I have mixed feelings about this program. Our car companies need it, but do we really need to destroy every car that is brought in through it? no way. Automatically they are trashed, no way to use the engines for rebuilds, nothing. that to me is pretty scary!
If you’re interested CNBC has put together a slideshow which lists the most popular trade-ins and new vehicles purchased under the CARS program. You can check it out here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/32319164
Thanks!
@karissa, you bring up a good point and to an extent it is wasteful.
I think it is important to note that all of the other parts, such as the transmission and body panels, are fair game though and scrap yards are recycling these parts.
Perhaps they could have found a better solution though, maybe by allowing the engine be removed and the frame destroyed. However, the idea of the program is that each fuel efficient vehicle replaces an inefficient one, with the latter being effectively removed from our fleet of vehicles. I think disabling the engine may be the easiest way to achieve this goal and reduce fraud.
With that said, as a backyard mechanic, I do hate to see a perfectly good engine destroyed.
I like this program so that money does not give the car manufacturers in person (because having received money from the state, they could distribute them among their managers, as was the case with many banks), and encourage buyers by offering them excellent conditions ..
Cash for clunkers is hurting charity car donation since many of the cars being turned in for a voucher would have been donated to charity for a tax deduction. These cars are being destroyed when the ones in good condition could be given to the poor or sold with the proceeds being used by the charity to help fund their programs. This is such a waste.
@Cars4Charities: Although you’re seeing a temporary drop in car donations you have to look at the bigger picture.
100s of thousands of jobs and economic stability are more important (don’t mean to sound rude). As the economy recovers and the scheme is no longer needed you will see an increase in donations.
I personally think it is a wasteful program. There are still a lot of folks out there who will not be able to get a new car even with this program. All of the cars they have rendered useless have been wasted, when they could have been sold to someone else.
I will just pay off my car and drive it till it dies. It’s scary to think that the dealers might have to stick the consumer with the difference if the money doesn’t come through. They would have been better off keeping their old car.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!!
I had also heard they were planning to cancel the cash for clunckers program and am glad to hear I will have a second chance to trade in my old car. I think this is a good program to stimulate the economy.
Thank goodness this scam is comming to an end. This plan is in no way green. The potential offset in greenhouse gasses from old to new will not compensate for the greenhouse gasses created to produce the new car or required to hopefully recycle it one day. Especially when the Ford F150 is one of the top ten being purchased. The plan should have required all new cars puchased get 40+ MPG. This is why recycling is last in the famous reduce, reuse, recycle trilogy. Really want to save the planet, reduce the number of kids you might be planning to have. Some negative population growth would be good right about now.
I have mixed feelings about this program. Our car companies need it, but do we really need to destroy every car that is brought in through it? no way. Automatically they are trashed, no way to use the engines for rebuilds, nothing. that to me is pretty scary!
If you’re interested CNBC has put together a slideshow which lists the most popular trade-ins and new vehicles purchased under the CARS program. You can check it out here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/32319164
Thanks!
@karissa, you bring up a good point and to an extent it is wasteful.
I think it is important to note that all of the other parts, such as the transmission and body panels, are fair game though and scrap yards are recycling these parts.
Perhaps they could have found a better solution though, maybe by allowing the engine be removed and the frame destroyed. However, the idea of the program is that each fuel efficient vehicle replaces an inefficient one, with the latter being effectively removed from our fleet of vehicles. I think disabling the engine may be the easiest way to achieve this goal and reduce fraud.
With that said, as a backyard mechanic, I do hate to see a perfectly good engine destroyed.
This programs have some strict rules so many would-be buyers don’t qualify like if anyone recently made car purchases, trades or transfers.
I like this program so that money does not give the car manufacturers in person (because having received money from the state, they could distribute them among their managers, as was the case with many banks), and encourage buyers by offering them excellent conditions ..
Cash for clunkers is hurting charity car donation since many of the cars being turned in for a voucher would have been donated to charity for a tax deduction. These cars are being destroyed when the ones in good condition could be given to the poor or sold with the proceeds being used by the charity to help fund their programs. This is such a waste.
@Cars4Charities: Although you’re seeing a temporary drop in car donations you have to look at the bigger picture.
100s of thousands of jobs and economic stability are more important (don’t mean to sound rude). As the economy recovers and the scheme is no longer needed you will see an increase in donations.
I personally think it is a wasteful program. There are still a lot of folks out there who will not be able to get a new car even with this program. All of the cars they have rendered useless have been wasted, when they could have been sold to someone else.
I will just pay off my car and drive it till it dies. It’s scary to think that the dealers might have to stick the consumer with the difference if the money doesn’t come through. They would have been better off keeping their old car.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!!
I had also heard they were planning to cancel the cash for clunckers program and am glad to hear I will have a second chance to trade in my old car. I think this is a good program to stimulate the economy.
karissa @ I am much concern with your point of view.
Thank goodness this scam is comming to an end. This plan is in no way green. The potential offset in greenhouse gasses from old to new will not compensate for the greenhouse gasses created to produce the new car or required to hopefully recycle it one day. Especially when the Ford F150 is one of the top ten being purchased. The plan should have required all new cars puchased get 40+ MPG. This is why recycling is last in the famous reduce, reuse, recycle trilogy. Really want to save the planet, reduce the number of kids you might be planning to have. Some negative population growth would be good right about now.