Attorney & Counselor, we strive to protect your rights as a vehicle owner under Michigan law. Unreasonable repair delays can cause unnecessary stress and financial hardship.
If you suspect that your dealership is taking too long with a warranty repair, or you have passed the 25-day mark and have not sent the written notice, contact us before the next repair visit. Ronald S. Weiss, Attorney & Counselor handles Michigan lemon law claims from West Bloomfield and serves clients throughout Michigan, and the Ohio rules, which differ on nearly every point above, are covered separately for owners whose dealership is in Ohio.