Unfortunately my Parents are like that with their vehicle, mowers, AC, Furnace, basically everything. It really aggravates me. They have an 02 caravan they bought new, it has the 2.4l and 77k miles on it.
They cant afford to buy a new or even a nice used car paying cash, and I suspect they really don't need a car payment either, so you would think they would take the best possible care of the car they have, wouldn't you....?
Well no, The timing belt got changed after it snapped despite me mentioning to my father it had a belt and was likely due a few years earlier. (luckily the cams stayed timed to each other, if they didn't the head would have had to come off).
My mom is gas and go, and my father is at the point he doesn't even change the oil anymore. Several years ago I changed it and it went for many years and likely 20k miles until I told my mom it needed to be done. My father said he had changed it after i did, but it had the Mobil one filter on it that I had installed so there was no way he changed it.
I got to the point where I said its not my problem, but as they get older I feel I should help them out by changing the oil and doing basic inspections of their car. I Tell my mother it needs something and she will get what it needs, I honestly think my father would never do any maintenance at all, I cant understand it, he knows better.
This last go around on the oil It went a year and a half and probably between 6 to 10k miles. So....I put a big sticker on the windshield and told my mother when it hits this mileage, or this date tell me. If I wait for my father to do it it will never get done.
It [removed] me off to no end, he knows better.
I am glad people shared these stories, It helps me feel better about the situation and helps me keep my sanity.
