How long is the dealer allowed to keep my car for repairs?

I purchased a used Prius - still under warranty - and had it for 7 weeks before it died. The car is under warranty so the repairs are being performed free of charge, however, as of this writing it has been in the shop for 6.5 weeks, apparently waiting on parts from Toyota. Does anyone know if there is a time period after which the manufacturer/dealer can be considered as failing to satisfy the warranty and if so, what the remedies are?

That will vary by state. Check with your state’s attorney general’s office, consumer affairs division. In many cases it’ll be covered by a “lemon law” that designates a car a “lemon” if it’s unserviceable for beyond a specified time period in it’s first year. That law may or may not apply to used cars in your state. You’ll need to check it out.

Contact your AG’s office.

I knew a guy who had a Chevy Luv truck (made by Isuzu) waiting for parts to be shipped from Japan for almost a year.

Good luck.

As long as the part is actually on order, and it’s on back order, and they’ll actually get one when back order is released…then , no , there’s no time limit.

On most backordered Ford parts there is a report I get with a tentative release date. I print this and give the customer a copy.

The only caveat could be if they were telling lies that a part was on order when in fact there was not due to guessing about or not knowing what was truly wrong, and to buy more time they tell you that story…’’ well, ( wink wink ) that part is on back order.’’

Warranty should be pating for a loaner vehicle …is it ?

Hopefully its the right part when it does finally come in. Maybe they’re waiting for a full boat first. Most lemon laws only apply though to the original purchaser of a new vehicle, not used. This may have been the reason it was on the lot again.