The Ford Story: Tell Us Your Cash for Clunkers Story

Shortly after Cash for Clunkers came to an end, we were reviewing some of the statistics from the program. While the overall numbers from the U.S. government were impressive, we were extremely pleased that so many people made use of the tools that Ford Motor Company made available to help people understand and make use of this government program. We’d like to hear from some you – please tell us your Cash for Clunker story in the comment section at the end of this article.

And now, some statistics. First, from the Department of Transportation (DOT), here are the results of the entire program. Nearly 700,000 clunkers taken off the roads, replaced by far more fuel efficient vehicles. Rebate applications worth $2.877 billion were submitted by the 8 p.m. deadline on August 24, 2009.

Specific to Ford, it was the most visited brand Web site regarding the Cash for Clunkers program, and Ford was the most visited automaker Web site for people who also visited www.cars.gov, the government’s site for the program.

Shortly after the program began, we launched www.letfordrecycleyourride.com to provide more information to customers. We also launched on online calculator at this site, and offered a live chat to answer questions. Before the program came to an end, more than 2.4 million unique customers visited this Web site, and the qualification calculator was used more than 2.6 million times!

The most impressive figures related to the EPA estimated fuel economy of the cars turned in to Ford dealerships under the Cash for Clunkers program compared to the fuel economy of the new Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles that customers drove away in. The average fuel economy of vehicles traded in was 15.5 mpg, while the average of the new vehicles purchases was 22.7 mpg!

Edmunds.com posted some additional interesting statistics. Click here to go to the press release.

The CARS Act was a temporary U.S. government-sponsored program to assist customers in trading-in a qualifying vehicle for a new, more fuel-efficient and less-polluting one. Customers received a $3,500 or $4,500 voucher from the government on top of all other incentives in exchange for their vehicle. There were 20 vehicles in the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineup that qualified for this program. The program ended August 24, 2009. You can check www.fordspecialevent.com for latest specials on Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles.

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55 Comments

Alden Merchant
September 8, 2009 at 7:33 pm

I didn’t trade anything in for this silly program, instead I watched, sad as wonderful, very functional vehicles were traded in. 88k mile 95-97 volvo 960 anyone? How about 69,000 mile Dodge dakota. 71,000 mile Mazda MPV with mint interior? You bet! What does all of this say to me? People using this program were people who could have afforded a new car regardless. So now i see the same crappy clunkers (an 89 ranger that’s all surface rust is a good example) that there always were on the road and good vehicles being scrapped. Not the story you wanted? Well that’s basically going to be the consistent story. Also interesting, I saw many older Fords traded in for Toyotas and very few new Fords sold with this program. Reply

Jim
September 8, 2009 at 8:54 pm

That's the truth. There is a video of a Caprice Wagon with the LT1 (Corvette) engine and only 84K miles getting the "treatment". A complete waste of a future classic.

I saw another sad video of a very nice Town Car Presidential getting put down. Ford actually came out looking pretty good in that one. The mechanic praises the TC, which was running like a dream with 200K on the clock, compares it favorably to his own Crown Vic, which has over 300K, then cusses the Administration because he has to destroy a car nicer than the one he owns.

Yes, the rusted out Ranger is still running around, but the point of the program is to get our lone ranger to walk in a few years. The F-150 that would replace the Ranger would either get crushed or would be more than he could afford.

But I think they underestimate the lone ranger. The Cubans still drive the 1950s era land yachts, preferring them to the Russian built garbage and anything else that's come on the island in the last 50 years. No, the lone ranger will not walk, but will keep his rust bucket going, belching smoke and leaking oil until he can get something better.

...all this from a program that was supposed to HELP the environment! Reply

Liz
November 30, 2009 at 6:42 pm

I am sad that it didn't come in enough time for my sister to take advantage of it. She was being responsible about not taking on another car payment and after it was all said and done found out that she needed to buy a car because she had $2,000.00 worth of work that needed to be done. Here is someone that works very hard and had a husbands job taken away from him and took him one year to find a minimum wage job working 30 hours a week. Those are the people that need our help. Reply

Paulie W.
September 8, 2009 at 9:01 pm

First of all this was not a program I supported at all. I found this program a waste of government funds and a complete waste of a number of great cars. A neighbor traded in his early 90s rust-free Ford Bronco for some junky Hyundai. So many perfectly fine cars were wasted. While I can understand people getting rid of rusty old cars from the 1980s with 200,000+ miles that have many mechanical problems, there was way too many cars traded in that could have been used for parts or sold on the used market or even given away for charity to people who cannot afford a car. Reply

geoff
September 21, 2009 at 8:08 pm

wow, you are so true. i have a 1987 grand marquis station wagon with over 300,000 miles. it is rusty, drips oil and gets about 12 mpg, blows smoke and drops rust on the road. you guessed it it did not qualify, the epa gave it a 19 mpg rating. i have seen many injust acts in my life but this was right up there with the 2000 election. can you say rigged? i love the new president, i think his intentions were pure. however, the epa and ray lahood let the nation down. he should be removed and the program should run again. this time lets get the real junk off the road. also let people purchase a pre owned car. $3-5000 sounds good until you see you owe about $20,000 after all the discounts. i am pround of the many people how voiced their true negative opionion about this cars for scam. run it again and do it correct this time around. or lets move on to electric cars and junk all combustion engines, now that would be true green. Reply

Mike
September 24, 2009 at 12:13 pm

I agree with geoff. I had a 92 Grand Marquis with 165,000. Runs good, but i would have been tempted. Problem was, it didn't qualify. Leave it to the politicians. They could have just made it easy and just, for example, say if its 10 years old it qualifies. Reply

Ari White
September 8, 2009 at 9:25 pm

In my frequent trips to the local dealership parts department, I had to pass through Clunker Row to get to the exit. Aside from a handful of played out, formerly commercial vehicles, there wasn't one Ford vehicle I saw that I wouldn't be happy to own. The only people who could afford to take advantage of this program were those with enough money that they weren't driving the worst cars. A lot of good vehicles were destroyed by this program. It defeated the purpose of why I buy Ford: ease of repair. Reply

Jim
September 9, 2009 at 12:22 am

Cash for Clunkers was no help to me at all. You see, I'm a disabled veteran, and I have a 20 year old sedan that supposedlky gets 19 mpg, so it failed to qualify for the program. (the car is a GM product and gets about 12 mpg...thank you, EPA).

But that's not what was the worst part. For years ihave wanted an Explorer. It's the perfect vehicle for where i live, in South Dakota. It's quiet, comfortable, has 4WD for winter, and can carry everything I need. But...Cash for Clunkers destroyed the market for Explorers...with all the Explorers trashed by the treehuggers, there's nothing left available to buy, except for extremely expensive models, beyond my reach.

Thanks for the Explorer, Ford...I just wish you'd sold a lot more of them.

Jim
Rapid City, SD Reply

Andrea Battle
September 9, 2009 at 8:24 am

I praised the cash for clunkers program because it kept a worker like myself at work and not laid off!! why not give people an opportunity to cash out on a rust bucket that they may get 200 dollars for anyway. No body cares about the workers that have been laid off for a majority of the year. This was a genius way to get rid of all the cars that sit on lots for months and boost people's confidence. Who don't wanna ride good!!! I appreciate each and every person that participated in the program because until you are laid off for 3 weeks outta a month or down for 6 months you will not understand how essential this was. Reply

jerrycan
September 19, 2009 at 5:44 pm

Perhaps a 3 week layoff could have helped you attain a better grasp of the english language!
it is the auto unions that are the root cause of this mess. Reply

Adam
September 9, 2009 at 8:33 am

I owned a 1993 Ford F150. It was somewhat of a base model for the time, an XL Supercab 4x4, 5spd, legendary 4.9L with 252,900 miles on it. My dad bought the truck in 1995 from a friend of the family, and was a vehicle I grew up in and learned to drive in. I live in WI and took hundreds of road trips to Upper Michigan with it. It was a great, super reliable truck. By 2004 it was no longer his primary vehicle and sat for about a year with 215k on it. In 2005 he wanted to get rid of it and offered it to me for free, but I had to fix a few items such as multiple rusted brake lines, leaking gaskets, wiper motor, and a new exhaust. I took ownership in 2005 and would be used as a ATV hauler in summer and a primary vehicle in winter. Fast forward to 2009, the F150 has 252,900 miles on it and is still running great. It is getting rusty to the point where I can now smell exhaust in the cab at times. I am getting married and it has become the 3rd vehicle in our household and the cash for clunker deal became too good of a deal to pass up. Keeping in mind my wife has a 70 mile daily commute, and I could tow my ATV with a different vehicle, we bought a 2009 Ford Focus Coupe SES 5spd on July 31st. The old F150 had life in it yet, but I couldn't ever get $4500 for it elsewhere. I bought the Focus about an hour away from where I live, and Sept. 3rd I was in the area and drove by the dealer. The F150 was still there! I assume because the dealer hadn't been paid yet. I'm not sure if it was "killed" yet or not. Part of me wanted to see how much silicone the 4.9L would take, the other part couldn't bare to see it die that way. I'll miss that truck for a long time. Reply

jesse
September 9, 2009 at 7:02 pm

i could vomit at all of the people that created that program period Reply

neil a
January 4, 2010 at 2:25 pm

jesse I agree also the program should have specified domestics only the japanese got rich on tax payer money I would never turn my F150 in for anything Reply

john
September 10, 2009 at 12:47 pm

Well every vehicle is going to get old, if the goverment was really trying to help they would have gave those cars to people that didn't own one.some of ford products are good, and in the long run the will have problems like the ones that got traded in. that also goes for all the other automaker as well, if your car has been good to you and you love it keep it because trading it in is not going to make you forget it trust me. Reply

Dogpad
September 11, 2009 at 1:30 pm

What is wrong with Americans today?? This program benefited many including our local economies. I believe people have become too self-centered and selfish; instead we all need to start thinking of the bigger picture. This program helped alot of people, no, not everyone; no program will help everyone. But I guarantee you, all of us benefit from government programs of one kind or another. Like farm subsidies, oil/gasoline subsidies, welfare programs, military programs, government research grants for disease control, and hundreds more! Reply

Kobi
December 3, 2009 at 12:15 am

The only thing good about it is that it got 98% of those stupid Obama stickers off the road Reply

Susan Williams
September 11, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Beware of Ford's greenwashing and how Ford is saving the environment by Cash for Clunkers. A better name is Cash for Ford. In my town, Ford is interested in profits over environment. Ford Motor Co. is partnering with a convicted environment criminal -- Pan Am Railways to pave 25 acres on top of underground wells for people, to unload Ford vehicles on the lot, and transfer them to car-carriers for delivery to dealers. Despite 10+ years of community opposition, Ford & Pan Am are moving forward. Ford needs to hear from people who care about the environment. The federal law that enables Ford & Pan Am Railways to ignore environmental law and common sense applies in every state in USA. Ford- save some of the Cash from Clunkers to truck in water when and if our aquifer is contaminated. Reply

Matt
September 13, 2009 at 12:24 am

That entire program was a joke. Much like the Obama administration that created it, it was pretty useless. Anybody else hear of people cashing in to purchase a Hummer? The H3 was eligible. I find that absolutely rediculous. It supposedly boosting the economy is bunk also. It was only a temporary fix. Now, dealerships are going to once again have inventory that they can't sell, and those that purchased new vehicles through the program will soon have no jobs to pay for the remaining balance on the vehicle thanks to this horrible economy that Obama has made for us. So, it will actually make the economy worse. However, I do give Ford praise for not taking government money, and for finally making products that Americans would consider buying. Also for shortening their product replacement cycles. The Ranger is a dinosaur. The Grand Marquis is ancient. The Town Car is pre-historic. Other than those three vehicles, Ford is becoming a desired name brand again. Just keep up the good work, and hurry up with that new Focus! Reply

Jim Duncan
September 13, 2009 at 11:11 am

The cash for clunkers in my mind is a very deceiving advertising because they base it on some one's combined average mileage. In my case it is probably the factory that made the car. Mine says I get 20 MPG combined, but to get that I would have to do a lot of highway driving. I have a terrific 1989 Cougar and in all my driving I get 15 or less MPG. True I can get 27MPG if I drive non stop for 100 or more miles, but that is not my normal pattern, therefore I do not qualify. so I will just have to keep wasting fuel with my 14.6 MPG car driving in the city where I do 95% of my driving. I have owned the car sine new and never got 18 MPG average going to and from work, so their numbers are not correct for my car. Reply

L.J. De Vault
September 13, 2009 at 9:16 pm

The clunker I had wanted to trade was a 2000 Ford Windstar SEL w/only 70,000 miles on it. Ford knew the transmissions gave out, but refused to recall it. I'm one of thousands (there is a site dedicated to the victims Ford took advantange of) that Ford ignored. Every transmission shop knows about these bad trannsmissions. After the fires, contractors bailing out w/ our money and the transmission going out for the 2nd time on our Windstar, we would never buy another Ford or their subsidiaries. We couldn't trust Ford. Buy American? Build it better and we might consider it. They aren't even good scrap metal - maybe scrap plastic? I'm just a mom/wife, so I don't expect anyone to listen, but who do you think influences car sales? We moms/wives do! Go on, go under. You've done this to yourselves. Ford did us dirty. We are the typical American family and are truly ashamed of American cars, especially Fords. Reply

Karl
September 25, 2009 at 10:59 am

I don't understand what the problem with the cash for clunckers.. This program was designed for people with GAS GUZZLERS that need to use less fuel not for the people that want to get a used car that doesn't save gas. People are crying because they can't buy these vehicle and they will be destroyed, but that is the whole point. Now there will be much cleaner cars on the road. I think that the program is good. Most people just wanted to get new cars anyway and now they will save more fuel and make the world cleaner at the same time! Reply

Rose
October 2, 2009 at 12:13 am

I am also a mom/wife. Fortunately for me, I LOVE my FORDS! My husband and my kids would have it no other way! My husband and I have owned many different makes & models of cars and trucks, but we always ended up coming back to Fords. Now, that's all we drive. Our vehicles have been the most reliable vehicles we've ever owned. Our vehicles are: Faithful, Obedient, Reliable, and Dependable! That's right - FORD. Currently, we own a 2008 F-150, 2002 F-350, 2000 Taurus (92,000 miles), 1998 Taurus (123,000 miles), and a 1974 Pinto (way many miles). Reply

Gordon Smith
September 15, 2009 at 4:02 pm

I didn't participate. I own a 1998 Crown Victoria which is in excellent condition. I bought it new. I can't afford payments right now so I'm not in the market for a new car. But if I were, there remains only one American car manufacturer to buy from and that is Ford. Thank you. I have no interest in any Japanese car. Those companies are part of the reason we are in the mess we in now. I will buy American as long as I can. When I can't, I will use what I have untill it can no longer be repaired. The cash for clunkers program was a stupid socialistic idea in the first place. Reply

j brown
September 19, 2009 at 5:41 pm

Thought program was wonderful. $3 billion nationwide to get clunkers off the road and dealers workers and factory workers back on the job! Was a far more productive use of money then the $5 billion that Merril Lynch execs expected Bank of America to give them as bonuses.

Ford did very well, some dealers i spoke with were very happy, not just buyers. None of the complainers here bought anything or talked to any dealers. Our cars did not qualify (1 too old, 1 has to many mpg). or we'd have bought. Mustang and taurus look the best to me (sigh!), but would have given the focus or flex a spin too if we'd gone shopping. Next year! Reply

Frank
September 20, 2009 at 2:35 pm

I didint think that this cash for clunkers was a good thing. It hurt alot of people in the end. You know the goverment goes and gives out all this money to the auto industry and the banks. But do you think if i went to the Gov and said hey i need help with my house payment could you bail me out of my debt. And it was crazy to see all those cars that were really nice being junk out. Most of them were in greta shap with low miles. And now that they are of the market it made getting parts harder to find and more expensive. So we should just live in Russia than Reply

Greg
September 21, 2009 at 3:22 pm

This program was a success, given that 90% of the supposed stimulus money had gone to banks with no intention of stimulating anything other than their own bonus checks. So if there was a success here it was that all of the Auto Companies; GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda were able to stop their 18 month slow bleed due to the ignorance of the few in New York and D.C, who by virtue of their own hubris caused this mess in the first place. Reading through all the of negative commentary on here is interesting, considering when it comes time to change all of these supposed "awful politicians", nobody ever votes them out because it is a lot easier to complain on the internet and than go vote on election day. Continue to rock on Ford! Reply

JP Morgan
September 24, 2009 at 10:27 pm

Would have like to have traded in my Jeep Cherokee gas hog. However, it had body damage from being hit by a teen driver. Mechanically sound. Did not renew registration this year, but kept insurance, as other party's insurance carrier has not settled damages after 2 1/2 years. Shame I could not qualify for rebate, bigger shame insurance companies in Colorado can rape and pillage accident victims. It is sad that those cars could not have been repaired & given to the poor so they could get to work. The work would have helped the dealership mechanics, and lessed some of the welfare burden :( Reply

keith
September 24, 2009 at 10:44 pm

I took part in the clunker program and truly miss the old truck that I traded in but I knew that it was only chance to get the amount of money for the truck that was offered. Yes I could afford a newer vehicle even with out this incentive. The truck that I trade was a clunker high mileage poor fuel mileage and had been wreck and repaired poorly it needed to be gotten off the road. I also saw many cars trade in that really should have been resold because they where still in nice condition. I traded for Ford Focus coupe se and really enjoy each drive to and from work watching it average 33- 34 mpg. Reply

randy
September 25, 2009 at 9:26 pm

WOW !! Ford you wanted feedback and you got it! I personally would have loved to get rid of the wrecked chevy s-10 in my driveway but like so many it didn't qualify. Saw plenty of what appeared to be GOOD clunker trade-ins and some not-so-good. I would have bought one of these cars of my daughter as her first car but now there scrap. Rain has flooded the area and caused more suitable cars for her to be scraped also. Would like to buy her a newer car but like so many - money is tight. Reply

Kurt
September 27, 2009 at 9:49 pm

Here's some math from the facts that the average clunker got 15 mpg and the average replacement gets 25. A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.
A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year. So, an average clunker transaction reduces U.S. gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.
The total is about 700,000 vehicles - so that's 224 million gallons/year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil. 5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day's U.S. consumption. And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $75/bbl.
Your tax dollars were spent by the Goverment in the amount of $3 billion, in an effort to save $350 million. How good a deal was that??? Reply

Bill
October 12, 2009 at 8:15 pm

And since the average car lasts 10 years we spent 3 billion to save 3.5 billion at today's prices over the life of the new car, which probably will be a bargain compared to gas prices in 10 years. By the way, I'm really enjoying my new Focus!! Reply

Joe MacNeil Jr.
September 28, 2009 at 3:51 pm

Before the Cash for Clunkers was offered I had decided to put some money into my old 1996 Explorer to keep it around for a few more years. I had the body work done, air conditioning repaired and a tune-up that work ran just over $2,000 dollars for all this work, not bad considering. Now the truck has a 145,000 miles and runs like a champ. The only car that I could afford to buy new would be the lower priced models which doesn't give me the flexibility that the Explorer give me. Considering that its a back-up winter vehicle for me was the decision to keep putting money into it. Cash for Clunkers didn't do me any good because it came to late by the time I made the decision to fix her up. It was a good program for those that could afford a decent set of wheels, but for those that couldn't were left on the side lines. Besides the purpose of this program was to get America moving, but many people bought Toyota's and Honda's with this money. I would have liked to have seen more American cars bought on this program! I intend to keep this 96' Explorer as long as it runs and I'm sure it will see 200k, beat that Toyota! Reply

Greg
September 30, 2009 at 5:29 am

This program was a complete joke. Not a funny one either after watching nice vehicles that I would have given anything for (Mostly Fords) get wasted by being crushed. And then see foreign junk still rattling along the roads bodies almost rusted through. AND CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY HELPED? Especially when people traded good American made cars and trucks for foreign made ones. Do these dolts not realize the money spent on them went overseas and didn't help our country's automobile industry? And how many of those people are still going to have a job tomorrow to make the payments and pay the insurance? Are they planning on living in those cars when their house is foreclosed? And what was the waste of these good vehicles traded in for? Why could our government strip and resell the good parts off of them at least? I said it before and I'll keep saying it, this program was moronic and a complete waste of time and money. You crooks didn't get my F-150 and you know what? YOU NEVER WILL!!!!!!! Clunker my butt! Reply

tim a
September 30, 2009 at 11:46 am

i personally sold a total of 5 cars with the cfc program and can say everyone that was traded was not in well running or good condition. sure some people traded nice cars but they could , the people that bought cars could do it , the ones unable to afford a new car did not. simply said if you qualify then buy it if not don't waste anyones time. it happens every day in life . Reply

Ranchero
October 1, 2009 at 5:44 pm

I really hate seeing all those old cars wrecked, so many great cars that still were good to kepp rollin down the road.
I also really hate all this Green and Clean talk. Electric cars suck, no one actually wants them.
Gasoline cars are still the best choice.
Also I hate that nearly every company hast the word 'green' in one of their slogan as if it's what the customers want! Ridiculous! Reply

Chris Zizzo
October 4, 2009 at 2:15 pm

"Green" is the new "economy" which replaced "luxury" which replaced "safety", which replaced "horsepower" which replaced "comfort". Every few years something occurs in the marketplace and the lemmings line up to follow each other into a new sea.

It hasn't all been bad, The current crop of cars are safer and better driving than those made 20 or 30 or even 50 years ago. No matter how sexy you thought the 57 T-bird was, it was still a deathtrap compared to the modern version. How much of that is attributable to Ralph Nader is debatable. Mostly, technology moved on through the decades and the product got better.

The electric car dates back to old "Mechanics Illustrated" articles I used to read as a kid. It was inevitable, but the technology moved at glacial speed. Once the price of gas went through the roof, the research found funding. In just a few years, gasoline engined cars will be phased out. The Cash for Clunkers program was just a test ballon for the big "Green Vouchers for Gas Guzzlers" that will rear it's extremely ugly head as soon as the plug-in BEV is really up and running. Look for a 7 dollar gas price to spur it on.

Some of you may consider me a conspiracy theorist. To you, I say, print this page and stuff it in a safe place for later. Reply

B007ND
October 22, 2009 at 9:17 am

Hello. I from Russia St.-Petersburg write through the translator.

Here all of you swear on it the program, I with pleasure would exchange, but is compelled to go by old cars of the American manufacture
Now I go on Ford focus zts 2000 has bought it for 5625 dollars
At the salary in 9700 dollars a year l yes in a year.
The car has passed 120 thousand miles and I am very glad to it though both expensive spare parts and expensive repair and all breaks regularly...
Before was worse, Ford probe 1993. 190 thousand miles the car good, but with spare parts not to find at all.
And 3 years ago went on Ford escort 1988 of release my favourite car but too old and rotten.
So I on your place would rejoice that you have a possibility to buy to itself new cars... Reply

Glen
October 22, 2009 at 6:48 pm

While I did not have an old enough vehicle to qualify for the cash for clunkers, I applaud the Obama adminsitration in an effort to get some gas guzzlers off the road with more fuel efficient and cleaner emmisions, while giving the Auto Industry a jump start. The administration was at least proactive, something you could not say about the prior 8 year administration, and the Clunker program tried in earnest to not have a bunch of loopholes. Yes, one could purchase a Hummer H3, but still the vehicle traded in had to get substantially less mileage. Look at what vehciles were purchased most, and they are very fuel efficeint (Corollas, Civics, Focus, Fusions, etc). People tried to maximize there rebate, and in turn rec'd fuel efficiency. We need our auto industry, and I am hoping Ford and the other American Mfgs succeed. Ford has been rated on top lately, and Ford and American should be proud, and yes this should have taken place years ago, and yes Ford has further steps to make. Reply

Robert Armstrong
November 2, 2009 at 7:47 pm

Cash for clunkers?
I feel like so many before me that it was a shame to see so many good cars going to the junk yards.
Pardon me the auto recycling depot's.
We joke that if this program was put together by an F.D.R . Democrat the nice cars would have been weeded out & offered to the less fortunate.
Example: there is this show room condition mid 90's Ford F-150 ,blue pearl mist metallic with a matching topper. It is now sitting in a junk yard in Colorado as a victim from cash for clunkers.
If F.D.R. had put this program together he would have had the nice cars pulled aside & offered a second tier of cash for clunkers where a person with a car of over 200,000 miles & in need of body work ( like my 1994 G M C Safari van which just turned over 270,000 miles with all the original drive train under it).
Would have been able to bring in the title & a transfer fee of say 500.00 to make it worth the dealers time & I could have benefited the ol' chicken in every pot , a car in every driveway mentality . My G M C is a testament to the American car manufactures that we do build good cars with a long life span. Reply

Robert Armstrong
November 2, 2009 at 7:53 pm

P.S.
As another example of our American Auto Makers.
We own a 1941 Ford 1.5 ton dually truck ,Red & Black Flat bed ,Flat Head V-8, still with it's original drive train & original body , 2 speed rear end , I had to change out the brake master cylinder 4 years ago & tires .
Yea to American Auto Makers. Reply

Graham
November 9, 2009 at 11:59 pm

I did participate in the Cash for Clunkers program. For a couple reasons.... First, I drive alot and mostly around town. I had a 1997 Expedition with close to 170,000 miles on it. We traded it for a 2009 Escape Hybrid Limited. In all reality, I participated in the program for two reasons... First, I figured I am paying for it anyway with my tax dollars so I may as well get something out of it and secondly, I was going to need to do something anyway. NOW.... The big question is, did I REALLY get anything out of it or did I lose a bit? I have been told that my Expedition should have brought in between $1800 - $2500. I got $4500 on the C4C, BUT.... the catch here is, that since so many people were buying cars, there was not another Escape Hybrid within 400 miles of us at the time we found ours here in town, thus, no discount on the new car. So with that said, I don't really believe that I got any more of a deal than I would have without the problem. Had there been no C4C, there would have been more than plenty of cars to go around and I would have had some bargianing power, which I had none of. Bottom line, I won because I got a new car. BUT... I lost because I don't know if I got a great deal and another trusty Ford that someone could have gotten anotehr 50k miles out of it went to the scrap heap....

Good program or not? Tough to tell, I do, however, know that LOTS of people kept their jobs that may otherwise have been laid off by dealers and mfg.

LOVE LOVE LOVE My Escape Hybrid, thanks FORD for a great car! Reply

Eric F. President
November 11, 2009 at 3:52 pm

The Scariest words in the United States and around the world are:

I'm ftom the government and I'm here to help you! Reply

William K Braun
November 19, 2009 at 4:49 pm

I don't know the exact numbers regarding the gallons of fuel that will not be burned due to this program. I can only hope that it was a step in the right direction. I do however believe that the age and condition of the vehicle should have been a consideration in deciding its eligibility. The program should have been called cash for guzzlers. I only wish more actual old rusted, broken down and used up "clunkers" had been excepted. Reply

William K Braun
November 20, 2009 at 9:46 am

"accepted" not "excepted" (my bad!). Reply

Moose Dancer
December 4, 2009 at 4:32 pm

This program was a complete failure, once again the goverment had their hand in my pocket. Thank you to the Ford Motor Company for keeping their hands out of my pockets. GM and Chrysler can pound sand. Reply

Rick
December 6, 2009 at 6:18 pm

This program was not well thought out. My neighbor turned in a gas guzzler and purchased another gas guzzler that gives him 2 mpg more. My daughter wanted to trafe in her 97 sebring with a 100,000 miles on it but was turned down becasue she supposedly got 20 mpg. Problem is that she was trafing it in for a car that gave 35 mpg. That was a 15 mpg improvement. So, when someone gets in the program by only improving 2 mpg and someone else is turned down where there was going to be a 15 mpg improvement I label the program a failure. Reply

caroll
December 7, 2009 at 1:44 pm

I support this program. My sister in-law traded in a 1993 Jeep Grand Cheeroke Limited. Yes it had a nice leather interior and only about 120K on the clock but it was a gas hog. She bought a real nice Chevy Impala. We (the brothers) wanted her to get a Fusion but she was sold on a V6 and the Fusion V6 wasn't as efficient.
The old Ford Ranger probably didn't qualify as it would get above the min MPG. This was to get rid of Gas Hogs. Reply

Wayne Hubbard
December 7, 2009 at 9:19 pm

Enough of this "Green" crap. Reply

lawrence gauthier
December 13, 2009 at 5:04 am

I too could not take advantage of this program. I drive a 1986 ford tarus which is not realy
fit for the road. My tarus didn;t fit the requerments either as the mpg was to high. It killed me to see
all the good cars that were scraped any one of them were better than mine. it would have been nice
if the goverment had let prople like me who can;t afford a new car to buy one at a low price. I was
brought up that its wrong to toss good cars away. I also own a 1977 Lincon that gets 10 mpg. Its my
sunday car it only has 60.000 miles on it that also would not have been inclued in the program.
I never would have never would have traded to the crusher even if i had the money to
to do so. These large cars of the 50s/ 60s/ 70s are clasics. Ford cars and trucks run a long time,they
don;t desirve crushing. Does anybody stop to think if they had a good runing car geting 16 mpg when
you add in the payments and and higher insurance for a new car or truck how much money did they
really save in gas cost? Reply

Mr Wilson
December 13, 2009 at 8:16 am

I was ready to pull the trigger on a new Ford Fusion Hybrid when I brought in my 1984 Chevrolet 3/4 ton 4WD pickup w/155000 miles. Turns out it was 6 months too old for the program. So I still have a gas guzzling, smog spewing (no catalytic converter), vehicle on the road getting 10mpg till I put it in 4WD then it gets 6! Great program. Thank you to the Antique Automobile Association for the 25 year rule, you can write me a check for the $4500 anytime. I think I make a couple laps in 4WD today just to mess with the Greenies. Reply

Joe Norman,Jr.
December 16, 2009 at 8:40 pm

I have a 1996 Ford F150 XL 4.0 Liter 300 Engine with 310,124 miles bad on gas 15 miles to a gallon but good on engine oil and I wonder why have I have not gotten an notice from the Governor about CASH FOR CLUNKER AUTOMOBILES also I have an 1985 Chevelet S10 4X4 with a 3.8 Liter engine V-6 128,648 miles on it bad on gas 12 miles to a gallon and have an oil leak aswell also, I have a 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX 4.6 Liter V-8 with 114,794 miles on it not so bad on gas 18 miles to a gallon but engine oil perssure drop at time and the engine knock. Reply

James Holden Jr
December 22, 2009 at 5:06 pm

I own a 95 Ford Explorer XLT automatic 4x4 which had 167,00 miles on the original engine. Due to mistake I made trying to install fresh antifreeze, the block froze last Dec and I had to replace the engine. This original engine got 28 miles per gallon on the road until I replaced the $28.00 air filter which decreased my 28 MPG to 25MPG. Thanks to CASH FOR CLUNKERS, it took 8 months before I was able to located an engine for my vehicles and I am sure it is no ways as good as the original. Cash for Clunkers was for the well-to-do, not us (retired/social security) fixed-income poor people. Reply

Rob Mullins
December 24, 2009 at 9:04 am

First of all i am one of those folks that have always believed that buying a slightly used car makes more sense then purchasing a new one. I have never owned or planned on owning a new car until C.F.C came along. I had a 91' Dodge Caravan with 208,000 miles on it. The minivan had alot of problems but was still running. One of the major problems i had was trying to replace one of the radiator cooling motors/support bracket... i tryed to get a replacement at about five junk yards but was unable to find one . As a result the engine would overheat while idleing for a short time. My replacement for this clunker was a cool Escape which my family and i love and gets about 10 per gallon better gas mileage. In my mind the program was a great idea and did help get the economy back up and running.Shortly after i bought the Escape my brother was called back to the steelmill he works at because steel orders from the auto companies had started to deplete current stocks... Reply

Jeff
January 8, 2010 at 11:58 pm

And we MUST RELY on the government to stimulate the economy with a program that was actually written by Van Jones... "Hybrids for Hoopties" Hard of it? Probably not.

Why do people (just some of them) keep refering to this program as NEEDED? Did we really NEED the government to step in and spend more of OUR money? It's not Government money, it's YOUR money... Don't you get it?

Get the government out of the way for innovation. Hey FORD, how many regulations could you do without from the federal government? And No, I'm not talking about safety regulations... I'm talking about the ones that limit your true potential. Do you like being steered by the feds and told what you have to produce? Why don't you stand up for something and get off the "Climate" crap they pushing and develop some vehicles that people want.

Taken from your web site...
* Ford executive Sue Cischke cites need for continued cooperation between the automotive industry and the federal government in pursuit of greener transportation vision, noting the significant role of government in shaping the transportation fleet of the future

"The Significant role of government in SHAPING the transportation!!!???!!!" Say What?! Is that what Henry Ford was thinking when he started the company?? Don't think so. Unless you plan on working in a socialist-progressive country and getting rid of capitalism. Since when do American's think the government should SHAPE an industry?
And beware... the American people are on to this ideaology and they won't stand for it. Good luck! Reply

Jennifer Bergerson
March 13, 2010 at 5:06 pm

Well here is my cash for clunker story.
On the back window on my 1995 Ford Ranger XLT with 257 000 miles it reads " The us can keep their cash, I am happy with my CLUNKER!"

after all why fix something that ain't broke. Chevy should have learned that when they scrapped The S10. Reply

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