Cash for Clunkers Eligible Cars- Fueleconomy.gov

What New Vehicles & Trade-Ins Qualify for 3500 or 4500 Auto Rebates?

Jul 29, 2009 Lena Gott

See if a trade-in or new car qualifies for a U..S. government 3500 or 4500 auto rebate. A Cash for Clunkers 2009 eligible vehicle guide is available on fueleconomy.gov.

As noted in the article U.S. New Vehicle Purchase Incentive Information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) promised to provide a list of trade-in vehicles and new automobiles that qualify for the United States federal government Cash for Clunkers program.

The government didn’t publish a comprehensive list of eligible vehicles, but the NHTSA did provide a handy online tool – the CARS Vehicle Eligibility Guide. Find out how to access the vehicle eligibility tool to verify if an automobile qualifies to be traded in or purchased under the Cash for Clunkers program.

“List” of Vehicles That Qualify for 3500 or 4500 Car Rebates on Fueleconomy.gov

The CARS Vehicle Eligibility Guide helps consumers do two things:

Determine if a trade in qualifies for a federal government voucher incentive.
Determine which new automobiles qualify for the Cash for Clunkers program.

How to Access the CARS Eligible Vehicles Guide – Fueleconomy.gov & Cars.gov

There are two ways to access the CARS Vehicle Eligibility Guide. The first is directly through fueleconomy.gov (see the preceding link). The other way to access the guide is to visit cars.gov and click on the “fueleconomy.gov” tab. This will direct users to fueleconomy.gov/cars, which is the web address for the CARS vehicle eligibility guide.

U.S. Cash for Clunkers Vehicle Guide Not a Simple List of Eligible Cars

The CARS Vehicle Eligibility Guide tool on the fueleconomy.gov website is useful, but might prove frustrating for anyone who simply wishes to browse a list of eligible vehicles instead of walking through every step of the module. If this is the case, it might be easiest to visit a participating car dealer in person to find out which vehicles on the lot can be purchased under the Cash for Clunkers voucher program, assuming an appropriate trade-in is produced.

Trade-In Documentation & Drivable Condition Required for $3,500 & $4,500 Rebate Incentives

The Cash for Clunkers 2009 program eligibility guide will not conclusively verify if a trade-in qualifies for the program. It cannot do so because some of the Cash for Clunkers criteria must be validated by a dealer. When a clunker is taken to a participating dealership, the dealer will verify that the vehicle is in drivable condition and ask for certain trade-in documentation. The owner must prove that the trade-in has been continuously insured and registered in his or her name for the entire year preceding the trade-in date. Proof of ownership may also be required.

The guide will indicate whether a new vehicle purchase qualifies for a government voucher, assuming the new vehicle’s base manufacturer suggested retail price is $45,000 or less and the legal title has never been transferred to another person (i.e. it's a brand new car with no previous individual owner).

United States Cash for Clunkers 2009 Information

Consumers interested in learning exactly how to use the Cash for Clunkers vehicle eligibility guide to evaluate a potential new car purchase might be interested in reviewing the article What Cars Qualify for 3500 & 4500 Rebates?

To learn important Cash for Clunkers 2009 details, see the article Cash for Clunkers Rules – Obama New Car Stimulus.

The copyright of the article Cash for Clunkers Eligible Cars- Fueleconomy.gov in Consumer Education is owned by Lena Gott. Permission to republish Cash for Clunkers Eligible Cars- Fueleconomy.gov in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Online Car Guide Can't Tell Driveable Condition	See Vehicles That Qualify – Cash for Clunkers 2009	Search List of Eligible Cars at Fueleconomy.gov
Bring Trade-In Documentation for 4500 Auto Rebate	U.S. Federal Government Offers $3,500 Incentives