+1 - I think the mag are feeding you a line tbh, they obviously dont care about you or they'd have given you more details about whats going on. The garage wouldnt want to hold the car for any reason, unless they feel they have been short changed by something. Doesnt have to have been your car either, if they have done work on another and are owed money on that, they might be holding all of the mags cars against the debt. I'd let the solicitors scare the mag a bit into doing something, doesnt have to be official action, just a letter of intent.