Archive for the ‘cash for clunkers’ Category

People are generally of two minds about Cash-for-Clunkers: either it was a brilliant piece of economic stimulation, or it was a big, steaming pile of stupidity. Similarly, we are of two minds about a car thief in Vineland, New Jersey, who made off with a 1997 Ford E350 Econoline van that had been traded in as a clunker. (And if ever there were a poster child for clunkers....) On the one hand, if you're going to steal something, why nab a vehicle that no one wants to be seen in? But on the other hand, maybe that's the point. [NJ via JV]

A Southern California couple who decided to trade in their 2001 Nissan Xterra under the Cash for Clunkers program in August later found the vehicle for sale in the same dealership's used lot.

Oops. It seems that the dealership, Volkswagen of Garden Grove, decided to forget about the CARS claim on the Xterra and tried to sell it themselves.

The environmentally minded couple says that they wouldn’t have traded the Xterra in the first place if they’d known it wasn’t going to be scrapped. They had intended to purchase a Jetta TDI and get the $4,500 CARS credit, but instead the dealership didn’t have any and they settled for a gasoline Jetta,...

Remember Cash-for-Clunkers? Gee, that was fun. Wouldn't it be cool if we could keep those good times rolling? Well, that's exactly what 73 auto dealerships (and counting) have opted to do -- and their plan has fewer restrictions than the fed's. Check the video above for details, then click over to AutoStimulusPlan.com to find a participating showroom near you. And if you're a dealer, use the website to join the program's ranks. Looks like consumers really enjoy being showered with money after all. [AutoStimulusPlan.com via egmCarTech]