Parents buy 18-year-old daughter a $65K Jeep after originally agreeing to pay 25K-30K, befuddles their 27-year-old son who previously offered $5K for car payments: 'The 5k won't even last the summer'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Apr 13, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

If there is one thing people love wasting money on, it's expensive cars. I come from a town where people would buy $70K vehicles for themselves but wouldn't pay for their kid's college education. I don't understand why, if you had the ability, you would sink money into something constantly losing value rather than something as invaluable as education. Maybe this is just because I haven't driven regularly in about six years, but I also can't wrap my head around paying such an excessive amount of money on something that simply gets you from point A to point B and back. I don't think you should be foolish and buy a $500 car from some guy on Facebook Marketplace, but there's got to be a better option than buying new expensive cars for every family member. Looking cool and high-status isn't worth anything if you don't have the funds to back it up. 

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  • The responsible 27-year-old son of a pair of overspenders recently got himself into a conundrum. He offered to give his younger sister $5K for car payments to get her through college. However, instead of getting her a car she could finish paying off herself, his parents got her a $65K Jeep.

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    W
    via Kenny Eliason

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    My sister (18 f) is starting college this fall. She doesn't have a car but will need one because she'll be commuting to school while living at home.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    via Erika Fletcher

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    At the beginning of the year, I (27 m) told her that I'd help her pay for a car as a graduation gift, and I'd pay for the first 5k of her monthly payments. She has an almost full-ride scholarship and is living at home, so this will
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    probably be her only recurring bill outside of school fees and supplies. I did this so that when she started working, she could build as much of a savings net as possible if something came up.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    My parents, my sister, and I originally agreed on a max of 25k-30k. This car isn't meant to last her a decade. She's never owned a car before; this is her "baby's first car." It's supposed to be an affordable used car for a college kid to get around in. It should last her for college, and then she can figure out what to do from there.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
  • 07
    Well, I was lied to because she and my parents went out and bought a brand-new Jeep yesterday. I'm livid my parents co-signed for her to get this. Not only did they buy a 65k brand- new car, but they financed(!) a 10k down payment at an even higher APR for some reason! For
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    some insight, my parents cannot afford this car themselves, and they can't even afford the new payments on the loan they got for the 10k. There's a reason I'm the one helping out with the payments on this, not them. My sister does not even have a job yet, which was supposed to be step 1 before we even got her the car.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    I'm livid. The 5k I had set aside for her won't even last the summer if we put it towards the car and loan payments. The whole reason I did this is now basically moot because she'll have to cover the payments while she's in school.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    My parents have good credit somehow but ave 0 cash at the end of each month, so I'm pretty sure once my 5k runs dry, the car will be repoed for nonpayment in the next year or so. What boils my blod even more is they know I'm livid but don't care. Mom
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    went on a whole hour about how sisters "eyes lit up at the sight of the car" and "you would not have said no either if you were there." We had talked about this for months. My sister and parents both know 100% that she will not be able to afford this car, but they don't care now.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    I'm considering backing out. I'll tell them to return the car, and we return to the original plan, or else I'll just invest the 5k in a 5- year bond for my sister. I want some opinions on this plan,
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    via Alexander Mils (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    Edit: Quick clarification. My gift to her is a total of 5k that was to be used for monthly payments. The way I worded it was weird I think originally. I did not promise to help with a downpayment or anything else fee related. She had saving to cover that. I was going to pay the first 5k of monthly payments after that.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    edit 2 and update: Some people are asking why the original car purchase price we decided of 25k-30k was so high. I agree, that's pretty high for an unemployed college kid. That was meant to be an "absolute max that you need to think very carefully about" total (fee's included.) I was encouraging them to go for 10-15k but was talked up to a 25-30k max.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    I also just got confirmation that the deal was finalized yesterday. There's no returning the jeep, I was mistake about how used vs new cars are treated with cool down period laws. She and my parents are screwed. Thanks for the advice so far, going to think this over tonight and figure out how much of his circus I want to be apart of.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    [deleted] NTA - but your parents are, and are acting like children themselves. "For some insight, my parents cannot afford this car themselves, and they can't even afford the new payments on the loan they got for the 10k. There's a
    via u/[deleted]
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    reason I'm the one helping out with the payments on this, not them. My sister does not even have a job yet, which was supposed to be step 1 before we even got her the car." They are setting your sister up to fail. The Jeep goes back and a cheaper, second hand car comes back home, or they are on their own.
    via u/[deleted]
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    yougotajeepwhat OP but your parents are, and are acting like children themselves. I'mvery much kicking myself right now for not realizing they would probably act like 3 18 year olds at the car dealership, rather than 2 adults with their 18 year old child.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat
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    rememberimapersontoo maybe it's time for a one on one talk with your sister about why you're the one who has money to pay for her car, and how following your parents example with regard to money does not come with a car
    via u/rememberimapersontoo
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    wifey 1 point1 I can't upvote this enough. OP needs to do an end-run around the parents at this stage. "I didn't agree to this and refuse to be a sort of this. It is reckless and foolish, and they are not helping you by teaching you that this irresponsibility is okay. Mom and dad can barely keep themselves above water, and are signing for this before you even have a job. It doesn't make sense, and I'm not bailing them out for it, and will not pay a dime towards this Jeep.
    via u/wifey1point1
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    "If or when you lose this vehicle, then we can talk. Please, let me help you with your financial plans, budgeting, how to keep your finances and bills together while you start your life. "Learning now will save you a huge amount of pain later." The parents are lost causes, clearly. 65K!!! The first vehicle my ex and I bought while making 200K combined, was only ~50K. And it was a brand new Pilot. 65K Jeep? What kind of stupidity!
    via u/wifey1point1
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    RiverWear Yeah, I don't get all of these people buying luxury cars when they have no money. Never in my life have I spent $65k on a car - and I'm old and make a good salary. Such a huge waste. OP, good luck taking it back. If your state doesn't give you a couple days to rescind the contract (which it probably doesn't), they'll still be on the hook for the depreciated value - like that extra $10k they borrowed. (The level of financial illiteracy shown by your parents is mind-blowing.) NTA
    via u/RiverWear
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    Safe_Community2981 I make over $140k and I've STILL never bought a vehicle that cost over $50k. It just seems silly. And a Jeep? One of the least-reliable vehicles out there? Not only are they going to get f ed on payments but they're going to get utterly wrecked on maintenance costs as well.
    via u/Safe_Community2981
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    [deleted] I would literally pay what you said you would, and nothing more. If she flushes 5k down the drain when it gets repoed that's on her. I get not wanting to waste 5k but I think it will cause so many more problems with your parents and sister in the long run. You are NTA if you choose to back out though because they didn't hold their end of the deal.
    via u/[deleted]
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    yougotajeepwhat OP My real problem here is that even though I make good enough money to have saved 5k for this, that's not insignificant for me. That's still money I worked hard for. I really don't want to give her 5k worth of rope to hang herself with.
    via u/yougotajeepwhat

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