Edmunds.com Uncovers EPA Combined Mileage "Refresh" as Consumers Begin to Cash Their Clunker

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SANTA MONICA, Calif.--As if Cash for Clunkers wasn’t complicated enough, Edmunds.com has learned that the qualifications are a moving target. The EPA confirmed with Edmunds.com that last Friday the agency “refreshed” its combined mileage ratings for older vehicles and that the new data often gives potential trade-ins a higher mileage rating.

Edmunds.com learned of these changes over the weekend from consumers who had checked that their trade’s mileage rating qualified for the program up until Thursday. When shopping for a new vehicle for new vehicle over the weekend, they learned they no longer qualified.

“It’s unfortunate that consumers who had been researching and planning to trade-in their vehicle with the new Cash for Clunkers program are now left in the dust,” said Karl Brauer, editor in chief at Edmunds.com.