Car Talk talks with Cheryl Miller, owner of a car from the Good News Garage

Car Talk: How did you come to need a car?

Cheryl: I moved up to Vermont last June, from south Georgia. At the time, I was dating a guy from Vermont. We had three cars, so we decided to sell mine.

I trusted him, but things took a bad turn between us, and he took his car back. I was alone, trying to find a place to live, and I have two sons, too. Of course, I never expected things to turn out the way they did.

I've been a nurse for 16 years. I had a job, but suddenly I had no way to get there. I had one month to find a car.

Car Talk: How did you find out about the Good News Garage?

Cheryl: Women in Crisis, a group here in Middlebury, recommended that I call the Good News Garage. I had never heard of them.

Cars in the Good News Garage

They were amazing. They would call me two or three times a day, letting me know what cars they had available. They wanted to make sure I was happy. I have a 13 year old who's 6' 3". Good News wanted to make sure we found a car that he could fit into. They kept asking, "Are you sure you don't want a van?!" Of course, I didn't want to tell them I was way too cool to drive a van!

I come from the Bible belt, and I have to say, there's nothing like this down there. It was as if God had blue jeans on and a wrench in his hands. This is service. I could not have survived without a car up here. I was getting desperate.

And you know, my situation is not all that unusual. I'm a single parent, just trying to make it. Sure, there are places you can find cars — if you want to pay 21% interest. They made me feel like it was all going to be okay, and I really needed that right then.

Car Talk: What kind of car did you decide on?

Cheryl: We got a 1992 Honda Accord LS. It's kind of a metallic golden brown color. My kids and I are still trying to decide what kind of color it is.

It's got 200,000 miles on it, but the Good News Garage totally rebuilt it. They fixed everything that was wrong. It got a new engine, new tires, new brakes and rotors. They fixed it, the way you would repair a car, as if you were going to give it to a friend.

They even put two new snow tires on it. And, I can tell you now, Georgia girls can indeed learn to drive in the snow. I figured it out this winter!

Car Talk: What did the car cost you?

Cheryl: It ended up costing about $1,000 in parts and labor, but the book value was about $5,000. So, my Credit Union was eager to finance it, along with insurance on it, for a full year.