18-year-old teenager with a $14-an-hour salary has to take care of the car payment their parents got for them, as they cannot financially help anymore: ‘Are there any options to try and consider in this situation?’

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Jul 30, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Parents' financial problems are passed on to their child without them having a say in the first place when they bought a car without asking. Is that fair?

When you are a kid, the only people responsible for your finances are your parents. They not only take care of it but are also the sole providers. That extends, according to each family, for several years. Some people, after their 18th birthday, decide that the child –now an adult– has to be fully independent and provide for themself. Other parents think that it is best to continue supporting their offspring until they graduate from college or get a good job. This is not a decision taken solely on what parents think is best. It also has to do with how much money they have and the state of the household finances.

Which brings me to my second point, the story below. Not all families have the financial stability to take care of their child's expenses once they've grown out. There is nothing wrong with that. After all, these "kids" have already acquired the maturity to have their own responsibilities and independent finances. Having a job at that age and living on your own are great ways to learn responsibility and to become the best version of yourself during adulthood. We need to face our own issues without a parent or guardian to fully learn how adult life works.

The problem appears when the child not only has to take care of their expenses, but also spending that this person did not do. This user wasn't the one who decided it was a good idea to buy a car and pay for it with monthly car payments. The parents are to blame for that decision-making. They did have good intentions, but it turned out to be a new concern for this young adult's life. Now they have to postpone moving out to pay for something they never expected to be in charge of paying in the first place. This family had an arrangement. Due to financial problems, it had to change. But that doesn't seem completely fair. And probably it isn't, but that is the problem with adult life. It isn't fair. You have to be responsible for things that you didn't even decide. We cannot fight it. Nobody can pay for the car. The owner is the child. If they want it, they need to start taking care of the payments. It doesn't matter that they weren't the ones who bought it. 

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  • 01
    So I (18) have been driving my car for about 3 years now, the car was originally bought for my mom and everything is still fully in my parents name. I do not legally own the car. When the car was first given to me the agreement was that I pay my car insurance, and they pay the car payment, that had worked fine up until about 2-3 months ago when my parents had hit a financial hard spot and basically said that "if I don't pay the car payments
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 02
    A young woman holding the car keys for the car behind her. Representation.
    via Erik Mclean

    A young woman holding the car keys for the car behind her. 

    Representation.

  • 03
    then the car is going to get repossessed" and they have stopped paying for it since. Now I only make $14 an hour and my boyfriend and I are trying to move out of my parents house due to other reasons. My problem I'm having and that I need advice on is that the loan on the car still has $8,000-$9,000 left to pay according to my dad and with the payment being $500 a month that takes a big chunk of my income and really puts me in
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 04
    a not so great place to move out. My boyfriend also works and dose make more than me but it would take both of our incomes to move out comfortably and as I said with a big chunk of my income going to a car that won't be paid of for years puts a puts me in a not great position. Are there any options to try and consider in this situation?
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 05
    I want to add some context, the reason we haven't let the car get repoed is because it's in my dads name and he is worried about his credit score, and doesn't want it to get messed up. So when they weren't able to cover their payments for it, it became essentially "you have to keep up with payments so it doesn't go back and hurt Dad's credit." What I personally wanted before the car became mine and still want is a cash car that's reliable and can
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 06
    get me where I need to go so I don't have to worry about a car payment. The reason it became mine in the first place was also because of his credit. The car is a 2015 Chevy equinox.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 07
    Sugar_Mama76 So legally, neither the car nor debt is yours. You can't be forced to pay it. But they don't have to let you drive it either. Option 1: Parents get the pay-off balance from their lender. You see if you can get a loan in your name at a lower monthly payment. If yes, and affordable, you buy the car and they pay off their debt. This can only be done if you're sure they'll pay off their lender else you're in a world of
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 08
    difficulty trying to get a clear title in your name only. If they have a bad habit of spending money when it hits the account, do not do this. Option 2: Do you need the car? If you can use public transportation or you and bf share a car, then tell parents to sell it. Then you save on insurance, gas & payment. Option 3: you & bf sit down together and look at joint finances. Cost of moving, an apartment, etc. Can you afford the $500? If yes, with him
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 09
    handling more of the moving costs, and you need a car, then you're going to have to pay it. But before you hand over a penny, your name gets put on the title. You don't pay for someone else's property. The timing is kinda suspicious. At the moment you need to save to move, suddenly they want you to pay $500 a month? If your parents tend to be on the controlling side, then this looks like a way to keep you home for another couple years.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 10
    A yellow vintage car parked in the street.
    via Wolf Schram

    A yellow vintage car parked in the street. 

  • 11
    funtimescoolguy Sounds like the only option is to let the car get repo'd and see if you can get your own car for much cheaper. It's not in your name, it's not your financial responsibility.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 12
    bopperbopper "I want to thank you so much for providing a car for me but $500 a month is too expensive for me. Also, I would be paying for a car I don't own. I think you might have to sell it and pay off as much of your loan as you can. I wish I could help more but I would not have taken on $500 a month because I'm only making minimum wage."
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 13
    Healthy-Resist-5965 Let it get repossessed. My mom did this to my brother with the promise it would be transferred to his name when he paid it off. She didn't and her reasoning was that since it was in her name the agreement was never actually valid and terms changed at any time.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 14
    Humble_Pen_7216 If you can't afford the payment, you can't afford the car. I'd ask your parents to go ahead with returning the car if you can't make the payments.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 15
    PeterGriffen565 Don't pay another dime on it. It's not in your name so you get no equity in the vehicle if it's paid off, and you get no credit from the bureaus paying someone else's loan. Go purchase a decent used car you can buy outright or failing that easily afford on your budget. This is your parents problem, don't let them make it yours with nothing to show for it but an empty wallet on the other side of things.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 16
    Fun-Habit-683 You owe $8,000 on a car with a $500 payment? So you have a 40,000 car and you're gonna let it get repossessed with only 8 grand left on it. If anything get a new loan or refinance to pay it off.
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 17
    Lissa Bryan You have no skin in this game. The debt is not yours. The car is not yours. If you pay for the car, your parents can say, "Thanks! YOINK!" and take the paid-off car away from you because it's legally theirs. I've heard a lot of people say, "But they wouldn't do that!" And then they did. Never trust ANYONE where money is concerned. If you can learn that one
    via Pheonix_washere
  • 18
    life lesson early, it will save you from a lot of pain. Your parents are just trying to throw THEIR debt off on you. It doesn't say a lot for their trustworthiness.
    via Pheonix_washere

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family drama car independence financial support
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