Your vehicle can be taken from you if you are late with payments in an act known as repossession. A repossession will cause your credit score to take a big hit, and it can remain on your credit reports for up to seven years. Let’s take a look at how auto repossession works.

What happens if you suddenly discover that you can't afford your car payment? If it turns out that your car payment is too expensive, there are actions you can take.

Repossession may put an end to a cosigner’s responsibility toward a loan. However, they have certain legal rights to which the lender must adhere.

Returning your car, also known as a voluntary repossession, is possible. Although like the name suggest, the effects can be just as painful as repossession to your credit

Having a vehicle repossessed is never a good thing. In fact, having one appear on a credit is one of the worst things that can happen to any borrower. But it is especially bad if the auto loan in question belongs to a consumer with problem credit.

Borrowers having problems paying their car loans should call the lender and explain their situation. Not only is repossession is a black mark on their credit reports – often preventing them from getting a car loan for at least a year, it could end up costing them hundreds if not thousands of dollars in taxes owed to the government.

Vehicle repossession is never a good thing and a black mark like this can linger on a credit report for seven years or longer. Multiple repossessions are even worse and, for the most part, consumers must wait until just one appears in their credit file.

For those unfamiliar with what the phrase buy here pay here means, it refers to a car dealer where you can not only purchase a car, but a dealership where you can finance it, right there, as well. In this case financing is arranged with money that is borrowed from the dealer instead of a bank, credit union or finance company.

Having your car repossessed usually makes for a very bad experience. Most people rely on their vehicles to get them to work, school and countless other places. If your car has been repossessed, it's important to know what your rights are and what actions you should take.

Having your car repossessed can seem like a total nightmare. It leaves you owing money on a vehicle that you can no longer drive, and it leaves you in position where it can seem unlikely that you can get a new car anytime soon. But, believe it or not, you can recover from repossession. It just takes time and a plan.