Cash For Clunkers

[tzsgti]

Everyday a sucker is born. I guarantee you that dealers are taking advantage of customers that come in with a cash for clunker voucher. I bet people are paying sticker minus rebates with no dealer discount at all.

That being said i also heard of dealers not doing what they are supposed to do and taking parts from the cars which is not allowed with this program.

[GREENBACK]

My issues are that you must buy new(I've never done this, nor do I want to). You can't haggle the overinflated price( that's a deal killer). I don't want payments which would likely be neccesary on anything new I would consider buying.

I'm a little curious about financing on this as well. Are you able to use the bank of your choice?

[indycobra]

I was really close to trading my 97 F-150 in for a new Tacoma until I did some math.

$4500 - $2000 (my trucks street value) - $1000 (sales tax) -200 (additional insurance) - 200 (additional plate fees) = $1100 savings in reality.

I could do much better buying a used vehicle with my eyes closed. Instead I just bought new tires for the truck and spray painted the rims now she feels like new.

[amarowsky]

I tried to use the program but the dealers said that neither of my cars would work, 1986 toyota celica or my 1994 chevy s-10, I guess that according to the dealer I talked to on the phone, a most 90's taurus's don't even count.

There are barley any cars that they take, basically gotta have a old 8 clyinder, big truck, or van.

[disneysteve]

I tried to use the program but the dealers said that neither of my cars would work, 1986 toyota celica or my 1994 chevy s-10, I guess that according to the dealer I talked to on the phone, a most 90's taurus's don't even count.

There are barley any cars that they take, basically gotta have a old 8 clyinder, big truck, or van.

Actually, I don't think my car is eligible either because of the mileage requirement.

[Angio333]

I wonder if I could buy a junk car for a few hundred dollars and then drive it to a delaership to trade in for the $4500 deal.

I wouldn't do it for many reasons including that fact that I think the program is a bad idea.

[maat55]

I was really close to trading my 97 F-150 in for a new Tacoma until I did some math.

$4500 - $2000 (my trucks street value) - $1000 (sales tax) -200 (additional insurance) - 200 (additional plate fees) = $1100 savings in reality.

I could do much better buying a used vehicle with my eyes closed. Instead I just bought new tires for the truck and spray painted the rims now she feels like new.

[Broken Arrow]

Well, regardless of our reservations, it seems the general public is enthralled with the idea. The first $1 billion is already used up, and I think Congress just passed another $2 billion for it.

I'm not planning to buy either, but at least it's got me thinking.

[ktmarvels]

I wonder if I could buy a junk car for a few hundred dollars and then drive it to a delaership to trade in for the $4500 deal.

Unfortunately they thought of this...the car has to have been insured and owned by you for at least one year. DH just bought a "clunker" truck that I was curious to see if we could get rid of it after we got our use out of it, but apparently we'll get to keep it til DH tires of it.

[GREENBACK]

I wonder if I could buy a junk car for a few hundred dollars and then drive it to a delaership to trade in for the $4500 deal.

That ain't a bad idea. Start scouring every source for the junkiest piece of crap you can find and take it in to get your 4k reward. I love it. At least this would circumvent the current destruction af perfectly good vehicles.

On a serious note. This is a horrible program that is producing short term results but will bite us in the a$$ in the end. There are probably shortsighed people buying vehicles now that have no "need"( remember that word a little while ago) to take on new vehicle payments, no matter how good the deal is. It somewhat reminds me of the housing debacle but I'm no expert like the one's who saw that coming.


This administration is playing with fire with this stuff, as it hasn't bothered to examine the possible long term ramifications of it. They haven't been smart enough to realize that it would run out of money in days, not months, as estimated. Now we'll spend a few more billion on this garbage to produce what are probably artificial, short term, inflated numbers for the auto industry.

Just my perspective.

[EEinNJ]

My tax dollar being used to help someone else buy a new car (-)
Reducing overall gas consumption and pollution (+)
Directly stimulating manufacturing, local dealers (+)
Spend 2 billion helping consumers, to prevent more bailouts
or bankruptcies (+)

[Snodog]

My tax dollar being used to help someone else buy a new car (-)
Reducing overall gas consumption and pollution (+)
Directly stimulating manufacturing, local dealers (+)
Spend 2 billion helping consumers, to prevent more bailouts
or bankruptcies (+)

This pretty much sums up how I feel. Generally I think it is a good thing but I have to admit I'm a little jealous because I didn't buy a clunker. Instead I was smart and bought a little 4 cylinder.

[GREENBACK]

My tax dollar being used to help someone else buy a new car (-)
Reducing overall gas consumption and pollution (+)
Directly stimulating manufacturing, local dealers (+)
Spend 2 billion helping consumers, to prevent more bailouts
or bankruptcies
(+)

You forgot about destroying very good used vehicles and the enviormental/economical impact of that(-).

[maat55]

The premise of it just isn't american. Destroying good assets, incentivizing debt, rewarding one industry, rewarding limited individuals over others, rewarding foreign companies and mixing more golf carts among tractor trailors is scary.

[Angio333]

My tax dollar being used to help someone else buy a new car (-)
Reducing overall gas consumption and pollution (+)
Directly stimulating manufacturing, local dealers (+)
Spend 2 billion helping consumers, to prevent more bailouts
or bankruptcies (+)

The problem is that another bailout is even a consideration. If I am not mistaken, didn't they decide to dump even more money into their "Robin Hood" car program?