These stories are why I just don't lend anything to anyone, ever, anymore.
With very rare exceptions, I always had to ask for my stuff back, often several times. It got to the point where I'd write a reminder on my calendar to myself to ask for X back after it had been gone for what seemed a reasonable period of time. Then when I got it back, it may or may not have been in the condition in which I lent it. Certainly never in better condition.
It's just not worth the hassle. I've repaired or replaced things occasionally when something I borrowed broke, and the one time I borrowed a car, I returned it freshly cleaned and with a full tank of gas. Apparently some of you behave the same way, but it seems that our type is rare, unfortunately.
And if that's how people treat someone else's stuff, they're probably not maintaining their own stuff very well, either. I sure as hell don't want to borrow it and be the one holding the hot potato when it has an expensive breakdown. So, sadly, I've stopped borrowing, too, in most cases.