Doesn't sound good

When you take your car in for a regular scheduled oil change and they tell you you really shouldn't be driving this way, it doesn't sound good

When they remove all the broken stuff to find more broken stuff and they say they don't make this part anymore and we are not sure if we can get a used one, it doesn't sound good

When they say without that part we are looking at about $700 in repairs, but they can't even fix without that particular part, it doesn't sound good

I have had many cars over the past 10 some years. My first car. It was a 1979 Chevy (the year I was born, so it was 17 years old when I got it.) My stepfather had gotten it when his aunt died, but a year before I could drive, so they lent it to my cousin for the time being. When I got it they had it painted a pretty blue for me. I failed my driver's test the first time but I still took that car driving on my 17th birthday (shhh don't tell.) I got it in Oct., in Nov. I attempted to drive it to Mass. for a crazy road trip. It died on the way. My mom came to Mass. and had the car towed home. After a rebuilt engine was installed it lasted me until Feb. By then I was with Jason's dad and pregnant with little Jason, so we just used his car. I was without my own car until over a year later. In Dec. 1997 I had little Jason (I had turned 18 on Oct. 3rd) and I was with his dad until Nov. of that year (1998). I did not get a car until around then. I got a yellow minivan. I loved it. After having it about 7 months I decided to try another road trip, I got a maintenance check and oil change. We drove once again to Mass. The car made it, yeah, the trip was crazy with Jason about 18 months and my friend Joanna. On the way home the car died. My mom came again and had it towed home (is my mom not so awesome-well she is!) So then I was without a car again. Then I got my crazy person blue station wagon. It was ugly! I had that car over a year (my longest so far if you are keeping track.) This car actually did not die on me, but my mom got another car and gave me her white car. My nicest car so far. I had this car from 2001-to end of 2002. After I was married we drove it to KY, it lasted 2 weeks there. So in Ky we used my husbands car, and Jason & I walked alot of places too. When I came home in 2003 I had no car again. In May/ June my parents got me a used station wagon (but much nicer looking than my first station wagon.-lol) That also lasted over a year until it died. No road trip just went. It was a 1988, and it was done driving. And just about that time a couple from another church donated there used 1995 Ford Explorer to me. It was burgundy with leather seats and a moon roof. I felt like a queen. They just gave it to me, it was full of gas and clean, and they gave me the money to register it. It was awesome. I felt so good in it and kept it pretty clean. It caused me no trouble until over a year later when the transmission went. It was not worth fixing. I miss that car. So from Nov. 2006-May 2007 I had no car, lucky for me I broke my ankle in Feb. and could not drive anyway. In May 2007 I bought a 1992 Dodge Shadow for $500. It was a nice color and only ever had one owner and was $500 and I had been without a car for 6 months. To taste the freedom of driving again. This is the car I still have that may or may not come back to me.
I have never had a car that cost more than $1000 or that lasted me more than 18 months. I do not take road trips without renting a car anymore either. Learned my lesson on that one.
I don't want a new car or a fancy car, I would just like peace of mind that I could drive say out of state and be ok. But hey, it could be worse, I know it always could be worse and we are so blessed! -That's my car history -Becky