Scholfield Honda

-www.fueleconomy.gov

Congress has passed legislation that would give car buyers a $3,500 or $4,500 voucher for trading in an old, inefficient vehicle for a new, more-efficient one between July 1 and November 1, 2009!

Current Status
Friday, June 19, 2009, 1:30 p.m.

The "Cash for Clunkers" legislation has passed the House and Senate and is waiting to be signed into law by the President.

Does My Clunker Qualify?

To qualify, your trade-in vehicle must:

• Be in driveable condition

• Have been continuously insured consistent with State laws and registered to you for at least one year immediately prior to trade-in

• Be manufactured less than 25 years before the date of the trade-in

• Have a combined MPG of 18 or less (this does not apply to category 3 trucks---defined below)

MPG requirements for 1985 model year vehicles and newer are based on the Combined "New EPA MPG" as given in the Find a Car section of our Web site. Data for 1984 model year vehicles will be added soon.

How Much Cash Can I Get?

The incentive amount depends upon the kind of vehicle you want to purchase, its MPG relative to your trade-in vehicle, and in some cases, the kind of vehicle you are trading in.

Fueleconomy.gov will be providing a feature soon that will help you (1) determine whether your current vehicle is eligible and (2) identify which new vehicles qualify for the incentive. In the meantime, you can use the table below as a guide. Again, official EPA MPG estimates can be found in Find a Car. Use the Combined ratings.

New Vehicle Type	New Vehicle MPG*	Trade-in Type	New Vehicle Improvement*	Incentive
Passenger Car	At least 22 MPG	--	At least 4 MPG	$3,500
			At least 10 MPG	$4,500
Category 1 Trucks:? SUVs, including MDPVs between 8,500 and 10,000 lbs. Pickups w/ GVWR <8,500 lbs. & wheelbase <= 115 in. Vans w/ GVWR <8,500 lbs. and wheelbase <= 124 in.	At least 18 MPG	--	At least 2 MPG	$3,500
			At least 5 MPG	$4,500
Category 2 Truck:? Pickups w/ GVWR <= 8,500 lbs. & wheelbase > 115 in. Vans w/ GVWR <= 8,500 lbs. & wheelbase > 124 in.	At least 15 MPG	Category 2 truck	At least 1 MPG	$3,500
			At least 2 MPG	$4,500
		Category 3 truck (2001 model or older)	NA?	$3,500
Category 3 Truck:? All trucks w/ GVWR 8,500-10,000 lbs., excluding MDPVs	NA?	Category 3 truck (2001 model or older)	Similar in size or smaller than trade-in?	$3,500

*MPG requirements are based on EPA's combined city/highway rating.
?GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating; MDPV = Medium-Duty Passenger Vehicle
?Not applicable; Cat. 3 trucks do not have EPA MPG ratings

In addition to the above requirements, the purchased vehicle must:

• Be new (i.e., legal title has not been transferred to anyone)

• Have a manufacturer's suggested retail price is $45,000 or less

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I participate in this program?

You can participate in this program by purchasing a new vehicle from a participating new car dealership. The incentive amount will be applied to the new vehicle purchase price or lease price rather than sent to you. Note: Dealers cannot charge you any fees to participate in this program.

This program is new, and dealers will have to register for the program with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So, it may be few weeks before dealers are registered to participate. NHTSA will provide a list of participating dealerships and qualifying vehicles at a new government Web site that will be deployed in the near future.

How will this affect trade-in value?

Your trade-in will be scrapped or parted out rather than resold by the dealer. Therefore, the new vehicle's price will be reduced by the incentive amount instead of the amount the dealer would normally give you for trade-in.

Can I combine this with other government incentives?

Yes. You can combine this with other State and Federal incentives, such as the hybrid vehicle credit.

Why is my vehicle not listed in Find a Car?

1. If your vehicle a large truck or van with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of more than 8,500 lbs., EPA fuel economy estimates for your vehicle do not exist because manufacturers are not required to provide MPG ratings for those vehicles. Some common vehicles that are exempt from fuel economy standards are listed here. You can usually find your vehicle's GVWR inside the driver's-side door post or in your user's manual.
   
   In this case, you don't need to worry. Eligibility for these vehicles is determined by model year.
   
   
2. Some vehicles are missing from our database---this is more common for model years prior to 2000. We are currently working to fill these data gaps.
   
   

   If your vehicle is not a large truck, e-mail the following information about your vehicle to us:

   • Model year
   • Make/manufacturer (e.g., Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, etc.)
   • Model (e.g., Focus, Malibu, Camry, etc.)
   • Number of cylinders
   • Engine size, in liters (e.g., 1.8L)
   • Transmission type (e.g., 6-speed automatic, 4-speed manual)
   • Fuel type (gasoline, diesel, etc.)
   • Drive type (front-wheel, rear-wheel, 4-wheel/all-wheel drive)
   • Any other comments that might help us identify the vehicle (e.g., supercharger, turbocharger, VTEC engine, dual overhead cam (DOHC), single overhead cam (SOHC), etc

When will Cash for Clunkers start?

That is unclear. The legislation takes affect as of July 1, 2009. However, it will take time for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to work out details of the program and set up a procedure for dealerships to get registered with the program. So, it may be a few weeks, or as long as a month, before buyers will be able to participate.