# Loaning a Car to a Family Member - Pitfalls to be Aware of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000 "2011-06-27T04:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/21 "2011-06-29T15:07:41Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Also, if they don’t own it, the cost to walk away is zero. I could do a lovely thread on “Ask the guy whos stepdaughter loaned wifes car to a friend who promptly hit someone” Amen. That’s the thing: NO good can come from loaning it. None. At best your’e looking at resentment when they give the car back in less-than-pristine condition, when they scrape it or when they won’t give it back even when on solid financial footing because when you give someone something for free, that’s its value to them: nothing. When the SO and I started getting serious he drove my car a few times when we were going places together. I put the kibosh on it quickly and we asked our families if we were covered on our own plans if we drove each others’ vehicles. We were and everything was hunky-dory but the difference is we’re 1) always in the car with the other and 2) the boundaries are clear; it’s not like a pseudo-gift-for-an-indeterminate-amount-of-time and 3) we EACH have a car so there’s not unequal footing so it’s just a matter of who-feels-like-driving or who-has-one-drink-and-who-has 2 or 3. If you don’t feel comfortable giving them a 1k car then you shouldn’t loan it to them, it’s really that simple. ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/22 "2011-06-29T15:25:27Z")
Another vote for gifting it. I speak from experience. I lent my car to a “responsible” friend who apparently had a penchant for parking in handicapped spots and speeding by multinova cameras. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/23 "2011-06-29T16:07:13Z")
> [@kathmandu](#): > > I lent my car to a “responsible” friend who apparently had a penchant for parking in handicapped spots and speeding by multinova cameras. Didn’t even think about parking tickets…eeek. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/24 "2011-06-29T19:22:37Z")
We’ve been talking back and forth about expectations and responsibilities, and I think we will go with selling it to them for a small amount of money, with everything clearly spelled out. I’m keeping all the Judge Judy episodes I’ve watched in mind. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/25 "2011-06-29T21:42:27Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I loaned a car to my Mother about ten years ago. She totalled it - rear-ended another car which was also totalled. Even though she has been nowhere near the ignition of a car of mine since then, and never will be, I am still paying more for insurance because of it. > > Gift the car to them. Insurance increases due to accidents generally terminate (with most plans) after three years, assuming no further accidents or tickets etc. If you are still getting a non-preferential rate because of an accident 10 years ago you need a new insurance carrier. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000/26 "2011-06-30T16:37:53Z")
The trouble is they refuse to accept that she will not be driving my car. Even though she’s not a listed driver, her record continues to count against me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loaning-a-car-to-a-family-member-pitfalls-to-be-aware-of/587000.md?page=1)