Sometimes a phone call to a financial advice show turns into a masterclass in what not to do with money. Danielle from Houston recently provided exactly that when she called into The Ramsey Show with hosts George Kamel and Jade Warshaw.
Her situation? She owes $65,000 on a used car that's now demanding a $20,000 engine replacement. And she's only owned it for a year and a half.
The $75,000 Used Car Problem
"I'm in a little dilemma," Danielle opened, which might qualify as understatement of the year. "I still owe about $65,000 on this vehicle that I've only had for a year and a half."
The vehicle in question is a used 2019 Audi Q8 that she bought for roughly $75,000. Now it needs a completely new engine, estimated at $20,000 to replace. Her extended warranty company has graciously offered to chip in $7,000 toward the repair. Why only partial coverage? Danielle had no clue.
The numbers get worse from there. She's carrying $32,000 in student loans and another $2,000 in credit card debt. Her annual income is $65,000, meaning she bought a car that cost more than her yearly salary. Her monthly car payment sits at about $1,600 with a 12% interest rate. Oh, and she has zero savings.
Warshaw's response was immediate and visceral. "Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend," she said. "What were you thinking buying this?" Kamel piled on: "Let's just pretend this last year was gravy and you had no engine problems. You're just paying $1,600 a month on a $75,000 vehicle when you make $65,000."
The Turo Strategy That Wasn't
Danielle did have a plan, sort of. Initially, she was renting the Audi out on Turo to help cover the payments. But then her other car got stolen, forcing her to start driving the luxury SUV full-time instead of treating it as a rental income generator.
Insurance covered the stolen vehicle, but she didn't pocket any money because she was underwater on that loan too. "It's not your first rodeo making bad decisions," Kamel noted, cutting straight to the uncomfortable truth.
Two Terrible Options
So what now? Kamel laid out the grim reality in two scenarios. Option A: sell the broken car as-is for around $30,000 and remain personally liable for the $35,000 difference. Option B: somehow scrape together $13,000 to cover the repair costs after the warranty payment, get the engine fixed, then immediately sell it.
"On paper, option B is a better option," Kamel said. "They're both terrible, but that's a better option right now."
His advice was direct: do whatever it takes to get that engine repaired, even if it means taking out a personal loan, then sell the car immediately. And not to a dealer—sell it privately to maximize what you can get for it.
The Half Your Income Rule
Kamel shared their guideline for car purchases: only buy used vehicles that are at least four years old, paid for in cash, and worth no more than half your annual income. For someone making $65,000 a year, that means a car valued at $30,000 maximum.
"God bless the USA when we can be $100,000 in consumer debt, but we have great credit," Kamel quipped. "I've got an 850, but I don't have 800 bucks in the bank account, and I'm $100,000 in debt. That is the American way."
It's a painful lesson in the difference between appearing wealthy and actually building wealth. High credit scores don't mean much when you're drowning in payments on depreciating assets that can, apparently, spontaneously need $20,000 engine replacements.