After Clunker Frenzy, Dealers Expect a Slump

(NEWSER) - General Motors will start making temporary loans to dealers who have yet to be reimbursed by the federal government under the Cash for Clunkers plan, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dealers, some now irate, essentially did the same thing for customers participating in the trade-in plan—covering the government rebate out of pocket. But the federal money has been slow in coming, putting dealers at risk of a loss. More»

(NEWSER) - The House voted today to beef up the "cash for clunkers" program to the tune of $2 billion, but that doesn’t mean shoppers and dealers are any clearer on the federal program, the Detroit Free Press reports. “It is an absolute total mess,” one dealer says. One customer who made a last-minute deal is more charitable. “I know how the laws go—they go through and they don’t have the processes in place to handle them.” She works for the Social Security Administration. More»

(NEWSER) - Cash for Clunkers revved into overdrive during its final weekend, the New York Times reports. After Thursday’s announcement that the Car Allowance Rebate System would end tomorrow at 8pm, consumers across the country raced to dealerships, resulting in long lines, epic haggling sessions, and hours of overtime work. “Everybody who was thinking about it is rushing through the door,” a salesman says. “The only problem is we’re running out of cars.” More»

(NEWSER) - The federal cash-for-clunkers program is sending demand through the roof for a chemical normally used to repel bugs or seal concrete, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sodium silicate, known as liquid glass, has been designated the agent of execution for old models traded in under the program. Auto dealers are required to pour the compound into engines, destroying them within minutes and making sure the vehicles can't be returned to the road. More»

(NEWSER) - Last week's rush of demand for new cars may may have exhausted the $1 billion earmarked for the "cash for clunkers" program, but struggling auto dealers saw their sales zoom, reports Reuters. Though exact figures aren't yet available, the program was certain to drive car sales to the highest levels of the year, beyond 10 million on an annualized basis, AutoNation estimates. One analyst predicted a new annualized sales rate of up to 13 million vehicles. More»