Valley Dealers Clunking Along With Inventory | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Fresno, CA Some dealers have cars arriving now but many like this dodge dealership have to wait a month before new wheels arrive. By then money for the cash for clunkers could run out of gas.

The success of "Cash for Clunkers' could not have come at a better time for this Dodge dealership in North Fresno.

"It's worked out really well for us. It's driven a lot of traffic to the dealership," said sales manager Michael Coble.

But all this traffic has created a new problem. Because of Chrysler's bankruptcy, Coble said there is no steady supply of new cars.

Coble: "A year ago you couldn't find a place to park back here. This was completely full with new car inventory."

Coble expects a shipment to arrive within weeks.

Coble: "Everybody knows we're here to stay with the new Chrysler group. It's just a matter of getting the inventory now."

So many vehicles have moved off this dodge lot that dealers have been forced to open doors on many cars, making it look like they have inventory to sell.

Ford sales are through the roof at this Clovis dealership but inventory is nearly depleted too. Across the street at this Chevy dealership the story's the same.

Nearly a quarter of a million cars have been sold nationally under the clunker program according to the governments website. Dollar value: more than 1 billion.

General sales manager James Cagle worries his new car shipments will not arrive in time for customers to take advantage of this clunker rebate.

"You've got to take delivery of the vehicle now. You've got to have all the documentation that the government requires right now," said Cagle.

That means if you cannot pre-order a vehicle. If you show up to a dealership and they have no cars available you cannot trade-in your clunker.