How late does your car loan have to be for a repossession?

It varies bank to bank and also depends on your credit history and history with that lending institution. If you keep the communication lines open they will wait but only if you don't break any promises you make to them. If I had to give a time range I would say that an aggresive bank would begin repo when you hit the 90 day delinquent mark and a lenient bank would wait another 30-60 days later.