21 Times People “Fixed” Cars in a Very Questionable Way

There’s nothing wrong with making the extra effort to save a buck. In fact, it’s really commendable. However, when it comes to making quick and cheap “fixes” on your car or someone else’s, there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. You’ve got to remember that the new Frankenstein-inspired automobile will be sharing the road with other unsuspecting cars. These people’s “ingenious fixes” are definitely making some serious reaches.

1. “What seems to be the problem officer?”

A U-Haul truck is pulling a trailer carrying a car and an RV on a road surrounded by bare trees and patches of snow. The scene is captured from a vehicle moving alongside, with part of the interior visible in the foreground.
u/yellow_baron/via reddit.com

“Just a good old fashioned convoy. Nothing wrong with that.” – u/bananabatman34

“The cracked windshield just makes it better.” – u/user1235

2. “Lawnmower bike rack.”

A blue sedan is seen on the road with a bicycle awkwardly attached to its partially open trunk. The bicycle's front wheel is hanging out, and the trunk is slightly open, secured with a bungee cord. Trees and other cars are visible in the background.
u/kloned_quist/via reddit.com

Now that’s one way to fully commit to bringing your bikes with you. Just imagine the amount of anxiety racing across the mind of whoever was driving behind them.

3. “When you’re rebuilding a wiring harness, but you only have red wires.”

Close-up of numerous electrical wires bundled together, each tagged with a handwritten white label indicating color: green, white, blue, yellow, and black. The wires are connected to a white plug, possibly part of a larger machine or vehicle.
u/truckerman1981/via reddit.com

“Not gonna lie this is me. I’ve got a huge reel of good red wire that I use for everything. I know what the wires are for but god forbid I ever sell the vehicle.” – u/the_wolf2014

“Nobody is that stupid. Wire is cheap. Do it right, for god’s sake.” – u/Drew2248

4. “Exhaust is fixed for now. 360K Land Cruiser, 80 mile series.”

A close-up of a metal pipe secured with a hose clamp made from a cutout of a Monster Energy drink can. The can piece is wrapped around the pipe, and the green Monster logo is visible.
u/maxpowerz2/via reddit.com

“In my experience soup cans are much more durable for this use than beverage cans. Also, I realize that it is sad that I can start that sentence with in my experience.” – u/phineas1134

“Did that on my 02 explorer a few years back. Burned off. Don’t know if it was because it was closer to the front of the car or just being a bigger engine.” – u/biovllun

5. “I broke my gas pedal doing donuts. A hose clamp and a garden shovel later and I’m back in business.”

A worn car interior featuring a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal, both mounted on a dirty carpeted floor. The rubber brake pedal cover is intact, but the accelerator pedal is partially covered with a combination of white and black marks. The carpet shows signs of wear and debris.
u/elfkrunch/via reddit.com

“Is that a Mercedes Benz? Dear lord. If it is, it’s because I recognize the brake pedals.” – u/Spooms2010

“Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel 1984.” – u/Elfkrunch

6. “1981 Toyota Pickup, worked until I eventually got it replaced.”

Close-up of a car’s steering mechanism, showing a crude, temporary fix. A U-bolt and two nuts secure a broken or disconnected part, with visible grime and wear on the surrounding metal surfaces. The text overlay reads, "Fixed the steering problem I've been having.
u/fiss/via reddit.com

“Good thing you’ve got that cotter pin in there for safety.” – u/trimalchio-worktime

“Needs a vice grip.” – u/ikidd

7. “Was told ya’ll would appreciate this.”

A close-up of the underside of a silver vehicle labeled "Sonoma" with visible rust damage and corroding metal on the lower side panel. Numerous nails and screws protrude downward from the damaged area, suggesting a makeshift or temporary repair.
u/doctordew_/via reddit.com

“Now bondo the whole thing.” – u/c3h8pro

“The amount of zipties that went into that tells me that this person actually thinks that they are providing value to the ‘strength’ of this repair.” – u/hazard2k

8. “New GMC Acadia has a built-in shoe dryer.”

A person holds a pair of black New Balance running shoes in the engine compartment of a car. The car hood is open, revealing various engine components and the battery. The shoes are positioned as if they were placed on the engine components directly.
u/soapy/via reddit.com

“I’m trying to understand the reason for this design in the first place.” – u/donnysaysvacuum

At the very least, this person is maintaining a sense of humor in the face of what could otherwise be a frustrating situation.

9. “I give you the front wheel drive pickup truck.”

A black pickup truck with a beige top driving on a wet road in rainy weather. The license plate is blurred out. The truck appears to be lifted, and water spray is visible behind the tires. The road has double yellow lines and a safety barrier on the right.
u/hydrogen18/via reddit.com

“I’ve seen a broken u-joint “fixed” by removing the rear driveshaft and driving to town in 4wd, but never a missing diff center.” – u/deleted

“So many questions.” – u/jtwy

10. “If it fits, it ships.”

An RV is partially supported by a trailer on an uneven gravel surface. The rear wheels of the RV are on the ground, while the front is elevated. There are large puddles in the gravel. A white truck is parked off to the side in the background.
u/tshepp424/via reddit.com

“Not pictured. The Ford Ranger Sport that they tried to tow it with.” – u/youyou

“If only there was some kind of truck with a flat bed.” – u/deleted

11. “No plow. No problem.”

An SUV with a broken snowplow attachment sits in the middle of a snowy road. Snow-covered houses are visible in the background, and a person stands on the right side of the image, shoveling snow near a mailbox. Snow blankets the entire scene, creating a wintry landscape.
u/muffinizer1/via reddit.com

The lack of caring about what anyone else thinks that is happening in this picture is literal heroic levels. Seriously. Big ups.

12. “Out of spares.”

A dirt-covered SUV is driving on a wet road at night, with a log strapped under its back bumper. The scene is illuminated by streetlights and nearby buildings, including a brightly lit gas station. A car's side mirror is visible in the foreground.
u/jaydea/via reddit.com

“I wonder what the mile per log is.” – u/mctagert

“That’s worse than “out of spares”. It appears that his whole axle shaft on that side is missing.” – u/Greaseg

13. “Exhaust tail pipe broke off while on holiday. 1,700km it’s still holding on.”

A car's exhaust pipe is secured with a wire and what appears to be a turnbuckle, attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle above grassy ground. The components show signs of wear and dirt, suggesting a makeshift repair.
u/rundfunk90/via reddit.com

“I did the same thing when one of my mufflers started falling off. Then the other end fell off. Then the other muffler fell off. Saved $600 having a dude weld a tube on in place of the mufflers.” – u/M1RROR

“Nice hack, man.” – u/Hot-Result-193

14. “Zip snip, zip snip.”

A close-up view of a blue car's bumper with a series of zip ties securing a long vertical crack. The crack runs from the bottom of the bumper up to just below the hood, and the black zip ties form a zigzag pattern to hold the damaged pieces together.
u/whemphrey/via reddit.com

“That’s got to be the cleanest drift stitching that I’ve ever seen.” – u/skech1080

“My old project junker’s bodywork was about 80% zip ties and prayers. Turns out I was better at fixing old girl for cheap rather than driving her.” – u/pup_

15. “This counts, right?”

A red electric car is parked on a pavement with a portable generator mounted on a rack on the rear. Leafless trees and a well-maintained garden can be seen in the background.
u/efields83/via reddit.com

“That’s been on my mind for a long tome. While wildly inefficient good cheap fix for needing to go on a longer trip.” – u/bobbysenterprises

“I don’t think it will actually let you move while charging. Otherwise people would drive off with their chargers still plugged in and damage them.” – u/ttk2

16. “Craftsman sockets used to full potential.”

Close-up of a car's suspension system, focusing on a red coil spring seated in a black suspension mount. Above the mount, a metal bolt is partially visible through a hole in the vehicle's chassis. The surrounding area appears to be part of the wheel well.
u/ssnacks/vi areddit.com

“I’d use an impact socket for that.” – u/Watermellon

“They told me I could never be more than a 9/16 socket. I alone decide my destiny!” – u/AnalogFeelGood

17. “Whatever gets the job done right?”

A black Ford truck is parked at a gas station with a large wooden plank attached to its front bumper. The day appears sunny with a clear sky, and the ground is dry. The gas station has some empty parking spaces and visible gas pumps in the background.
u/naturalborn/via reddit.com

“Man, if I was gonna put a board as a bumper, I’d make it look really nice. Painted or stained, like 20 coats of poly on it, and maybe burn some cool saying into it (or the license plate number or something).” – u/ContiX

“It’s a Ford. He’s just upgrading.” – u/deleted

18. “True craftsman.”

A blue and black pickup truck with a wooden extension on its bed is parked in a lot. The truck bed is filled with various items, and there is a white SUV parked beside it. In the background, there is a building with a sign that reads "NALU'S.
u/pnate9/via reddit.com

“This looks like a temporary solution, but built well enough to be permanent.” – u/Todo744

“Sad thing is instead of going to a junk yard for a panel, someone spent hours on that quick fix.” – u/MOF1fan

19. “I drove with a wooden bumper when doing body work this summer.”

The image shows the back of a vehicle with various paint patches and a partially obscured Illinois license plate. The rear bumper has been replaced with a wooden plank spanning the width of the vehicle. The vehicle is parked in a parking lot.
u/atmosfearing/via reddit.com

“You spent the bumper money on the fancy Sox license plate, didn’t you?” – u/ski9600

In all fairness, based on the state of everything else with this ride relative to that Sox plate, it seems pretty clear where the money went.

20. “Florida heat is unbearable.”

A beige sedan has an unconventional setup, with a window air conditioner unit installed on the rear side window. A red generator is secured to the car's roof, likely to power the AC. The vehicle is at a traffic light intersection on a clear day.
u/fsjja1/via reddit.com

“Wouldn’t a 110v inverter be a lot better than a generator?” – u/NuklearFerret

“Wouldn’t keep up.” – u/deleted

21. “Here’s another wood bumper. The front plate is zip tied on.”

A heavily damaged car with a crumpled hood and missing front bumper is parked next to a red bollard on a sunny day. The car's headlights and front grill appear to be missing or broken, and the vehicle is in a state of disrepair.
u/pastasauce/via reddit.com

“Tri-Cities, Washington?” – u/AngryMikey

“Tacoma.” – u/pastasauce