EPA Secretly Changing MPG Numbers Ahead Of Cash For Clunkers, Screwing Consumers

Jalopnik ^ | Jul 27 2009 | Matt Hardigree

[prisoner6]

EPA Secretly Changing MPG Numbers Ahead Of Cash For Clunkers, Screwing Consumers

By Matt Hardigree, 3:30 PM on Mon

Consumers hoping to trade in their old "clunkers" for new vehicles through the Cash for Clunkers (or CARS) program are discovering the EPA changed fuel economy numbers for some cars last week, making it impossible to trade them in!

New Jersey resident Jeff Chase was considering trading in his 1989 Mazda 929 for a new car and checked the government's FuelEconomy.gov website and it said it met the 18 MPG threshold to be considered a gas-guzzling clunker. He went back later to buy the new car only to discover the numbers had been changed and the combined mileage was now 19 MPG and therefore disqualified from the discount.

"The dealer that I wanted to do business with had started to write sales orders for cars but were not delivering them until the final CARS rules were set," said Jeff Chance. "They are finding out that cars that they thought were qualified as trade-ins are no longer eligible. Now these people will not be able to purchase a car."

[prisoner6]

Now that's just crazy talk...crazy...the EPA/government wouldn't ever do such a thing...evar!

< /sarcasm >

prisoner6

[pnh102]

It seems that most car dealers have upped the prices of cars by $4500 regardless of whether the customer qualifies for the scam or not.

[screaminsunshine]

They are going to try to get and emmissions tax so we can not afford our SUV’s.

[A. Morgan]

Is this why Carol Browner forbid anyone from taking notes at a meeting she had?

[mylife]

Who would have ever imagined?

[prisoner6]

Wouldn't come as a surprise!

prisoner6

[6SJ7]

In buying a car, if it’s not bad enough to get screwed by the car dealer, one can now get screwed by the government at the same time; you’ve got stereo!

[Neidermeyer]

The EPA changed the way the mileage test was calculated a few years ago ... they are re-adjusting the old test results to match the new formula (higher weighting on the city cycle) so that there can be an apples=apples comparison of mileage ... some (very few) cars will see their mileage numbers go up, especially if their city mileage was good compared to the hwy mileage , most will see the estimate go down by 10-15% or so. My car went from 20 estimated to 18 .. that is the norm ... the car this person is ranting about is an exception.

[oncebitten]

Well sometimes things work out. My Jaguar needed $4000 in emissions work to pass MA state inspection. I traded it as a clunker for $4500 on a Honda Insight (I am commuting 180 miles a day for a new job). Put down $3000 and the net finance is about $12,000. I figure with the $4000 cost avoidance and $4500 clunker cash I saved $8500. The actual dealer price was competitive for a desirable hybrid. Guess that's the only thing I'll ever get from the Fed. Gov so no regrets or shame here.

[Salamander]

http://fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList2&make=GMC&model=Yukon%20XL%201500%204WD

LOL!

Guess me and ol “Dark Ride” will be stuck with each other forever...:))

[Misterioso]

TANSTAAFL

[bondjamesbond]

Back when the cars to be traded in on this program were first sold, the EPA did not report a combined milage figure. They reported on figure for City and another figure for Highway.

Congress, in it’s infinite wisdom, used a combined figure for the Cash for Clunkers program that does not exist for these cars, so EPA is having to make it all up.

[Spktyr]

I had the entire exhaust system on my Jag replaced with stainless steel for less than $1000 - what the hell was wrong with yours?

[Doogle]

why..why..why...that's unethical

[prisoner6]

Dittos with me and my Durango aka Canyonero!

Then there's my brother in law's Road Runner...

Gonna keep these babies for a LONG time!

prisoner6

[politicalmerc]

I was thinking about how Japanese car makers are going to get most of the Billion dollars that the government is shelling out.

[Salamander]

Great kilt and RR!

Why do we name our vehicles?...LOL!

[and don’t tell me you’ve never lovingly “talked it” over or out of a tough spot]....;D

[Vaduz]

If he ever wants to sell the road runner let us know.

[pnh102]

I was thinking about how Japanese car makers are going to get most of the Billion dollars that the government is shelling out.

Which helps to underscore the folly of the bailout of GM and Chrysler to begin with.

But if I was buying a car, I would rather buy something made in China than anything made by the UAW. At least China is not trying to screw me. I'd consider a Ford truck if I had the cash, but only if it was built in Mexico.

And for the record, both of my cars are Hondas that were built in Ohio using mostly US-made parts... and both were completely undefiled by the hands of a UAW worker.

[bvw]

What an idiocy of a program! It is sure to be another massive fail.