Cash for Clunkers program in final hours

(NECN: Kenneth Craig, Worcester, Mass.) – Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is declaring the government’s Cash for Clunkers program a success. The program ends at 8:00 tonight. Dealers are making sure all the paperwork is completed, so they’ll be reimbursed for rebates. Over 300 sold cars are waiting for their new owners behind Lundgren Honda in Auburn — most of them the reward for trading in a clunker. The dealership has nearly drained their inventory of most models as the Cash for Clunkers program comes to an end — two months earlier than first expected. The program provides cash rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 for people who trade in their gas guzzler for something more fuel efficient, but tonight at 8:00, the deal is off the table. The $3 billion used to fund the program is gone after just a month. For many dealers, the program has been a blessing, accelerating sales after some of the slowest months in recent history. Employees say they have been working long hours just to keep up. But, many dealers are still waiting for the government to come through on their end. They are still waiting to be reimbursed.