Did your parent(s) help you financially when purchasing your first car/vehicle?

[disneyfreakk]

my parents got me a 1965 Mustang on my 16th birthday in 1992.

 

[minkydog]

No, my parents couldn't afford to buy cars. There are 5 of us kids and Dad left us when I was 18. We were really poor. So I went to college, bumming rides with friends to get up there and back. Graduated as a nurse, moved in with my mom and used her car, and saved every scrap of my earnings until I had $1000. Then I took it to the Subaru dealership and plunked it all down on a brand new Sube. I think the total cost was about $4200(this was in 1978.) I drove that Subaru for 8 years, until it just wouldn't go anymore. Then I traded it for a Honda.

We have elected to buy vehicles for our children. We buy the vehicle and drive it around until they turn 18. Then we sign it over to them and they're responsible for the upkeep. A judge told us to do this with our first child, who had multiple court appearances for traffic violations. He said "You need to get that kid off your insurance and sign the truck over to him,before he hits someone and YOU get sued(as the owners of the truck." So, DS23 got the Ford Ranger and DD16 will get my Jeep Wrangler when she turns 18 (though I am loathe to give it up. I just love my jeep!)

 

[Meriweather]

My parents bought me a car when I went off to college. I communted from home.

We bought used cars as 3rd and 4th cars when our kids were teenagers for their use.
That continued through high school and college.

 

[simba928]

No, they did not. I am 19, I got my license at 18. Fortunately, at the time my mom had a rental car for work because she was traveling a lot so she let me use her van. Once she was done with the rental, she got her van back and I either had to have her drive me to school and work, drive her to and pick her up from work, or buy my own car. I finally bought a car after months of looking for one and I LOVE it. I would much rather have bought my own car, even though my friends either had their parents buy them one or are using one of their parents "extra" cars.

 

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

Yes, however, it wasn't usual circumstances. My dad bought the car from a customer at the service shop he worked at for $500. It had a blown head gasket and wasn't worth it for the customer to pay the price to have it fixed that the shop would charge. My dad asked the man if he wanted to sell it. The man said yes and got rid of his headache, I got a 82 dodge aries convertible and my dad didn't have to co-sign on a loan. Everybody won.

btw: this was in 1995

 

[DVC-Don]

1968. My Mom went with me to the dealers we visited but it was all my money.

 

[travelbug]

My parents just didn't have the money to help any of us kids buy cars. So I worked and saved until I was able to buy a used one on my own.

 

[aprilgail2]

My dad got a new car and gave me his old one- he also paid for my insurance until I was out of college and working- I plan to do the same for my daughter.

 

[N.Bailey]

I have little doubt that my parents would have helped me if they were in a position to do so. Since they weren't, well, I managed just fine on my own.

My husband and I did purchase my son and daughter's first cars. I realized almost immediately that it was a huge mistake, but once we made the purchase for my son, we were obligated to do the same for my daughter. If I could go back, knowing what I know now, I may have helped, but I wouldn't have just handed it to them.

 

[Carys]

Nope, bought my own first car. I did however ask my dad for advice on how to avoid buying a lemon and took him test driving with me as a second pair of eyes to look for faults (as well as of course getting an independent inspection).

 

[jlima]

First car - Poor quality new American car ('82 Pontiac T1000-same car as Chevy Chevette). Drove it for 3 years.

Second car - Hand-me-down from my dad - Buick Limited, no idea what year was, maybe '84. Drove it for 1 year, until I moved to CA.

3rd car - Used '84 Ford Mustang, purchased by my parents when I moved to CA.

4th car - Purchased BY ME, financed BY ME, down payment made BY ME, '89 Toyota Camry. For some reason my dad was mad at me, he said, I thought we were going to do this together. But I didn't need his help; didn't want his help. His "help" would have been too stressful - what's the blue book value, why don't you let me give you the money, etc. etc. Just didn't want to go there. It was $8,800; I traded the Mustang & put down $1,500, financed about $5,500 and my payment was $149.

 

[khaipretty]

I didn't have car yet. Although my parents offer me to have one but then, I didn't accept it. Because I am scared to drive and besides I think it was tiring and will only expense me more. LOL!

 

[golfgal]

No, my parents didn't even send me pizza money in college. I got my first car when I graduated from college and got a job. Dh's parents gave him a $500 loan to buy an old car, '69 Cougar-which I wish we would have kept now-that was a COOL car-but we were young, dumb and stupid then.

 

[tennisfan]

My parents bought me my 1st motorbike, which I traded a year later to buy a new one myself. A year later I sold it to buy a car. My dad took out a loan as I was too young to qualify, even though I could make the repayments. I paid my dad back. I kept that car for 4 years before trading it. I have had 3 cars since I was 17 & have paid for all of them on my own.

 

[browneyes106]

My parents bought my first car the summer before my senior year of high school. I gave them $500 to help with the down payment. I also had to pay for my own and any maintenance costs.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I think at most they made a payment or two for me when I wasn't working my freshman year of college. I made the down payment when I was 17. It always baffled me that my mom was very strict on what kind of car I could get. It had to be brand new and American. I told her if she was so picky about it, then she could pay for it. Didn't work

 

[GothTink]

Nope. I didn't own a car until I met my DH at 22 (and then, only because he had a car and it became "ours"). But I'm happy to say that a few weeks ago, at my DS's 16th b-day party, we gifted him with a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am in prostine condition.

 

[cristit14]

My parents paid for half of my first car. We moved right after graduation and I had to sell it. They then co-signed a loan on the car I got after we moved. They did also allow me to stay on their insurance while I was in college.