The car is under warranty, something is wrong, and the dealer keeps sending you away — "can't reproduce it," "that's normal," "the part is on backorder," or just no appointment for weeks. A warranty isn't worth much if the repair never happens.
The most useful thing you can do is turn a verbal brush-off into a written record.
Ask for a repair order for every visit, even the ones where they say they did nothing. It should show the date, your description of the problem, and what the dealer did or concluded. If they tell you the car is fine, ask them to write that on the order. A stack of "no problem found" orders for a problem that keeps happening is itself evidence.
If they are refusing outright, follow up by email so there is a timestamped version of what was said.
The service writer is not the end of the line. Most manufacturers have a customer-assistance line and a formal complaint process, and opening a case there creates a paper trail the dealer can see. Some brands can direct a dealer to perform warranty work or send the car to another dealer.
If this becomes a lemon law or warranty claim, what counts is the history: how many times you brought it in, how long it was down, and what the dealer wrote each time. The specific thresholds — attempts, days out of service, whether the fault has to affect safety or value — vary by state, and there is no single national rule. You can't build that history after the fact, so start the paper trail now.
You may not have much if: the problem is intermittent and genuinely hasn't shown up for a technician, the concern is a design characteristic rather than a defect, or the car is out of warranty. "The dealer is slow" is frustrating but isn't the same as "the dealer refused."
Once you have a few documented visits, a written demand to the manufacturer — not just the dealer — laying out the history and asking for the repair, a replacement, or a refund is the usual next step.
Wherewithal helps you organize the repair orders and correspondence and draft that letter. It is not legal advice, and it is not a law firm.
Wherewithal is an organizational tool only. Not legal advice. Consider consulting a licensed attorney.