AITA for not giving my son my car to pay off his debt?

A dad who leaned heavily on his son for financial help over the years is now facing backlash after refusing to give up his car to settle the debt. What started as occasional grocery money from a teenage son snowballed into credit cards, bills, and insurance in the kid’s name leaving the son with around $10,000 owed when he moved out.

The father insists his son knew what he was getting into and should apologize for going no contact. But the internet isn’t buying it, calling out years of exploitation.

‘AITA for not giving my son my car to pay off his debt?’

The financial strain began soon after the son moved in as a teen:

The breaking point came after the son moved out:

This goes far beyond one car—it’s years of parental financial abuse, where a father shifted his money woes onto his teenage son, saddling him with debt that could haunt his credit for years. Asking a 17-year-old to cover groceries is one thing; putting credit cards, bills, and insurance in his name is exploitation, plain and simple.

The father’s insistence that the son “knew” doesn’t hold water—kids often help out of love and pressure, not full understanding of long-term consequences. Refusing repayment or the car while demanding an apology flips the script on accountability.

Many adult children of such parents cut contact to protect their finances and mental health—it’s a common boundary in recovery from family enmeshment. The depression diagnosis is valid, but regret without action (like a payment plan) won’t rebuild trust.

Real change means owning the harm, starting repayments however small, and seeking financial counseling. Without that, the estrangement—and potential no-shows at funerals, as one commenter noted—feels earned.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

The verdict was swift and brutal: YTA across the board, with calls of narcissism, deadbeat parenting, and even fraud.

Many highlighted the lifelong damage from the debt:

Others zeroed in on the “promise” and manipulation:

A few questioned the story’s details or suggested repayment:

This one’s heartbreaking all around—a father missing his kids, but the consensus is clear: the debt and damage trace straight back to years of poor choices and reliance on a child who deserved protection, not bills.

No one blames the son for walking away. Do you think a genuine repayment effort could mend things, or is the trust too broken? And how far should parents go to avoid burdening their kids financially?