car repairs

I am a single, full time, father of 2 wonderful kids, struggling to make ends meet. I always bought cheap cars so I would not have car payments. I got tired of those cars breaking down and needing to buy another one. So, I decided to finance a newer car with fewer miles and not worry, so much, about it breaking down.

A year and half later here I am in a worse situation than I would have been if I bought a cheap car, instead of financing this one. The engine needs replaced. If I had bought a cheap car I would just junk it and find another. But because I financed this one, which I still owe $15000, I'm stuck with it and can not afford to buy another car(because of monthly payments, money is tight).

The cost to repair this car is crazy. There is no way I can afford that. My credit is not good enough to get another loan, I've tried. I'm at a loss here and don't know what to do, so here I am, feeling like a fool, asking for money.

I will never finance a car again. This is what I get for going out of my comfort zone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My next step is bankruptcy. $2000 for attorney to file is easier to get than $13000 to fix car.