If you get behind in your car loan payments, your lender can repossess your car. That means the lender can hotwire your car, SUV, truck, motorcycle, van, or other vehicle and take it back—all without warning. And if the car lender then sells your car and the proceeds don't cover the amount you owe on the loan, you could be on the hook for the "deficiency." But that doesn't mean you're without protections. Read the articles below to learn about car repossession, what you can do to avoid it, getting your car back, and more.
Car Repossession Laws: An Overview
Learn about car repossessions: how they work, how to avoid them, and your options if it happens to your car.
How Motor Vehicles Are Repossessed
Learn what the repo man can and cannot do when repossessing your car.
Required Notices in Car Repossessions
If your car is repossessed, the lender is required to provide you with certain notices after the repossession and after it sells the car.
Car Repossession: Special Protections for Military Servicemembers Under Federal Law
The SCRA provides special protections to military members facing car repossession.
Repossessed Cars: What Happens to the Cosigner?
If you cosign on a car loan and the car is repossessed, you have rights and liabilities.
Can I Get My Personal Property After a Car Repo?
If your car is repossessed, you have a right to get back your personal belongings that were in the car.
Car Repossession Laws in California
What you need to know about vehicle repossession laws in California.
Notices You’ll Get in a California Car Repossession
In California, the repossessor must send you certain notices after a car repossession.
Options to Avoid Car Repossession
This articles discusses some options to keep the car, resolve the debt, or protect yourself against a deficiency judgment.
Getting Your Car Back After Repossession
Learn about your options to get your car back after it has been repossessed.
Car Repossession: Redemption v. Reinstatement
You might be able to get your car back after repossession by redeeming it or reinstating the loan.
When Will a Car-Loan Lender Use Replevin?
Find out when your car loan lender is more likely to use replevin than repossession to get your car back.
If you default on your car loan payments, the lender can take your car back through repossession or replevin. Learn the difference.