I have the same problem with my 1995 GMC Sierra 2WD. The 5.7 L automatic is not listed in the database. It is correct for all other years, except 1995. For 10 days now I have sent emails and/or called the CARS hotline. My vehicle has not yet been added. My vehicle combined mileage is 14. My dealer has not been helpful and sold the car they were holding for me, even though I agreed to buy the car with or without the CARS program.
What response did you get when you called the hotline?
I doubt that 10% of the clunkers traded in were driven very often.
The clunkers traded in had to have been driven enough to justify paying insurance premiums during the past 12 months. Would you insure a car that you don't drive?
The clunkers traded in had to have been driven enough to justify paying insurance premiums during the past 12 months. Would you insure a car that you don't drive?
Depends. I can add extra cars to my policy all day long for about $300 yearly apiece, as long as it's liability-only. I'm sure there are people who pay less than that. I'm sure to many people, $300 per year isn't much for insuring a spare car.
Actually, I do. Have a car sitting in my drive that hasn't been driven in a couple of months. When we get snow again I drive it some instead of my RWD convertible. PL/PD and comprehensive is so low it not worth calling my agent to put flip it between storage and driving status.
I change synthetic oil every 12K miles, no need for a new pcv valve, air filters and brake pads from Internet cost much more less than in local auto store.
I have the same problem with my 1995 GMC Sierra 2WD. The 5.7 L automatic is not listed in the database. It is correct for all other years, except 1995. For 10 days now I have sent emails and/or called the CARS hotline. My vehicle has not yet been added. My vehicle combined mileage is 14. My dealer has not been helpful and sold the car they were holding for me, even though I agreed to buy the car with or without the CARS program.
I called the hotline and they said that if you report a missing car through their eligibility interface it will be added within the next 12 hours. Somehow I don't believe that.
The clunkers traded in had to have been driven enough to justify paying insurance premiums during the past 12 months. Would you insure a car that you don't drive?
Guess that depends on your state and how little you drive the car. Here in Maryland, if you don't have insurance, you have to turn in the tags and the car can't be kept on the street. If you want to get new tags, I think you need to get it inspected to get a new registration. Normally, an inspection is needed only when you register a vehicle in Maryland for the first time or the title changes hands (resale).
In my case, I still keep my '92 Sentra and '87 BWM insured, which I alternate between driving daily. Each one is less than $300/year for insurance. Less than one month's payment for a new car is the way I look at it.
My actual expenses in doing all scheduled maintenance for first three years were $435 for one car and should be $230 for the other. How would paying $425 in advance for each have saved $200?
Did this for the wife's Mazda 3s and it was pretty stupid actually. Sure we got 15 oil changes but the other services we got included were just overkill and didn't even match the manuals recommendation. So no, would never ever do this again but we wanted to try it once and really see if it was a $ cost saving. So we gave the stealership some extra $ this time...never again.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Ok enough already, I get it, all of you are the Dave Ramsey's of the auto maintanence world and you are the smartest people I know. I now feel as though I will fry in hell for selling maintanence plans. I see the light, I bask in all of your glory oh great edmunds car gurus. :P
Now PLEASE back to C4C, this is the only real decent thread on the board right now.
However the program only went live 7 days ago. 10 days from last Saturday should be interesting.
Agree.
There is no global view of the total deals done so far.
The last data point is
"Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) ... 157,000 dealer applications for funds totaling $664 million, as the agency works through a backlog that reached hundreds of thousands of online submissions, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters yesterday".
There seems to be a huge queue in the pipeline. Will the government honor all the deals in the queue if the additional $2B is not enough?
The uncertainty is bothering both the buyers and the dealers. I wish the government will take steps to address this uncertainty.
Don't look now but the professor called you cheap. :P
As far as driving my clunker "much", for the last two years I have averaged less than 1000 miles on mine. Don't need it much but when I do, nothing else will do.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My questions. Have you received any payment from the Feds after all the hassles you have encountered? It has been 13 days since the official 24th opening of C4C. How many have come back accepted by the NHTSA? Did you fry the engines before inputting the data as first required? Are you holding the new cars or did you take the risk of letting the customer have their new car?
Not only cheap but STINGY. He had to go back 500 years to find that word. I like it and have just the person to drop it on. I learn something new every day on Edmund's... :shades:
Sounds like you did nearly as good as I did. MSRP 22,300 took home 13 and change. I didn't look at the Sentra but I heard it didn't have air conditioning.
My submission was entered on July 29 and yet no confirmation yet. My dealer is not releasing the new car as well as not taking possession of the clunker either. The amended rule allows that.
My C4C submssion (98 Dodge Dakota - 16MPG, 146K miles) was sent into the Feds on Monday 07/27 at about noon. (Or at least, the dealer started TRYING to submit me about noon. I did not ask when he was actually able to get it submitted)
I remained "pending" for about a week.
The dealer got my official approval about 9AM on 08/03.
Picked up my 2010 Toyota Camry V6 that night, and the dealer now has my Dakota locked up pending destruction) (They have about a week to destroy the engine now, per the new C4C rules)
NOTE: I was the about the 5th submission by the dealer on 07/27, and was the 3rd "approved". The first 2 approvals came back on Saturday 08/01.
So far we have recieved $0 dollars from Uncle Obama. I have claims starting the 28th I am still waiting on apporoval on. But I am not worried, it will come in time. I figure that just like they were not prepared for such success on the front end then they most definitley were not prepared for the admin side of it on the back.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but how would you know if the clunker has been approved? Did you phone the dealer (unless they were holding the new car of course).
I am in the same boat. Went to the dealer, did the whole test drive, etc. Then found out my Suburban was not listed. Called CARS, they said to email fueleconomy@ORNL.GOV with spec info. Our car is parked at the dealer because the best deal was 50+ miles away and did not want the car to breakdown or something. If someone gets any news on this listing stuff please let me know. It's frustrating to think the the 99 Suburban 4WD meets the requirements except for listing. How did they miss it?
WASHINGTON -- The Senate is likely on Thursday to pass a $2 billion expansion of the cash for clunkers program without any changes, sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature, a spokesman for the Senate Republican leader said today.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are nearing an agreement to be finalized tonight on debate and vote procedures, said Don Stewart, a McConnell spokesman.
The agreement would address when the bill would be considered, how much time would be allowed for debate, and how many amendments would be permitted, he said in an interview.
Any amendment offered by Republicans is certain to be voted down by the Democratic majority, Stewart said.
“An amendment could say, ‘Puppies are great,” and they’ll still vote no,” Stewart said. “They don’t want the program delayed.”
To reach the president's desk this week, the Senate bill must be identical to the $2 billion extension of the $1 billion program that was passed by the House last week.
Any Senate changes to the House bill would have to be voted on again by the House when it returns from recess after Labor Day.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said that the program likely would be suspended if the Senate didn't pass the House bill before the Senate recesses at the end of the week.
Reid’s office refused to predict the timing of the Senate vote or say whether Democrats planned to vote down all Republican amendments.
“We still do not have an agreement,” Reid spokeswoman Regan Lachapelle said in an e-mail. “We are working to get one and hope to be able to do so.”
There is "a significant majority" that wants to move forward with the legislation, Reid said today on the Senate floor.
He also said that, without an agreement with McConnell, he would file a motion for cloture of debate, which would postpone any possible vote at least to Friday.
The original $1 billion funding for the program was exhausted last weekend when about 250,000 deals had been completed, LaHood said. The $2 billion addition would keep it going through September.
LaHood has refused to say how the administration would fund deals agreed to this week if the Senate doesn't pass the extension.
LaHood and Reid, the leader of the 60 Democrats in the Senate, have expressed confidence that the Senate would pass the House bill this week.
Two pro-environment senators, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have reversed themselves and said they would vote for the extension because of fuel-economy gains shown by the program in its first week.
A number of Republicans other than Collins remain more critical of the program.
McConnell has criticized the administration for failing to anticipate the high volume of consumer interest. Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Jim DeMint of South Carolina have said they will vote against an extension because of its cost.
Both Reid and Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Tuesday that the legislation will pass the Senate. Graham didn't indicate how he would vote. LaHood also predicted that the legislation would pass.
The Obama administration has pushed the Senate to vote this week on the $2 billion extension that passed the House last week. The Senate breaks at the end of the week for a recess until after Labor Day.
Top sellers and top trade-ins Top 10 vehicles sold under the cash-for-clunkers program, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. 1 Ford Focus 2 Toyota Corolla 3 Honda Civic 4 Toyota Prius 5 Toyota Camry 6 Ford Escape 7 Hyundai Elantra 8 Dodge Caliber 9 Honda Fit 10 Chevrolet Cobalt
Top-10 clunker trade-ins 1 Ford Explorer 4-wheel drive 2 Ford F-150 pickup 2-wheel drive 3 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-wheel drive 4 Jeep Cherokee 4-wheel drive 5 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2-wheel drive 6 Chevrolet Blazer 4-wheel drive 7 Ford Explorer 2-wheel drive 8 Ford F-150 pickup 4-wheel drive 9 Chevrolet C1500 pickup 2-wheel drive 10 Ford Windstar minivan 4-wheel drive Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
Is there anyone out there who has had their old car not on the CARS List? Were you sucessful in getting it listed?
I called and the representative said that just because the car's not on the list doesn't mean it doesn't qualify. Clearly the 1999 Suburban K1500 should qualify. It meets every requirement except being on the list.
He took my information and said I would get a call back clarifying the situation.
Agreed. Your case is not an exception--it's an omission that needs to be corrected.
But just as there are many legitimate cases such as yours, there are also the people who (a) don't understand why EPA mpg should be used when they never get 18 mpg, or (b) don't understand why a car that's been off the road for eight of the last twelve months isn't eligible, or (c) think they have some special circumstance that justifies some other variation.
I think working the CARS call bank must be about as much fun as going door to door working for the census bureau, or working as a bill collector.
Found this website helpful: Let Ford Recycle Your Ride Its from Ford...you can put in all your info and it tells you whether you get 3.500 or 4,500 back. I saw some people with questions and whether their car qualifies.
The first one we submitted 10 days ago was paid within the time frame expected..but as noted above what occured last Fri / Sat / Sun throws everything out of whack.
We're still clunkin' away tho, with somewhat more caution.
Top sellers and top trade-ins Top 10 vehicles sold under the cash-for-clunkers program, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. 1 Ford Focus 2 Toyota Corolla
Corolla is #1 now.
"GM Has Sold the Most Cars Under ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Program
Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co., the largest U.S. automaker, has the most sales under the “cash-for-clunkers” program, according to Transportation Department data released today.
Detroit-based GM sold 18.7 percent of the cars purchased under the plan. Toyota Motor Corp., based in Toyota City, Japan, had the second-most sales with 17.9 percent and Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co., was third with 16 percent. The agency released data on the each automakers’ share today, a day after providing a list showing that four of the top five models sold were made by foreign automakers.
Toyota’s Corolla is the top model purchased by “cash-for- clunkers” buyers through today, surpassing Ford’s Focus, which had been number one, according to the data. ..."
This makes no sense to me. The enivronment gets more bang for its buck if Category 3 vehicles were traded in for Category 1 vehicles. I have a category 3 (ford e350 extended van) and wanted a small suv (hyundai santa fe) which is a category 1, but the rules dont allow it. Why would they have this restriction on it? :mad:
I'm in the same boat, I have a e250 club wagon passenger van 8550 gvwr that is cat3, I want a minivan cat 1. I have written everyone I could think of stating my case. Here is a snippet for my case,
page 25 the rule states that a category 1 truck is “a non-passenger automobile. This category includes sport utility vehicles, medium-duty passenger vehicles, small and medium pickup trucks, and small and medium passenger and cargo vans.” The footnote for medium-duty passenger vehicles states that it is defined in 49 CFR 523.2. 49 CFR 523.2 (http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title49/49-6.1.2.3.7.0.1.2.html ) as well as the glossary link from the cars.gov web site (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/carsglossary.htm) defines Medium Duty Passenger Vehicle (MDPV) “A vehicle with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs. and less than 10,000 lbs. that is used primarily for transporting passengers. These vehicles are designed to seat 9 or fewer passengers behind the driver or designed with a seating capacity of 12 persons or less” By the definitions and rules my van should be a category 1 vehicle.
Comments
What response did you get when you called the hotline?
The clunkers traded in had to have been driven enough to justify paying insurance premiums during the past 12 months. Would you insure a car that you don't drive?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Take your guess anywhere from under $1B to over $10B - winner gets a free clunker!
Depends. I can add extra cars to my policy all day long for about $300 yearly apiece, as long as it's liability-only. I'm sure there are people who pay less than that. I'm sure to many people, $300 per year isn't much for insuring a spare car.
PL/PD and comprehensive is so low it not worth calling my agent to put flip it between storage and driving status.
Yes, it depends on how penurious one is.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
But you DO drive it! :shades:
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Obviously, you did not get my joke about having zero income and buying a house. Do you really not think the IRA would question that?
Reply back if you must, but I won't respond. This thead has turned from stupid to absurd.
I called the hotline and they said that if you report a missing car through their eligibility interface it will be added within the next 12 hours. Somehow I don't believe that.
CARS Eligibility Interface
Guess that depends on your state and how little you drive the car. Here in Maryland, if you don't have insurance, you have to turn in the tags and the car can't be kept on the street. If you want to get new tags, I think you need to get it inspected to get a new registration. Normally, an inspection is needed only when you register a vehicle in Maryland for the first time or the title changes hands (resale).
In my case, I still keep my '92 Sentra and '87 BWM insured, which I alternate between driving daily. Each one is less than $300/year for insurance. Less than one month's payment for a new car is the way I look at it.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Yes, but it was speculation. We have no data whatsoever to support the contention that any particular fraction of C4C trade-ins weren't driven "much."
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Now PLEASE back to C4C, this is the only real decent thread on the board right now.
Agree.
There is no global view of the total deals done so far.
The last data point is
"Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) ...
157,000 dealer applications for funds totaling $664 million, as the agency works through a backlog that reached hundreds of thousands of online submissions, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters yesterday".
There seems to be a huge queue in the pipeline. Will the government honor all the deals in the queue if the additional $2B is not enough?
The uncertainty is bothering both the buyers and the dealers. I wish the government will take steps to address this uncertainty.
Don't look now but the professor called you cheap. :P
As far as driving my clunker "much", for the last two years I have averaged less than 1000 miles on mine. Don't need it much but when I do, nothing else will do.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
If there is anyone in this forum who ACTUALLY traded in your clunker, how long did it take for the government to approve?
If you are a dealer, what has been your typical turn-around on getting approvals from the DOT?
Joel, if YOU offered me a maintaince plan I would consider it because you are an honorable person and from what I can tell your store is honest too.
The trouble is with the less honest stores that offer fluff.
That reminds me, my last car buy didn't come with that offer, just the EW.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My C4C submssion (98 Dodge Dakota - 16MPG, 146K miles) was sent into the Feds on Monday 07/27 at about noon.
(Or at least, the dealer started TRYING to submit me about noon. I did not ask when he was actually able to get it submitted)
I remained "pending" for about a week.
The dealer got my official approval about 9AM on 08/03.
Picked up my 2010 Toyota Camry V6 that night, and the dealer now has my Dakota locked up pending destruction)
(They have about a week to destroy the engine now, per the new C4C rules)
NOTE: I was the about the 5th submission by the dealer on 07/27, and was the 3rd "approved". The first 2 approvals came back on Saturday 08/01.
Hope this helps.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are nearing an agreement to be finalized tonight on debate and vote procedures, said Don Stewart, a McConnell spokesman.
The agreement would address when the bill would be considered, how much time would be allowed for debate, and how many amendments would be permitted, he said in an interview.
Any amendment offered by Republicans is certain to be voted down by the Democratic majority, Stewart said.
“An amendment could say, ‘Puppies are great,” and they’ll still vote no,” Stewart said. “They don’t want the program delayed.”
To reach the president's desk this week, the Senate bill must be identical to the $2 billion extension of the $1 billion program that was passed by the House last week.
Any Senate changes to the House bill would have to be voted on again by the House when it returns from recess after Labor Day.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said that the program likely would be suspended if the Senate didn't pass the House bill before the Senate recesses at the end of the week.
Reid’s office refused to predict the timing of the Senate vote or say whether Democrats planned to vote down all Republican amendments.
“We still do not have an agreement,” Reid spokeswoman Regan Lachapelle said in an e-mail. “We are working to get one and hope to be able to do so.”
There is "a significant majority" that wants to move forward with the legislation, Reid said today on the Senate floor.
He also said that, without an agreement with McConnell, he would file a motion for cloture of debate, which would postpone any possible vote at least to Friday.
The original $1 billion funding for the program was exhausted last weekend when about 250,000 deals had been completed, LaHood said. The $2 billion addition would keep it going through September.
LaHood has refused to say how the administration would fund deals agreed to this week if the Senate doesn't pass the extension.
LaHood and Reid, the leader of the 60 Democrats in the Senate, have expressed confidence that the Senate would pass the House bill this week.
Two pro-environment senators, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have reversed themselves and said they would vote for the extension because of fuel-economy gains shown by the program in its first week.
A number of Republicans other than Collins remain more critical of the program.
McConnell has criticized the administration for failing to anticipate the high volume of consumer interest. Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Jim DeMint of South Carolina have said they will vote against an extension because of its cost.
Both Reid and Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Tuesday that the legislation will pass the Senate. Graham didn't indicate how he would vote. LaHood also predicted that the legislation would pass.
The Obama administration has pushed the Senate to vote this week on the $2 billion extension that passed the House last week. The Senate breaks at the end of the week for a recess until after Labor Day.
Top sellers and top trade-ins
Top 10 vehicles sold under the cash-for-clunkers program, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.
1 Ford Focus
2 Toyota Corolla
3 Honda Civic
4 Toyota Prius
5 Toyota Camry
6 Ford Escape
7 Hyundai Elantra
8 Dodge Caliber
9 Honda Fit
10 Chevrolet Cobalt
Top-10 clunker trade-ins
1 Ford Explorer 4-wheel drive
2 Ford F-150 pickup 2-wheel drive
3 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-wheel drive
4 Jeep Cherokee 4-wheel drive
5 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2-wheel drive
6 Chevrolet Blazer 4-wheel drive
7 Ford Explorer 2-wheel drive
8 Ford F-150 pickup 4-wheel drive
9 Chevrolet C1500 pickup 2-wheel drive
10 Ford Windstar minivan 4-wheel drive
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
Were you sucessful in getting it listed?
But there does appear to be a procedure in place for those whose vehicles ARE qualified on the basis of EPA mpg but somehow do not appear on the list.
Were you sucessful in getting it listed?
I called and the representative said that just because the car's not on the list doesn't mean it doesn't qualify. Clearly the 1999 Suburban K1500 should qualify. It meets every requirement except being on the list.
He took my information and said I would get a call back clarifying the situation.
It's not really an exception. The car meets all of the criteria.
But just as there are many legitimate cases such as yours, there are also the people who (a) don't understand why EPA mpg should be used when they never get 18 mpg, or (b) don't understand why a car that's been off the road for eight of the last twelve months isn't eligible, or (c) think they have some special circumstance that justifies some other variation.
I think working the CARS call bank must be about as much fun as going door to door working for the census bureau, or working as a bill collector.
have you ever seen the number 10 clunker trade in?
Its from Ford...you can put in all your info and it tells you whether you get 3.500 or 4,500 back. I saw some people with questions and whether their car qualifies.
Hope this helps!
We're still clunkin' away tho, with somewhat more caution.
Top 10 vehicles sold under the cash-for-clunkers program, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.
1 Ford Focus
2 Toyota Corolla
Corolla is #1 now.
"GM Has Sold the Most Cars Under ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Program
Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co., the largest U.S. automaker, has the most sales under the “cash-for-clunkers” program, according to Transportation Department data released today.
Detroit-based GM sold 18.7 percent of the cars purchased under the plan. Toyota Motor Corp., based in Toyota City, Japan, had the second-most sales with 17.9 percent and Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co., was third with 16 percent. The agency released data on the each automakers’ share today, a day after providing a list showing that four of the top five models sold were made by foreign automakers.
Toyota’s Corolla is the top model purchased by “cash-for- clunkers” buyers through today, surpassing Ford’s Focus, which had been number one, according to the data.
..."
http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=akjL3wiDVfnU
page 25 the rule states that a category 1 truck is “a non-passenger automobile. This category includes sport utility vehicles, medium-duty passenger vehicles, small and medium pickup trucks, and small and medium passenger and cargo vans.”
The footnote for medium-duty passenger vehicles states that it is defined in 49 CFR 523.2. 49 CFR 523.2 (http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title49/49-6.1.2.3.7.0.1.2.html ) as well as the glossary link from the cars.gov web site (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/carsglossary.htm) defines Medium Duty Passenger Vehicle (MDPV) “A vehicle with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs. and less than 10,000 lbs. that is used primarily for transporting passengers. These vehicles are designed to seat 9 or fewer passengers behind the driver or designed with a seating capacity of 12 persons or less”
By the definitions and rules my van should be a category 1 vehicle.
Why can't Ford sell the Fusion? They are selling the Focus like crazy.