NEW YORK (AP) -- Car and truck buyers looking to take part in the government's "cash for clunkers" program should double-check the mileage of their trade-in vehicle after a review of fuel-economy data changed the eligibility of 164 automobiles.
The Environmental Protection Agency said 78 vehicles that used to qualify as trade-ins under the program -- officially called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS -- no longer qualify. Eighty-six vehicles that did not qualify now do, the EPA said.
The change follows a review of the fuel economy listings of 30,000 vehicles over 25 years, the EPA said. The CARS legislation required more precise mileage data -- to fourth decimal place -- for vehicles, causing the fuel-economy listing on some vehicles to change upward or downward.
The EPA made the changes on its Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov.
"Unlike the previously available mileage data, which was solely intended to guide consumers' vehicle purchases, more precise data is required by the new CARS legislation," the EPA said in a statement.
CARS, which took effect over the weekend at more than 20,000 dealerships nationwide, allows consumers to receive a rebate of $3,500 or $4,500 if they trade in a vehicle with a combined city/highway 18 mpg or less and buy a more fuel-efficient car or truck.
