Reggie’s attitude is ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’ In terms of how he applies this principle to his 2003 Honda Accord, this means that, if the car starts, goes into gear, has some air in the tires and will eventually stop before he runs into the intersection at Route 31, not far from his McHenry home, he figures everything is just fine.

Of course, even with Reggie’s overly optimistic approach, from time to time, his car has broken. Take, for instance, the time his car overheated on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago this summer. Had Reggie checked the coolant more frequently, he might have noticed that it was getting dangerously low. He might have been inspired to take a look to see where the coolant was going.

The leak that Reggie didn’t notice wound up costing Reggie more than the simple replacement of his lower radiator hose; when he broke down in traffic, he paid the price of receiving the scorn of drivers who had to go around him for the hour and a half that he waited in the sun for a tow truck to arrive.

Reggie also had to pay for the tow. And then, having it towed into a strange auto repair shop, where he didn’t know anyone, it’s no wonder Reggie came away feeling as though he was taken for a ride. A lot of reliable shops would have charged him more than $100. At a shop in McHenry, he might have paid less than that. As it was, between the radiator hose, clamps, a gallon-and-a-half of coolant and the tow, Reggie probably spent more than $500, not that he’ll admit it.

In Reggie’s case, this is a common scenario. Last winter, he paid for a tow when his car battery went bad out by Madison. Once again, he paid for a tow. And, once again, he paid an inflated price for a battery and for the labor to install it.

There are quite a few 2003 Honda Accord’s on the road yet. Reggie’s is one of them but it may not be for long. Here the problem is that Reggie thinks timely oil changes are overrated. He thinks the oil-change schedule prescribed for his car in the Owner’s Manual is designed to make drivers bring their cars in for unnecessary oil changes so the dealer where the car was purchased can make some more money.

While there are some less-than-honest auto repair shops, there are far more that are honest and true. If Reggie would listen, they would tell him that change the car’s oil on schedule is one of the best things he can do to maintain his vehicle for the long haul while also maintaining its resale value. But Reggie isn’t listening.

Maybe Reggie just can’t hear over that blown muffler under his car. But, the car still runs, even if it’s more than a bit rough and not at peak performance. If his car ran better, he would probably increase his gas mileage, which would help to offset the cost of proper maintenance.

There is one bright side for Reggie. He’s on a first-name basis with tow-truck drivers from McHenry, to Madison, to Chicago, and other points we haven’t mentioned.