Cash for Clunkers
By: Marchelle McConnell
Updated: July 31, 2009
Car dealerships in Fort Wayne say the program is boosting sales.
There are a couple things you might want to look out for. Before you try to trade in your gas guzzler, make sure you meet the requirements. Your car must get 18 miles per gallon or worse.
You can qualify $3,500 if the car you're looking to buy gets four miles per gallon better than your current car. You can get $4,500 if the new car gets ten miles per gallon better than your clunker. For trucks, those mileage numbers are cut in half.
Chuck Kelly, the G.M. of Kelly Chevrolet, says “Hitting all the requirements that the government needs is a challenge. Even with the requirements, there are plenty of people still able to take advantage of this deal.
Taeresa Myers is one of them. She says “Along with the rebates that they are offering right now, it just looked like a really good deal, and a good time to buy.”
Kelly says “Business is good, people are buying great mileage cars. People are getting rid of those old beat up cars that don't get good mileage.”
There is a waiting period between the time the car is bought and when it drives off the lot. That's because the dealership has to wait for the government's money to come in.
Kelly says “Getting our money from the government is a little bit of a timely process. That's the challenge in making this whole things work.”
The program ends November 1st, unless the one billion dollars in government money is spent before then.
Cash for Clunkers internet scams have been reported.
If you want to take advantage of the program, it's best to do so in person at a car dealership. To see if the make and model of your current car qualifies for Cash for Clunkers, visit cars.gov.


