Our son drives a car we bought as a third vehicle for him to use until he went to college, when his brother would start driving it. Our son is the only one who drives it and has been for the past year and a half. We have paid for all maintenance up until now recently spending 600.00 on repairs.The car needs another repair estimated at 500.00 and I think he should pay for it. We have paid his insurance with the understanding he pays for his school lunches(he makes out on this deal we dont). Whenever I have suggested he should be paying what he actually owes dh doesn't agree. He has a job making at least 75.00 a week(he could be working more but he claims the hours aren't available...I know they are). So now he has a full time job starting tomorrow making 8.50 an hour for the summer. He has had free use of a car that he did not pay for for almost 2 years. Is it wrong to ask him to pay for the repair? DH said he shouldn't have to b/c it is not his car. I said that the car is not a necessity and it was bought for both the boys not us. We do not have the money for the repair and would have to charge it. I feel it should sit in the yard until we have the cash if dh does not want ds to pay for it. DH thinks we should charge it. I am flat against charging it if we can't pay for it b/c it is not a necessity. We have accrued 2500.00 on our credit card in the past couple months with 2 other major vehicle repairs and our son's graduation so I dont want to add to that. Thoughts?

He should pay for repairs, insurance and gas if it is his car to freely use. He is working, the party is over. I would be more willing to cover the repairs if the son had been contributing to household expenses all along.

My 16 yo son started out in his current job without enough hours and he talked to the manager and said he needed more hours. It meant he had to be flexible with weekends and holidays, but now he gets a 5 to 6 day work week. He is spending some...he owns his own truck pays insurance and repairs(wheel bearing recently) and gasoline. He takes his girlfriend out for either dinner or a movie once a week. He gives to our church and helps out the family. He stashes the rest. All on $7.50 an hour.

He started working when he was yet 14, not quite 15. I started training him with an envelope system...every paycheck we would sit down and figure % for each envelope: Charity. spending cash, family, gasoline, savings. At that time we drove him back and forth to work and figured our mpg and how many miles it was to determine a daily gas allowance. Now he can figure roughly what he needs to pay for each month by himself.

 I think you're right. Your son has the money; you don't. That's a good starting point, but the other is that he needs to learn responsiblity. It's my opinion that iIf he's driving the car, he is responsible for the upkeep.

 What was the agreement when he got the car?

Growing up we got a car, insurance and repairs as long as we were responsible with the car.  If a repair was needed because of something we did, we paid for it.  If we had a wreck that was our fault, insurance became ours.

 To me it sounds like there was an unspoken suggestion that you would be responsible for this since it sounds like it is helping you as much as him.  I would really, really think back to the first and not change rules on him midgame.

Ok, my two cents.  My parents let me borrow their car in high school, however I didn't have my own car to use exclusively.  I was completely responsible for gas, insurance and would have to help pay for any repairs (however I was lucky in that area since my Dad is a mechanic).  I had to work hard to have the privelege of using my parents car, by my actions as well as financially.

Personally, I'd make him start helping.  If you don't feel comfortable having him pay the entire amount, how about half of it?  He has graduated, doing nothing for the summer but working and I don't think it's out of the question for you to require him to assist with the repair costs.  Your supplying the car and insurance.  That is a major amount of money right there. 

Life changes rules mid stream.  Your employer changes rules mid stream.  You have the right to as well, especially since you've just paid a large amount of money for repairs.  JMHO

Pat:

I think you're right. Your son has the money; you don't. That's a good starting point, but the other is that he needs to learn responsiblity. It's my opinion that iIf he's driving the car, he is responsible for the upkeep.

I agree with cinnamon huskie but if it is a battle ground maybe pay half half but that depends on what you say and the son.

 Perhaps you could do halves this time and then sit down with him and tell him that from now on, he is fully responsible for all car expenses, including gas.Two years is more than enough, and you will actually be giving him a gift by making him responsible. In the real world, as we know, there is no free lunch (or cars, either). Even if you could afford it, you should't continue to let him go on like this

 Thanks everyone. First DS is more than willing to pay for the full repair. DH thinks it is unfair. The car has been his to freely use for almost 2 years. It has always been considered "his" car and called that b/c he will still be using it when he is home from college and b/c the car was bought for him and eventually his brother. DH suggested having him pay 1/2 the cost as a compromise which I am willing to do. Probem is DH wants it fixed now he said we need the third car which is totally not true. I am more than willing being home to take ds wherever he wants to go and let him have the car when we don't need it. I was going to pay down the credit card some with next weeks check but I guess we will be paying for the car which really is no big deal in the long run. It just means a little longer paying off.

 Well the repair ended up costing 800.00. I think DH is probably thinking it was a good idea to have our son pay for half of it. Plus today a truck kicked rocks at my windshield and cracked it in 3 places. Nobody is open anywhere around here to fix it so we are going to have to wait until monday. Hope they can patch it.