However, due to the high volume of paperwork and time it takes to submit applications for the program, dealers like Middletown Ford Lincoln Mercury and Rose Chevrolet in Hamilton stopped participating last week.
“There were some concerns that dealers would not get paid if (the program) ran out of money,” said Middletown Ford owner Roosevelt Robinson. “It was not clear if it went over the $3 billion in the end that we would get paid so we stopped.”
Robinson said he accepted more than 20 vehicles through the program but has not been reimbursed for any of them.
Ed Larkin, general manager of Rose Chevrolet in Hamilton, said the program has been frustrating and the government should have been better prepared for the demand.
“I think there are better and more efficient ways that our tax dollars can be used,” he said.
At Fiehrer Pontiac Buick GMC in Hamilton, owner Tom Fiehrer said he is also awaiting payment for the 24 cars he accepted through the program, which “has put a crimp in cash flow.”
For now, he is holding onto the cars until he is reimbursed. Fiehrer said he will dispose of them by removing the fluids and pouring sodium silicate into the engines.
Fiehrer said the process has been frustrating, but recognized the program is taking care of vehicles that need to be off the road.
“It’s not just about fuel-efficient vehicles, you are also taking some less safe vehicles off the road that don’t have the (safety) requirements of newer vehicles,” he said.
While John Parker, general manager of Superior Hyundai in Fairfield, said the program was a success for his dealership with 105 vehicles traded in, it made him sad to see some of the cars waiting to be destroyed.
“One was a 1985 conversion van with 5600 miles on it, something anyone would be happy to drive on vacation,” he said. “We got a BMW 740, a Mercedes Benz; some of the vehicles we are getting is a shame.”
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