Hi M.,
My Husband and I decided long before our kids were old enough that if they wanted to drive they would need a B average with nothing lower than a C in order to get their licence and if they showed any kind of irresponsible behaviour, the car would be gone. Also we had decided that they would need to pay for half of their car. Whatever they saved we would match. We have 3 so far that have gotten cars, and they have varied greatly on the value. Our sons did not save much so they got a cheaper car. Our daughter on the other hand started with a car that was only 5 years old and in great shape. She is now driving an even newer car and is talking about getting a brand new car, she just turned 21. Also I will mention that our one daughter who is 19 does not have her licence yet because her behaviour was such that did not warrant it. She did the grades and got her permit but was not making me comfortable with her having a licence, when she would not listen to instruction and kept arguing that she was not making mistakes.
Not to sound harsh, but your son does not sound like he is acting responsibly by waiting to the end of summer to get a job. My advice would be to tell him no. Let him know that you told him at the start of the situation that he was to get a job to pay for it and since he did not, he only has himself to blame for not having a car. If you bail him out now, he will get the message that you will not follow through with what you say and that you will always bail him out of trouble. Therefore giving him licence to be irresponsible.
It is tough to do this and watch them suffer, I know, we have had to do this with our oldest son. He has wanted us to bail him out a couple of times and we had to tell him no due to the fact that he was not being responsible. It was tough, but he got through it and now he is better for it, he is 19 and working as a fork lift operator. We also, as I mentioned took the privilage of driving from my 19 yr old daughter as she just was being stuborn about learning, she was mad at us for quite a while but she is much more willing to learn now. She is working for the state and took an apartment just around the corner from work, but is seeing now what a pain it is not to have her licence and a car. It is tough as a parent to watch your child suffer in any way, but in this case he will come out a better man for it.
A freind of ours bailed out their son, he crashed three cars before they said enough, the last time he almost died.
There is another thing I would like to add and then I will stop. It is much better to have your child be mad at you for a while because you did not pay. Than to not have him at all because he had another accident and wrapped himself around a tree and died. Good luck and God bless.
D.