NHTSA List of Every Cash for Clunkers Car

cash_for_clunkersThe NHTSA has released a list of all 690,114 cars traded in in the Cash for Clunkers program. Keep in mind that the list is unverified and based on dealer reports. Most of the cars we know and love have been spared genocide, although many casualties still sadden our hearts: 5 Starions, several Cressidas, a moderate number of Nissan 300ZXs, Mazda RX-7s, Toyota Supras of varying years, and a buttload of Previa minivans.

Some don’t even meet the initial 18mpg or worse requirement (1990 Honda CR-X, really?). Others seem to have been traded in on pure laziness – late model Lexuses, a Mazda RX-8, and a Nissan 350Z, for example. Surely owners could have gotten more than the $4500 credit by just throwing it up on craigslist. Keep in mind that these cars had to be driven and registered for the past 12 months, so they aren’t shells or beaters.

Click here for the complete list (PDF).

Hat tip to cesariojpn.

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15 Responses to NHTSA List of Every Cash for Clunkers Car

  1. bert says:

    I do data collection and take pictures of cars for auto dealers. The company I work for does online advertising, and has a magazine in publication, so I spend a lot of time around dealerships. Some of the cars I saw that were traded in the CFC program broke my heart! 87 Cadillac CoupeDeville, 52,000 miles 89 Toyota Supra Turbo, early nineties BMW, and several 4runners and Isuzu Rodeo’s( I used to own a rodeo, I have a soft spot for them) Basically what I saw with this program was a huge waste of cars, many of them perfectly capable of rolling down the road for many years still, although there were some real crappy cars! Now that CFC is over sales have really slowed down(so much for jump starting the economy!) After all the stupid rules of the plan, and the huge waste of parts that will be lost( junk yards have ninety days to sell whatever they can) sales of cars are still suffering and some of our favorite cars that could have been future classics are lost! Way to go talking heads in Washington!!

  2. Zukiru says:

    where’s the list? I checked google and couldn’t find it that way either.

  3. Ben says:

    Link to PDF added at the bottom

  4. Zukiru says:

    thanks ben… dozens of EJ22ts lost 🙁 sad panda.

  5. Harrison says:

    I’m sad to say 49 1st-gen Legacy Turbos died under this program.

  6. Carl Beck says:

    There are aprox. 250,000,000 vehicles in the US Fleet. C4C took in three tens of one percent of them. 3/10’s of 1%

    There is nothing in C4C that you couldn’t find in junk yards any day of the week across America. According to the last NHTSA report to Congress aprox 4% of the US Vehicle Fleet hits the salvage yards every year. You don’t see the media making a big deal out that, nor enthusiasts crying about the 10,000,000 of them. Get serious people – quite drinking the Media Cool-Aid.

    FWIW,
    Carl B.

  7. bert says:

    The thing that has me ticked off about CFC, is it was supposed to be good for the economy and help jump start sales of car manufacturers and dealers who are doing poorly right now. That just hasn’t happened! Some dealerships are doing so bad right now after CFC that they are still offering the $4500 discount, and still not selling. So even though the vast majority of the US fleet is still rolling, this little government science experiment did not work and were right back where we started.

  8. How could a car that doesn’t qualify be put in the program? That should have kicked back on the dealer end they should not get their money.

  9. cesariojpn says:

    Shenanigans.

    Note Bentley’s, Aston Martins, and Roll Royces have also met their end.

  10. Rob says:

    ok i mourn the loss of the subarus (except the svx, yuck!!!)

    but somebody has to point out:

    11 Buick Grand Nationals – turbo, you have to admit you like them

    15 Merkus XR4Ti’s – not jdm but oh so cool

    18 celica supras make me want to cry

    244 Cressidas is just a tragedy

    62 Cressida wagons makes my chances of building a JNC copycat ride that much smaller

    But if you trade in a 1993 RX-7 for $4500 you really have to take a look at yourself because there’s something seriously wrong with you!!!!!!!!

  11. Carl Beck says:

    Hi Rob:
    I think “somebody” is pulling your leg. If you go to the CARS.gov Web site – you can download the official list of New Cars Purchased and the official list of C4C trade-in’s. NOWHERE is a Buick Grand National listed for example… for that matter only Buick Regals are listed.

    Additionally EVERYONE should READ Note #3 before you download the files above:
    “The following is a breakdown of the number of new vehicles and trade-in vehicles identified in transactions in the CARS system, by make, model, and model year. The information is current as of September 9, 2009. Note that this information reflects information submitted, but not necessarily reviewed or approved as qualifying transactions.”

    FWIW,
    Carl B.

  12. Lincoln Stax says:

    I’m calling shenanigans on this, too. It doesn’t make sense for a dealer to junk a car worth more than $4500. Why wouldn’t the dealer just give the customer a $4500 trade in for the car, then turn around and sell it for a profit? They don’t have to deal with the paperwork and they get their money by selling a used car which is always more profitable then selling a new car.

  13. In many of these cases, the owner’s would have gotten a tax deduction of more than $4500 if they had donated their car to charity. The car donation charity would not have destroyed the car, but rather sold it to someone who would appreciate it.

  14. Rob says:

    @ Carl Beck- The GNX’s are listed under ASC Incorporated because they were produced by McLaren.

    Even the 2002 Buick Century’s etc it is a tragedy that taxpayer dollars went to promote waste of perfectly good vehicles. i’m sure there isnt going to be a 2002 Buick Nostalgia site anytime soon but they are good cars that someone could have used. instead we were forced to spend $2 Billion to waste vehicles.

    @Lincoln Stax – i sold cars for a couple years and while i was there i learned of the laziness of the industry. sure they could have taken a trade in but that means they would have to front money to the customer. they would take even a $10000 hit if it meant up front cash on the deal and saving gross margin on the customer. why give someone what a car is worth when you can destroy it get paid by the government and make more money off that same clueless customer?

  15. slimwhitman says:

    The database is no longer available. I want to see this list again. Did anyone download the PDF? I really want to review this list again.

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