Teen Says Her Dad Offered to Buy Her a Car for Her 18th Birthday. Now, He Wants Her to Pay Him Back for It: ‘Blindsided’

A 17-year-old girl says she feels “blindsided” after her father unexpectedly changed the terms of buying her a car for her upcoming 18th birthday.

She shared on Reddit’s “Am I the A——?” forum that her dad originally offered to spend $5,000 on a vehicle as a birthday present. However, he later told her she must pay him back the full amount over time — something she says she cannot afford.

“He said it’s so I can earn it and feel like it’s truly mine with no strings attached,” she wrote. “But the thing is I can’t afford that.”

According to her post, her father reiterated that repayment would show responsibility, adding that she could simply pay him back in small weekly amounts.

The teen clarified that the initial conversation made it sound like her dad would buy the car outright, while she would take care of registration fees and ongoing costs — an arrangement she fully expected and “was perfectly fine” with.

She works seasonally around Christmas, and after doing the math, realized she would have to tap into her savings to repay her father for what she believed was a birthday gift. “Honestly, I’d rather just not have the car,” she wrote. “I know that might sound ungrateful, but I had a plan in my head about it.”

Wondering whether she was wrong to push back, she asked the community: “Am I the a—— for refusing to pay my dad back for the car he bought me?”

Reddit users were quick to respond. One commented, “Your father bought himself a car (assuming it’s in his name) and is now trying to manipulate you into paying for it. You should only pay for a car that is in your name.”

Another added, “This is not a great deal. It’s shitty behavior.”