How long should a workshop take to repair your car under warranty? The law doesn't specify anything

Among the main complaints that motorists raise about repair workshops, one of the ones that stands out most is the time workshops take to repair our car when we leave it in for a breakdown. Workshop staff always give an approximate date, more or less accurate, depending on the workshop’s workload and the complexity of the job.

This timeframe may or may not match the actual time the repair ultimately takes, but the consumer has no idea whether there is a maximum repair time beyond which they could make a claim.

Is there a maximum established time for repairing a vehicle?

The current legislation on this does not set or determine any; it only states that “the delivery period must be related to the scale of the breakdown” (article 14.8 of Royal Decree 1457/1986). This provision is what allows customers to demand compensation for the damages and losses caused when they are without their vehicle for a simple breakdown and the repair delivery times have been excessively long for the type of fault involved.

The law does not set a maximum time limit, but it should be around 20 working days Laws do not set a maximum time limit for carrying out repairs but, to some extent, GANVAM (the National Association of Motor Vehicle Dealers, Repairs and Spare Parts) does so for faults that occur in the car when repairs are carried out during the vehicle’s warranty period.

In the sales contract template that GANVAM issues for transactions and transfers of used vehicles, GANVAM has included a clause, accepted by the Spanish Consumer Agency, that sets 20 working days (a little under one calendar month) as the maximum time within which the workshop must complete the repair, excluding the time needed for the necessary parts to arrive. The latter should not be a problem exceeding 24-48 hours, depending on the workshop’s location.

Breakdowns that occur during warranty periods after purchasing a vehicle are the ones that most bother motorists, especially those caused by faults in a newly purchased vehicle. In such cases, buyers can demand a reduction in the purchase price of the vehicle or even the rescission of the purchase contract and a refund if the repair is not carried out within a reasonable time or without major inconvenience. Although the law does not specify what is meant by a “reasonable time”, if the purchase was made under the vehicle sales contract proposed by GANVAM, that period is set at the 20 days already mentioned.

In any case, another option is to use the replacement car service that workshops offer their customers, especially when the repair is a long one.