You just might need a new car soon...

Courtesy of the Washington Post Style Invitational

...if every 3,000 miles, you change the duct tape. (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)

...if your current one is worth less than the bribe you have to pay to get an inspection sticker. (Chris Doyle, on vacation in Aswan, Egypt)

...if it is your father's Oldsmobile. (Ira Allen)

...if your mechanic is storing part of his CD collection in your glove box. (Mike Pool, Vienna)

...if hitting potholes is the only way to make the headlights come on. (Rick Haynes, Potomac)

...if your mechanic has to use his connections in Havana to get parts. (Jim McClellan, Alexandria; Russ Taylor, Vienna)

...if the panhandlers at red lights slip dollar bills in your window. (Tom Murphy)

...if the OnStar lady keeps directing you toward a ravine. (Barbara Turner, Takoma Park)

...if the fuzzy dice are the only original parts. The left one, anyway. (Jay Shuck)

...if the ashtrays in the back seat are full. -- P. Hilton, Los Angeles (Russell Beland, Springfield)