10 Things You Should Know About Cash for Clunkers

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I have a 2001 Toyota Celcia - So, my car does that qualify - However, it has over 150K miles and needs a ton of work! Shouldn't that count more than someone with a perfectly good SUV?

Aimee Ricca of NJ 12:49PM July 27, 2009

My daughter has a 1994 Grand AM the comibed milage is over 18 mgp. So her clunker does not qualify. She is a college student full time. I the government wanted to help change the combined milage to a HIGHER NUMBER!!

BIll of CT 12:18PM July 27, 2009

I have owned cheys fords toyota and nissans and I will have to say toyotas and nissans seem to give me the least trouble. I have an old 97 nissan 4x4 with 210,000 miles runs great and exspect it to run another 100,000 miles like my last one. I really want to buy american, but I can't afford to. I was recently laid off an if I do buy new my only choice is a dependable toyota 4x4 tacoma as there are no nissan 4x4s. I am not sure how this program will work using my tax dollars, but I dout I will benifit much from it.

Linn of OR 11:21PM July 26, 2009

Can anyone afford to buy or lease a NEW vehicle? Not anyone that I know. They need to make some deep changes to this bill, accepting more vehicles for trade in and allowing the value to be applied to USED vehicles. This bill won't fix anything and chances are it will just entrap more people in a credit battle, which will eventually lead to: repo'd cars, poorer credit, less money in the system, etc, etc. The people that created this really didn't think it through and apparently seem to believe that we can all afford new cars. Lovely.

Andi of MI 2:00PM July 24, 2009

We went to our dealer last week after deciding on buying a honda fit sport via internet pricing. Brought in our title, insurance coverage card and vehicle. We are trading in our Safari Van which gets 16mpg which is in my husband and my name. The new car we are purchasing will be in my name and my son's. They had no problem with that as long as one of our names was on the title. We will be getting 4,500 for our Van. We will be signing the papers tomorrow.
I think this is a great program and I found it easy to use and understand. I also have an older Alero, but it missed the mpg by one point. You should understand the program just as much as the dealer. I had one person tell me the car had to be a certain age, this dealer was wrong. So do your homework before going into the dealerships, but act quickly as the program could end anytime if all the funds are used up.

Carrie of MO 5:34PM July 23, 2009

As a designer with 25 years in various fields, I really appreciate well designed and well built goods...The one issue that always bothered me was the 'design' of cars coming from American companies...The japanese were taking all of the US 'scrap metal', while all US Made steel (anything) was manufactured 'by Americans' out of US mined steel...Of course we all know how that ended up...The japanese sent all that 'scrap' right back to us (in the form of shells...the ones shot out of cannons & guns)...Since then, we've helped the japanese to build 'a Democracy'...and now they're sending us 'their' better designed, better manufactured vehicles than we seem to be able to even emulate, (much less design & build 'better')...Now it seems that cycle has extended to the chinese (thank you walmart)...Although I still buy and own 'American Made' (whenever possible!)...unless Americans build some real pride, instead of just displaying it with chinese made flags and bumper stickers, no 'buy American incentives will ever work'...
Our kids are stupid, knowing literally NO history, little math & science and are obviously lacking in design education...in order to compete and 'really be' what we claim we are' (what our parents, grandparents & forefathers fought and died for)...we need to instill an entire new set of values in our future...our children...otherwise the ol' incentive trick is something we'll continue to fall for and waste even more time...while overseas companies continue to out-do us...

Sir Vertual of NC 9:18PM July 22, 2009

I am in the same boat. We thought this would be a great deal. Working for the steel industry for 29 years I lost my job to foreign imports. I thought for once our government was going to give me a break. My husband is still driving our 1994 Buick Lasabre with 225000 miles on it, but it is not on the governments list of qualifying vehicles. Do they really think we are getting great gas mileage out of this vehicle. Or do the discounts only apply to the big SUV's that all our government officials are driving. Who came up with this list of vehicles, and how could it be so selective.
When will our government help the working men and women of the United States?

Faye of WV 11:30AM July 22, 2009

Well, I figured I would buy a new vehicle as my Jeep gets about 15 mpg. I went out, picked out a 2010 Vibe which gets 32 mpg. I couldn't find my Jeep on the list. The dealer says , the government doesnt have the full list yet, which cars qualify. Dealer also says - the government still hasn't handed out paperwork for the dealers to fill out to qualify for the program. This is July 21st. They have no idea if the car will qualify as its orignal 1997 mpg was 17/21. 13 years since purchase - it gets 15 mpg.
The salesman says pick your car up Friday when it is supposed to be in full affect. The dealer says that my car won't qualify because the car has to be in MY name that I am turning in. I say, it is -- so okay then.....I apply for the loan, get the cash for clunkers going - then to find out, my credit is fried due to someone having a credit card in my name (identity theft). I use my moms name - she has to buy the car. They say you can't use the cash for clunkers because the car is not in your moms name. I say "well yes it is, the title is in her name". NOOOOO that isn't good enough - it winds up "sorry the vehicle has to be registered in her name" GRRRRR.....
So, this program has so many tight loopholes. You can't go out and buy a car to turn in as a clunker, for the past year, the insurance, registration and title had to be in YOUR name. It doesn't matter if it is your mom, your dad, nothing like that. JUST YOU.
Then they have so few vehicles on the list, it is basically a ploy to get you into the car dealerships and sign those papers.
We still don't know if my car even qualifies, even tho it is proven 15 mpg. Like it would of mattered. I am now buying a car that has 32 mpgs, but have a clunker for sale if anyone is interested. Actually, it is a really nice vehicle I will be able to get the 4500 for it, no problem.
Don't go to the auto dealer to buy just yet if you are considering this one - It has so many rules before it works that it has to be worth your while. Billions more tax dollars put to use for what?
It wasn't worth mine

Leah of NY 10:40AM July 22, 2009

Another kick in th pants of this program is gas mileage. My s-10 is estimated at 22mpg combined. Well, maybe it was in 1998 when I bought it. But now, 11 years and 125K miles and assorted breakdowns and problems later, I know it's not getting that.

GF of MI 8:04AM July 22, 2009