Edmunds.com Presses NHTSA on Cash for Clunkers Consumer Dilemmas; Decision Expected Today

Publishers Note: While we feel badly for consumers who thought one thing but got another, the rules of Cash for Clunkers states that: "Transactions on and after July 1 are potentially eligible for credits but you may want to wait until all of the detailed issues are resolved and the final rule is issued on July 24". The gun was jumped by some very aggressive dealers who in their quest to create sales did not inform their buyers that the qualification data might change between July 1 and July 24 when the rules became law.

This article in The Auto Channel dated June 15, 2009 states in the second paragraph this warning to consumers; "While the CARS Act makes transactions on and after July 1, 2009 potentially eligible for credits under the CARS program, interested dealers and consumers may want to wait until all of the detailed issues that must be addressed in the implementing regulations are resolved and the final rule is issued. Issuance will occur around July 23. So if you followed the rules you would have no bitch with the Cash for Clunkers program, have a nice day.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, pressed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today for an answer on a common issue facing consumers from the Cash for Clunkers program. Consumers have been heavily engaged on Edmunds’ CarSpace.com message boards (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f1db290?displayRecent) and Edmunds Answers (http://answers.edmunds.com/) seeking advice on their Cash for Clunkers purchase made over the past several weeks after learning their vehicle is no longer eligible because the EPA made mileage “refreshes” late last week.

Rae Tyson, spokesman for the Transportation Department that administers the Cash for Clunkers program, told Edmunds' AutoObserver.com early Wednesday afternoon the number of qualified-then-not qualified transactions is not known. But, he added, the DOT expects to have a decision by the end of Wednesday as to how to handle transactions that have already been completed based on the old numbers. "We're evaluating our options," Tyson told Edmunds.com. "The mandate is clear; it is based on fuel economy ratings."

“The program started July 1 and consumers started making their Cash for Clunkers purchases, yet the EPA made revisions to hundreds of vehicles MPG numbers without informing consumers of these changes,” said Kevin Smith, Editorial Director, Edmunds.com. “Consumers acting in good faith should not be penalized for undisclosed and last minute changes made by the government.”

For more information, please visit Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com story “Government Decision Imminent on How to Handle Cash for Clunkers Mileage Glitch” at http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/government-decision-imminent-on-how-to-handle-cash-for-clunkers-mileage-glitch.html.

For more information on Cash for Clunkers, please visit http://www.edmunds.com/cash-for-clunkers/. Lively discussions about Cash for Clunkers are taking place on Edmunds’ CarSpace.com message boards at http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1db290.

About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/)

Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value^®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. AutoObserver.com launched in 2008 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.