Legal Question in Consumer Law in Minnesota

I took my car to a repair shop to have them run a diognastic test to tell me what was going wrong with it. they called me back and told me that they had found the problem with it, it was a wire going from the computer to the camshaft sensor. they said that it would be $300 i agreed to the price and said to fix it . The next day they called me back and said that replacing the wire did not fix the problem, and that they already spent 9 hours to find the problem and had still not solved it and wanted more time. I told them no and to put the car back together and i would be back to pick it up and talk about the price. When I got To the shop I said since I was getting my car back in the exact way I took in i was not going to pay the full price. my offer was to pay for the mechanics hourly wage I figured about 25 dollars an hour at 9 hours was $225.The store manager said that the owner denied my request. and that i would have to wait 3 days for the owner to get back to town to discuss the issue. My question is what right do they have to keep my car when i made a fair offer since i sill have a car that does not run.


Asked on 11/06/09, 6:54 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Maury Beaulier612.240.8005 Minnesota Lawyers

When mechanical services are performed on a vehicle the vehicle may be held unless or until the fee is paid. The fact that you made an offer does not mean that the debt was satisfied for repairs that were agreed upon even if not successful.

325F.61 RETURN OF PROPERTY.

A shop shall return to a customer, upon reasonable demand, the customer's repaired motor

vehicle or appliance if the customer pays the shop's bill except the proportion of the bill which represents:

(a) repairs, service calls, or estimates which were performed but not authorized;

(b) charges for service calls or for making estimates which exceed the charges disclosed to

the customer prior to the service call or estimate; or

(c) charges for repairs which exceed 110 percent of charges authorized for repairs by the

customer pursuant to section 325F.58, subdivision 6, plus 110 percent of the sum of the total prices in written estimates given in connection with repairs. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize repair charges in excess of reasonable charges for parts and materials and labor.

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Answered on 11/12/09, 1:21 pm


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