Thank you for your feedback!
You are right, at the start it can be frustrating and expensive. However, once you get used to the steering, learn how fast you should go, and place your pings better, you will need fewer repairs. Free power-ups (like free repairs) also spawn around the map. On top of that, you will find larger treasures later on.
My intention was to force players to drive more safely at the beginning to practice their navigation skills. Later in the game, spending 1 gold for a full repair won't hurt anymore, even when you upgrade your max HP.
For the jam, it would have been a better idea to deactivate this mechanic, you are right! I will definitely take this experience with me for future projects :)