Cash for Clunkers Information

No. The program does not apply to the purchase of used vehicles.

The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500, and generally depends on the type of vehicle you purchase and the difference in fuel economy between the purchased vehicle and the trade-in vehicle. Different requirements apply for work trucks.

No. The law requires your trade-in vehicle to be destroyed. Therefore, the value you negotiate with the dealer for your trade-in vehicle is not likely to exceed its scrap value. The law requires the dealer to disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in vehicle.

No. You may trade in or buy a domestic or a foreign vehicle.

Maybe. Some trucks, such as work trucks, were never rated for fuel economy. For these trucks, age is the only criterion for determining whether they are eligible trade-in vehicles. If you have one of these trucks, it must be from model year 2001 or earlier, but also the date of manufacture must be less than 25 years from the date you trade it in, to be an eligible trade-in vehicle. Other restrictions may also apply.

No. The program does not apply retroactively.

The CARS Act expressly provides that the credit is not income for the consumer. However, the credit will be considered as income for the dealer.

The month and year of manufacture (e.g., 1-96 (January 1996)) appear on the safety standard certification label that is located on the frame or edge of the driver's door in most vehicles.

The CARS Act requires that, by July 24, NHTSA set up a location on the program website, http://www.cars.gov, to assist consumers in determining whether their vehicle is an eligible trade-in vehicle. Until that part of the website is operational, consumers can visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm and search for their vehicle to find its combined fuel economy value. When searching that website, consumers will need to know their vehicle's model year, make, model, engine size, and transmission type. MPG requirements for model year 1985 and newer vehicles are based on the Combined "Estimated New EPA MPG" as given in the Find a Car section at www.fueleconomy.gov.

The CARS Act applies to new vehicles. Thus, used vehicles do not qualify under the program.

The new vehicle must have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of not more than $45,000. That price appears on the window sticker on new vehicles. The new vehicle must also achieve minimum combined fuel economy levels. For passenger automobiles, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 22 miles per gallon. For category 1 trucks, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 18 miles per gallon. For category 2 trucks, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 15 miles per gallon. Category 3 trucks have no minimum fuel economy requirement; however, there are special requirements that apply to the purchase of category 3 vehicles.

As noted above, the CARS Act also requires that NHTSA make available on an Internet website a comprehensive list of new vehicles that meet the requirements of the program. Until that information is posted on the program's website, consumers may determine whether a new vehicle meets the fuel economy requirements of the program in two ways. First, the combined fuel economy of a new vehicle will be posted under the heading "Combined Fuel Economy" on the window sticker ("Monroney label") of a new vehicle. Second, you may also find the combined fuel economy value of a new vehicle by visiting http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm and searching for their vehicle to find its combined fuel economy value. When searching that website, consumers will need to know their vehicle's model year, make, model, engine size, and transmission type.

Yes. The credit given for trading in an eligible vehicle may be used to offset the cost of leasing a new vehicle. However, the CARS Act requires that any lease under the program be for a period of at least five years.

The CARS Act divides the eligible vehicles into four groups: passenger automobiles; category 1 trucks; category 2 trucks; and category 3 trucks. NHTSA will soon publish a list of the vehicles that fall into these groups. For the present, we describe here the statutory definitions, give examples of types of vehicles that satisfy those definitions, and refer readers to the large table at the end of this notice.

The term “passenger automobile” and its definition are borrowed from the fuel economy statute. The definition excludes from that term (1) vehicles that NHTSA has determined are not manufactured primarily for transporting persons and (2) vehicles that are capable of off-highway operation. Vehicles not manufactured primarily for transporting persons include pickup trucks and certain vehicles that permit expanded use of the vehicle for cargo-carrying purposes. See 49 CFR 523.5(a). Under NHTSA's regulations (49 CFR 523.5(b)), there are two groups of vehicles with capability of off-highway operation. The first includes vehicles that have 4-wheel drive and have at least four out of five specified physical characteristics relating to ground clearance. The second includes vehicles that are rated at more than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight and have at least four out of five specified physical characteristics relating to ground clearance, but do not have 4-wheel drive. Passenger automobiles are what are commonly known as passenger cars.

A category 1 truck is a nonpassenger automobile. This category includes sport utility vehicles (SUVs), small and medium pickup trucks and small and medium passenger and cargo vans.

A category 2 truck is a large van or a large pickup truck, based upon the length of the wheelbase (more than 115 inches for pickup trucks and more than 124 inches for vans). Note: some pickup trucks and cargo vans exceeding these thresholds are treated as category 3 trucks instead of category 2 trucks.

A category 3 truck is a work truck and is rated between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. This category includes very large pickup trucks (those with cargo beds 72 inches or more in length) and very large cargo vans.

By July 24, NHTSA will make available on an Internet website a comprehensive list of the trucks that fall into these categories and meet the requirements of the program.

The value of the credit for the purchase or lease of a new passenger car depends upon the difference between the combined fuel economy of the vehicle that is traded in and that of the new vehicle that is purchased or leased. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy that is at least 4, but less than 10, miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 10 miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500.

The value of the credit given for the purchase or lease of a category 1 or 2 truck also generally depends on the difference between the combined fuel economy of the vehicle that is traded in and that of the new vehicle that is purchased or leased. If the new vehicle is a category 1 truck that has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 2, but less than 5, miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If the new category 1 truck has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 5 miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500.

If both the new vehicle and the traded-in vehicle are category 2 trucks and the combined fuel economy value of the new vehicle is at least 1, but less than 2, miles per gallon higher than the combined fuel economy value of the traded in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If both the new vehicle and the traded-in vehicle are category 2 trucks and the combined fuel economy of the new vehicle is at least 2 miles per gallon higher than that of the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500. A $3,500 credit applies to the purchase or lease of a category 2 truck if the trade-in vehicle is a category 3 (work) truck that was manufactured not later than model year 2001, but not earlier than 25 years before the date of the trade in.

A work truck, which is called a category 3 truck under the CARS Act, is subject to special rules. Work trucks are not rated for fuel economy by the EPA. Thus, the eligibility of work trucks for the program does not depend on combined fuel economy. Instead, work trucks may only be traded in under the program if they were manufactured not later than model year 2001 and not earlier than 25 years before the date of the trade in. In addition, work trucks may only be traded in for the purchase of a category 2 truck or another category 3 truck that is of similar size or smaller than the traded-in vehicle. Finally, the Act provides only for a $3,500 credit for trading in a work truck.

The CARS Act limits the amount of funds that can be used to provide credits for purchases or leases of work trucks. Only 7.5 percent of the funds appropriated for the program may be used for credits for work trucks. Once that limit is reached, NHTSA will stop making payments for these transactions. NHTSA will keep the public informed as to the funds that remain available for these credits.

The CARS Act requires the dealer to use the credit under the CARS program in addition to any rebates or discounts advertised by the dealer or offered by the new vehicle's manufacturer. The dealer may not use the credit to offset these rebates and discounts.

Yes. You can combine this with other State and Federal incentives, such as the hybrid vehicle credit. For information on this credit, go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/Feg/tax_hybrid.shtml

No, the CARS Act specifies that not more than one credit may be issued to a single person, not more than one credit may be issued for joint registered owners of a single eligible trade-in vehicle, and that only one credit under this program may be applied toward the purchase or lease of any single new vehicle.

While dealers can charge their normal types of fees, the CARS Act specifically prohibits dealers from charging a fee for purchasing or leasing a vehicle under the program.

You should bring documentation establishing the identity of the person who currently owns the vehicle, preferably the title of the vehicle, and documentary proof that the vehicle “has been continuously insured consistent with the applicable State law and registered to the same owner for a period of not less than 1 year immediately prior to the trade-in.” The final rule will specify what types of documentation would be acceptable.

The CARS Act requires that the trade-in vehicle be crushed or shredded so that it will not be resold for use in the United States or elsewhere as an automobile. The entity crushing or shredding the vehicles in this manner will be allowed to sell some parts of the vehicle prior to crushing or shredding it, but these parts cannot include the engine or the drive train.

The rule implementing the CARS Act will provide specific detail regarding the process for registering dealers, the manner in which dealers will be reimbursed for eligible transactions, the requirements and procedures for disposing of trade-in vehicles, and the means for enforcing the program's requirements. NHTSA must issue those regulations on or before July 24, 2009, legislation.

In the final rule, NHTSA will seek to balance the need to provide prompt payment to dealers with the need to prevent fraud and preserve records for the purposes of enforcing program requirements. NHTSA is meeting with a variety of groups to ensure that a proper balance is struck. NHTSA will also need to set up and staff a new office to administer the CARS program.

Buying a fuel efficient vehicle is important because it can:
 

• Save you money
  You can reduce fuel costs each year by choosing the most efficient vehicle that meets your needs.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  Carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning gasoline and diesel contributes to global climate change. You can do your part to reduce climate change by reducing your carbon footprint.
• Improve energy security and reduce oil dependence costs
  Our dependence on oil makes us vulnerable to oil market manipulation and price shocks.
• Increase energy sustainability
  Oil is a non-renewable resource, and we cannot sustain our current rate of use indefinitely. Using it wisely now allows us time to find alternative technologies and fuels that will be more sustainable.
  For more information on the importance of better fuel economy, go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/why.shtml. For the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide, go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2009.pdf.