Cash for Clunkers: Good Riddance Rollover Cars
There is still a lot of confusion out there over the “Cash For Clunkers” program, primarily whether it is still alive. First Coast car dealers seem to be moving ahead with the program despite the question about depleted funds, according to an article.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be administering the program and the official website you can check to see if your car qualifies.
New car buyers are receiving anywhere from $3,500 to $4,500 credit on their old gas guzzlers, presumably to trade the vehicle in for a more gas efficient vehicle. Early reports were that the $1 billion program was tapped out, but the government has approved more money to extend the program.
In Jacksonville, Duval Ford employees are reportedly working late into the night submitting documents to the Department of Transportation. The dealership received about 25 clunkers last weekend alone, all rated at 18 miles per gallon or worse.
One of the top cars for trade-in is the Ford Explorer. In fact the top four spots on the list of trade-ins are taken by the Ford Explorer - 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. 1995 and 1994 help round out the Top 10 list.
Not only is this a good idea because of the gas guzzling engines, but up until 2005, the Ford Explorer was a very unstable car. In late 2005, the Explorer SUVs came equipped with Roll Stability Control, featuring roll-rate sensing and correcting capability to allow drivers to more easily maintain vehicle control during extreme maneuvers such as correcting the steering wheel when the car was drifting off the road. Stability control debuted on the 2003 Volvo XC 90 and Lincoln SUV in 2004.
Also the Explorers were originally equipped with defective tires from Bridgestone/ Firestone. Ford had to recall more than 14 million in August 2000. The tires have been blamed for hundreds of deaths and injuries as have weak roof strength that collapses into the passengers’ head in a rollover.
Ford continues to make improvements on the Explorers, especially in the area of crash survivability. Product liability class-action lawsuits that have cost the company millions but have also provided the incentive that forced change to keep consumers safe. It would be nice to think Ford and other automakers would always put safety first, but we know from experience that they don’t always do that.
Today it’s estimated there are about five million Explorers on the road and it’s a top-selling SUV.
While it’s nice to save several hundred dollars a year on gasoline, getting the older, more dangerous Explorers off the road provides more than any gas savings. It may save lives.
If you or someone you care about has been injured in a car accident in Florida caused by another driver’s negligence, the experienced Florida car accident lawyers at Farah and Farah can help you attain compensation for costs associated with injuries sustained in the accident. Call Farah and Farah today for a free consultation.
