I got to thinking about this several weeks ago, after listening to my teenage sister-in-law going on about how much she wanted a car; and then coming home and reading forum posts by teens about how cool it would be to have a car. Owning a car is great in terms of having your own transportation for whenever and wherever, but the downside is the car repairs. Even the best maintained car will need the occasional repair, or an expensive tune-up. A prime example of this is both my car and my husband’s car. We take very good care of our vehicles, have the oil changed, fluids topped off, filters replaced and tires rotated regularly, but that doesn’t mean that brake pads and the like won’t need to be replaced at some point. And as I found out last month, replacing the rear brakes (and rotors, in the case of my husband’s car) in conjunction with an oil change and car inspection can cost hundreds of dollars. Ack!
But despite shelling out $1000 between the two cars last month, the fun isn’t over yet. There was mention of the Kia’s timing belt possibly needing replacing, and last week Dan discovered a small chip in the Hyundai’s windshield. 
See, that’s the thing about car ownership: whether it’s a top-of-the-line Jaguar or the more affordable and economic Honda Accord, there’s always maintenance and servicing to be performed, and repairs and sudden issues will crop up. All I can suggest is look for the best deal & service on car repair that you can find. If you live in San Francisco, then look for a good deal on San Francisco auto repair; likewise if you live in Philadelphia, PA, or somewhere in Canada or in Europe.
No shit right? Guh. Been having so many issues with our vehicles. Hubby’s camero is still over heating after having several sensors and parts replaced and I either need my battery charged or a new one for my Jeep before I can even start driving it.
I like the idea of being able to get where I want quicker, but honestly if I want to get up and go somewhere, I can do that without a car. I have a road bicycle and can always take the bus. Or hell, if it’s within 5 miles I can walk there.