Worcester Cash for Clunkers Car Dealers

The Cash for Clunkers program is not getting as much press coverage as before.  Things have slowed down a bit even though the program received an additional $2Billion back on August 7th.  Is it still worth looking into?  If you are really in the market for a new car it is definitely something you should explore.  The details are laid out at the official site for the Cash for Clunkers program at Cars.gov.  There are a few registered dealers here in Worcester and the Central Massachusetts area so you won’t have to go far.

Before actually going to a dealer I would visit the Cars.gov site to find out if you qualify and whether the car you are hoping to buy qualifies as well.  The FAQ section covers everything you need to know you just need to browse a bit.  Under the eligibility section look under “Are there special requirements for my trade-in vehicle?” That is where you will find the qualifications.

The “new” combined city/highway fuel economy qualification requires you to look at another question “Is there a way to determine the combined city/highway fuel economy rating of my trade-in vehicle?” which refers you to a website where you can get that information.  It walks you through step by step starting with the vehicle you are trading in to the vehicle you are hoping to buy and comparing them.  Here is the direct link but be sure to review the rest of the information on the cars.gov site.  City/Highway Mileage calculator.

Some of the reasons that sales might be slowing are rumors that some of the more popular cars being bought like Honda Civics and Toyota Priuses are running out and have to be reordered by dealers.  There are also concerns about some dealers not being upfront with the buyers about when they will get their new vehicles.  The program gives you a rebate up to $4,500 for your qualifying clunker.  The way it has been working is that the dealer deals with the paperwork so that they will get paid by the government.  Since the government has been slow to pay some dealers have been holding back on giving buyers the new car they “bought” even though the old car has been already surrendered.  This is why you should do the research and make calls before you head out to the dealerships.  The information on the Cars.gov site is also being updated almost daily as they try to address new challenges and questions from consumers.  The most notable update was the Mileage calculation changes that occurred on July 24th that caused some vehicles to fall off the list and others to get on the qualification list.

Bottom line you need to do your homework.  There are 3 dealerships in Worcester as of this writing.  Sifting through the listings they are:

• Harr Toyota
• Gallo Volvo and Mazda
• Diamond Chevrolet

There are others in Shrewsbury and other surrounding towns so if you are looking for another makes browse through the list.

Update Friday 8-21-09

Media sources including The Boston Globe are reporting that the program is going to end as of this Monday August 24th.  The government doesn’t want dealers to commit for rebates over the $3 Billion approved for the program.  If you have your paperwork in order you still have a chance of getting the rebate this weekend.  Make sure to call the dealer before you go though they have been more hesitant because of the slow payments from the government.