Commentary

A Luxurious Headache

July 3, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

My Dad’s told me that his father said “a car is just a hole in your pocket.”

I remember being excited about getting my licence. The freedom to drive, not waiting on my parents to take me places. And getting my own car? What a feeling! But that soon changed.

Owning a car today sucks.

Yes, everything has its ups and downs. Its solutions and its problems.

But now I feel that owning a car today is more of a headache than an enjoyment, both financially and your well-being.

Why? Well, a big reason is because of the number of parts. When the Ford Model-A’s were first coming off the assembly line, they generally had around 5’000 parts, depending on the body type. Now, modern cars have over 30’000 parts! As a mechanic, that must be a nightmare to deal with, to understand, memorize, and try to be efficient with handling. That small part that needs to be fixed? It’s an arm and a leg to just get to it. And why does it break down easily? Well, quality has certainly dipped.

When cars were first invented, they were built not to necessarily last, but certainly be more durable. And with so many more moving parts now, your car eventually just can’t handle it all. Like it’s having a heart attack. So many bells and whistles, luxury items; like heated seats, remote start, electronic devices, that while sounds cool at first, really starts eating away at your wallet. Looking inside the hood of your car and you can’t tell what does what. It’s jam packed. Cars from the 1950s? Pop the hood and you can clearly see the various parts and what they do. Simple and easy.

Ownership is not as fun as you think it is. It’s now a necessary headache with so many factors to deal with.

Purchasing one can be daunting, with so many decisions, brands, makes and models, and features. Once you buy a car and drive it off the lot, instantly it loses value. And you’re told it’s ‘an investment.’ Yeah, an empty investment you just keep sinking more money down that hole in your pocket.

Oh, and insurance is a whole other nightmare, especially when it involves an accident, it’s just more money to throw away.

Owning and maintaining a car is a lot of work, and can be very time consuming. It feels like you always need to be thinking of it, checking it every day. Who has time for that? Oil changes, tire swaps, rust proofing, brakes, the battery, air-conditioning, heater, and more that you need to factor in to your already busy schedule and fit into your day, which is difficult. What’s that weird noise it’s making? Is it normal? An endless daily battle you can never win.

And when it breaks down, well that’s even worse. You don’t have time or the knowledge to fix a car yourself? You need to factor in renting a car, sharing with your family, making due without it. And the cost of it all. Plus, do you trust that mechanic shop? They’re honest, provide good quality? Waiting for that phone call to know the damage, both to the car and your wallet; it’s a whole other headache to deal with.

So if you decide to buy a used car, is that seller honest? Or looking to scam you? Soo many things to watch out for, it’s stressful.

Trying to restore that vintage car of yours? Finding parts is a nightmare of its own. Maybe just stick to owning Hot Wheels instead.

Keep track of everything you put into the car of yours; gas, maintenance, parts and service, initial purchase, and I’m sure it’s a mountain of bills. Someone, please make teleportation a reality.

Car ownership during the early years was way different. It was originally a luxury for the wealthy, and used as a means of secondary transportation, as horse and buggy, and trains were still the main method of transportation. It wasn’t a reliance. Today, it’s a necessary luxury to have a car, especially if you live in a rural area.

And today, with the price of cars, difficulty finding parts, and all the frustrating elements that go with owning one, cars feel like that; a luxury again. But with a painful, financially draining, headache.

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