Vehicle & Driving · Auto Repair
Auto Repair Rights by State
The rules that decide whether a repair bill is fair: the written estimate you are owed, how far the shop can go over it, and whether you can get the old parts back. For every state, cited to the statute.
Read this first — not every state has a repair law
In states with a dedicated auto-repair act, the rules are concrete: the shop must give you a written estimate (often once the job passes a dollar figure, for example $100 in Washington), and the final bill cannot exceed that estimate by more than a set amount, commonly 10%, without calling you for authorization. Many of these states also give you the right to get your old parts back if you ask before the work.
In the other states there is no specific repair statute. That does not leave you unprotected: a shop still cannot lie, misrepresent the work, or charge you for repairs you never approved, and those disputes are handled under the state's general consumer-protection law. The honest difference is that there is no fixed estimate threshold or percentage cap to point to. Each page tells you which regime you are in.
Pick your state
The overage rule, whether you can get old parts back, and the statute on each card.
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What these pages are — and aren't
Each state page is a reference for the estimate rules, the overage cap, your right to the old parts, and the neutral steps to take after an overcharge. They are deliberately not advice for your specific bill: the contract and what you authorized matter, so each page links to the statute and the official consumer-complaint channel. This is legal information, not legal advice.