According to a post on The Detroit News, the Senate is expected to vote on the Cash for Clunkers supplemental funding measure Wednesday or Thursday.  Since Friday is the last day before the Senate summer recess car dealers are biting their nails and unsure of how to play out this week as their showrooms are active with Cash for Clunkers shoppers.

On Sunday, Transportation Secretary LaHood said that sales made on Monday and Tuesday would be honored. However, when the NHTSA was pressed yesterday on a teleconference with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) no one would confirm if sales would be safe to submit this week.

No Clarity After Today

If the Senate does not take up the measure today, the NHTSA or the Obama Administration will need to make a statement to give clarity on the current operating status of the CARS program. 

Dealers are growing wary of the emotional roller coaster they have been on for the program. Long hours of data processing throughout the night is keeping dealers on edge and groggy.

For dealers who have completed 100 Cash for Clunkers transactions their CARS liability would be approaching a half a million dollars.  Dealers are unsure of how much more they can stick their necks out without being assured that their further sales will be reimbursed.  One dealer calling in yesterday said that they were not sure the program was worth all the additional aggravation and staff needed to manage and submit the required paperwork.

The CARS program is controversial as many consumers argue that the program should never have been approved in the first place.  Consumer comments on blog posts, videos and news websites clearly indicate that the progranm has been  divisive in spite of its popularity.

One consumer known by his username of ”Ohio Greg” commented on this website to say:

“There doesn’t seem to be a media outlet that can just spell it out…

Lot’s of people like the CARS program because it’s free money, and the government’s implementation is, at best, a major cluster-foxtrot.”

Greg must be referring to a variation of the “Foxtrot” often demonstrated on Dancing with the Stars now called the “Cash for Clunkers Foxtrot“.

Consumers Seek Confirmation

Consumers are frustrated; comments on SPEAK UP forum is required reading to see the scope and variation of consumer experiences.  Consumers want to know the exact status of their previously completed CARS sale and the local dealer’s hands are tied. 

Dealers are being bombarded with questions whether deals have been approved but right now consumers are being greeted with silence.  Dealers have nothing more to report other than that the sale was submitted and they are waiting for NHTSA approval.  Dealers would like to help but they are caught in the middle of a complex submission and approval process.

A vote today would keep the Cash for Clunkers momentum going and give dealers and consumers some breathing room to continue the program through Labor Day.  Our prediction is that if the additional $2 billion is approved, it will fund the program into Labor Day Weekend.  Hopefully this month the NHTSA can get all dealers online and caught-up with process.

CARS Represents Pain and Pleasure For Dealers

For some, the CARS program has been a tremendous boost to their local economy and store sales.  Dealers have reported that floor traffic matches some of the best numbers seen from over two years ago. For others, the dealer registration process has not been smooth and has put a damper on any excitement. 

As of yesterday, dealers were telling us that they still cannot enter their first sale into the NHTSA system because the dealer ID and password was incorrect.  One Massachusetts Nissan dealer whose login still is inactive said that they had no choice but to stop taking Cash for Clunkers sales this past Saturday.

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