bad luck

We have had the worst luck with cars recently! I know we aren't the only ones, but "when it rains, it pours" is an accurate description for us lately! We bought a used car for Justin in Aug. or Sept. and I think we have now had it in the shop 4 or 5 times already :( We had it checked out before we bought it, so we aren't sure if they didn't catch these things or if they happened after and they couldn't tell. We've put snow tires on, taken it in for the check engine light, taken it back in for the check engine light, fixed what they told us and now it's in the shop getting a new timing belt (yikes they are pricy!) and something else done. This is just Justin's car.

I've been driving my parents wonderful '97 expedition. It just had to get new ball joints put on about a month ago and about 2 weeks ago it made a crazy noise, so they fixed whatever that was. THEN...I know, it continues!! Yesterday I was driving and heard a really loud noise from the back that sounded like air. I had no clue what it was until I could feel the car was driving funny and I knew it was the tire!! So I pulled over and sure enough, I had a bad flat tire. I pretty much just started to laugh! What else could you do? Luckily I was just a block from Big O Tires who had put the tires on just a year before and a guy came over and put the spare on and we bought a new tire. My mom came and picked me and the girls up in her car. Luckily she was home! Justin was at school and I had dropped him off since his car is in the shop!! Aren't cars the worst? I really hate them most of the time. They are a necessary evil. I guess I ran over a pen! There was about 2 inches of a pen sticking out of the tire. Crazy. If you have a reliable car, please tell me what it is and it will be put on the list of future cars for us :)