Sport-utility vehicles and pickups were more popular than previously believed under the Obama administration’s cash-for-clunkers program, with three truck models among the top 10 sellers, according to a Free Press review of new federal data.
While the mania over cash for clunkers was under way in July and August, federal officials offered a breakdown of deals submitted by dealers that split models based on whether they were two-wheel or four-wheel drive. That analysis tended to give higher ranks to cars with one drive configuration while underplaying the popularity of all-wheel drive SUVs and trucks.
Using data released by the government last weekend, the Free Press’ analysis found that while the top four vehicles were the same in both lists — the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Ford Focus — the Ford Escape SUV was the fifth-most popular vehicle overall, with 21,894 sold.
The Honda CR-V ranked just behind the Escape with 20,106, while the Chevrolet Silverado pickup came in ninth with 16,330 sold. The Silverado and the Ford F-150 both outsold the Toyota Prius hybrid, which ranked seventh in the government’s tally but 15th in the Free Press’ version.
The Obama administration has said the program succeeded in swapping old gas-guzzlers, typically trucks and SUVs, for more efficient models, with an average improvement of more than 9 m.p.g. between clunkers and new models. Hybrids accounted for 25,258 voucher claims, or 3.6% of total sales.
The data confirmed that foreign automakers were the big winners from the plan, with Detroit automakers claiming just 38.9% of the sales submitted. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., wrote President Barack Obama last week saying Japan and South Korea were unfairly blocking U.S. automakers from participating in their versions of cash for clunkers.
But the model-by-model breakdown also highlights the struggles Chrysler Group LLC had in taking advantage of the $3,500 or $4,500 vouchers offered to owners of old gas guzzlers. As part of its bankruptcy, Chrysler shuttered its factories for several weeks this summer and was unable to boost production when the clunkers program took off.
Out of the 691,460 deals submitted, Chrysler models accounted for just 45,870, or 6.6%, behind Hyundai. The company’s most popular entry was the Jeep Patriot, whose sales of 7,161 models were good for 33rd overall.
The figures released last weekend do not reflect roughly 10,000 deals that were later canceled by dealers or rejected by the government — typically placeholders that dealers filed just to reserve a slot before the program closed last month. The government’s list shows 1,808 deals were filed with no specific model named, which would violate the program’s rules.
