Parents Give Daughter’s Car to Son. Now, They Expect Her to Buy a New One to Drive Them Around

A woman took to Reddit for advice after a tense family disagreement over a car she had used for four years.

In her post, she asked if she was wrong for refusing to help her parents with transportation after they handed the car over to her brother.

She explained that although the Jeep Grand Cherokee legally belonged to her parents, she had been covering the vehicle’s insurance and registration for years. Her mom doesn’t drive, and her dad lost his license after a DUI, making her the only one in the household able to use the car.

Her father only had the car for three years before his license was revoked. “It was fully paid off so I just took over paying for insurance and registration,” she said.

The vehicle became a crucial resource in her life, not just for herself but for her family. “It was nice to have a car for errands and for running errands for my folks,” she wrote, adding that it was “a much nicer car than I would have gotten for myself.”

Things changed during a visit from her brother, who lives across town. He became upset that she had use of the vehicle, claiming she was “the golden child” who always got everything from their parents.

After the confrontation, her dad took the car back and gave it to her brother. “Like I said, it’s not my car and I really don’t need one,” she noted.

Living just a few blocks from her parents and working from home, she rarely needs to drive. “I work from home. My clients see me in my home,” she explained, mentioning that she runs a salon from the main floor of her house.

She gets groceries delivered, orders essentials from Amazon, and occasionally uses public transit. “I don’t need a car or the expense of a car,” she said.

Tension mounted again when her mom needed a ride to a hearing aid appointment. The woman reminded her she no longer had access to the car. Later, her dad asked when she planned to buy a new one. Her response: “I don’t need a car.”

He then voiced concern that she might expect him to purchase another vehicle for her. “He said he hoped that I’m not expecting him to buy me a car just to run errands for them,” she wrote.

She offered a solution. “I said that I would not be getting a car but that if he wants I will split the cost of a car share membership.”

Her dad reluctantly agreed but later suggested she should cover the full cost. “I reiterated that I do not need a car,” she said. “And that if he keeps it up I won’t even split the cost with him.”

She believes the real issue is not the car itself, but the family dynamics and expectations. Her brother, now with the vehicle, took their mother grocery shopping once—but treated it as such a burden that it left her in tears.

“They didn’t want to ask him for favors,” she said. “I pointed out that they could just ask for the car back but that was also a non starter.”

Despite her efforts to set firm boundaries, her dad called her “ungrate[ful] and childish” for not replacing the car after using it for four years. Her reaction? “I just roll my eyes now.”

In an edit to her post, she clarified that she is no longer paying for the car’s insurance, though the registration is still under her dad’s name. She also acknowledged that she occasionally used the car for personal reasons—like going out with friends or on dates.

“I don’t like men knowing where I live before I get to know them,” she added.

Ultimately, she isn’t looking for sympathy. She’s drawn a line, proposed a compromise, and refused to take on a responsibility that no longer makes sense for her. Now, she’s just wondering if standing her ground makes her the villain.