Cash for Clunkers Boosts Foreign Car Sales

Many ‘American’ cars are actually made in Japan, Mexico and Canada. Just because it says Ford, GM or Chrysler doesn’t mean it was made in America. Congress should have put in a way to avoid sending the money out of the country and the President should have refused to sign the bill without it. Once again our taxes are sent to prop up other countries that don’t need it. They put money in the hands of rich executives who didn’t need it too. dooH niboR strikes again.

Lets see, that’s just over 222,000 vehicles purchased. How does that compare to sales numbers before program? before recession?
Also, of the “Foreign” cars, how many/much of them are build in the states?
Not enough info provided by article. :)

I don’t understand why we get criticized because we don’t want to buy cars made here in the USA. Last see, if I buy a Ford, Chevy or a Chrysler; which I don’t like…and I decide to buy a BMW or A Mercedes Benz, what’s wrong with that?
To me German made cars are more attractive and reliable.
Even three years after I bough my car still look nicer and has a better value that any so call American car.

You can’t blame the foreign car companies for building cars that folks want to buy. It’s Detroit’s fault for not doing that. Detroit has been building unreliable, ugly gas guzzlers that are too big and too expensive when the majority of the market went the opposite direction. Blame management at the big three, not the workers, the customers, or the better foreign companies.

CARS should have made only american made new cars eligible for the program. The intention was to jump start the American economy and help support American car companies. Imported cars should not be eligible for these credits.

Do you really know which are made in the US. Some of these are foreign made.
The latest friction over the “cash for clunkers” program has to do with which automakers are benefiting from the American tax dollars subsidizing new car purchases.
According to data floating around Capitol Hill, the top five cars being purchased under the program are, in order, the Ford Focus, the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Prius and the Toyota Camry. Some folks are noting sourly that four of the top five models are made by Japanese companies.
The reality is not so simple.
True, every Focus sold in America is made at Ford’s Wayne, Mich., assembly plant. Of the Honda Civics sold in the U.S., 95 percent are built in Indiana or Ontario, Canada, and all of the engines are made in the U.S. All of the Corollas sold in the U.S. are assembled by Toyota in either Fremont or Canada, while almost all of the Camrys sold in the U.S. are assembled at plants in Kentucky and Indiana, according to Toyota. Only the Prius is built exclusively in Japan.
I personally build Subaru’s and Camry’s in Indiana. They are American made and the cash for clunkers is helping Americans! Its time for all people to move into the 21st century.
Chris

Chris makes a lot of sense; however :-
Honda also has plants in Marysville Ohio
USA and Canada have a reciprocal agreement where the cars imported or exported either way balance out to an agreed formula.
Foreign Manufacturers in the USA have creative accountants to minimize profits and hence taxes within the USA or Canada. As an example their Eastern Based Suppliers Bill high in North America then give them back their profit in lower taxed countries abroad.
ALL profits then go outside North America !

So, really cash for clunkers is only helping US car DEALERS. maybe we’re not getting so much bang for the buck for the US auto INDUSTRY. Sorry that I don’t buy the non-US cars are made here argument, revenues fund innovation and that means that we are giving foreign companies the next leg up.
Downstream, this also becomes service of foreign cars, foreign car parts, resale of foreign cars, and improved market share for foreign cars as the US cars and mostly trucks, are traded in.
The words “Unintended Consequences” come to mind.
Makes you wonder why we don’t ask Japan and Korea to fund the clunker rebate for their cars since thier economies DIRECTLY benefit.
The world thanks you and your children for boosting thier economies with your future tax dollars.

The only un-happy party is UAW here. Not enough for union workers… Why not? They are the one who were bailed out with our tax payers money!!! They already had enough. They are the ones produced junk that no one wants to buy and crying out loud that they are suffering. We, taxpayers, are the ones suffering because of BHO decided to bailout unions instead of letting them go and eat the fruits of their own work. What is good for GM, is not good for America. Toyota, Honda, BMW, Suburu, Mercedes has factories in the US and make better cars with American people working for them. Hard-working Americans who are trying to better their products each and every day. Not UAW workers who are trying to better union each and every day and do not care what comes out of the factories. It’s American. People will buy. NO!!! People are tired of wasting money on something that does not look good, does not drive nice, and looks like poo 2 years after it’s been purchased.
Go job, Ford. I might change my BMW for Taurus just because they stood up for what is right and did not cry out like GM and Chrysler.
Shame on GM!!! Improve your quality and appeal and people may look at your show room. I do not want to buy car that has dashboard that looks like it was designed in 60′s and never changed since. It’s ridiculous.
UAW should be hold responsible for letting GM and Chrysler fold up.

Do you think Japan or Germany would include US models on there cash for clunkers program,I dont think so.

The large federal expendure for the cash for clunkers program added to our federal deficit. It was a help to a few in America, and a BIG help for other countries. Families who were already overextended with debt, assumed more debut, and we encouraged to do so. That doesn’t pass the prudent man test. The other program being discussed is cash for old appliances. This is even more of an “aid to other countries” program. Who manufactures these products. Who will be put to work? It won’t be the American people. The % of appliances which are made in America must be extremely small… And the American people need to pay off debt, not assume more. Go into the Reagan Library and read his speeches. His approach will work today. Feel food programs are exactly that. Some programs that feel good, unfortunately, aren’t financially viable for our country. We must do our best to help our fellow Americans, and figure out the best way to help them help themselves. Our country was founded on hard work, creativity, and perseverance. The American people will join together to restore jobs to America and make the American dream come alive again. This won’t happen if we’re a nation in debt who’s always at the mercy of our banker. We can best help our people, and other nations when we have the financial strength to do so. Reducing our deficit will put us in a position of strength.
Let’s not be like the mother who feeds the other children and starves her own.
Let’s put our people back to work. The bailouts and cash for clunkers program was paid for by the many, and benefited the few. Let’s set up programs to help the many. One idea is for high yield long term (10 to 15 year) government savings bonds, perhaps at 6 – 8%. The choice could be added to 401K plans and IRAs. That will help many people, and help offset the huge losses in these plans. We can and will work together to aaccomplish great things and to restore financail health and jobs to our wonderful nation, and her great mmelting pot of people.

I have no problem with foreign brand cars built in the USA.Those workers pay taxes too.I do have a problem with foreign built cars.Obama should have never let this happen…By the way my wife is a GM retiree.(Packard Electric Div,GM,Warren,Ohio…Now Delphi..