I got my clunker credit!

It required almost a dozen phone calls to the dealership, and finally me driving my clunker an hour to the dealership (requiring 2 stops to refill my radiator and 5 gallons of water) and demanding that they comply with the law. They'd initially told me that I was going to have to wait until they got their $4500 from the government before they would give me my car, which I'd paid for already.
According to the law, at the time of signing the agreement, they are required to take your old car and give you your new car. I had to talk to 3 different managers, who all told me that it wasn't true, despite the fact that I had copies of both consumer advice and the actual legislation with them. Eventually, when the general manager saw that I was down there causing a fuss, he called me into his office and pushed the deal through before I could go outside and report them for noncompliance (which I did anyway after I had my new car).
So if anyone else is experiencing this same kind of problem with their cash for clunkers deal, I would recommend being insistent, informed, and not giving up. Dealerships are afraid they're not going to get their money, so they're telling people that they have to wait, so just be aware.

Dealers can be real asses. My CARS experience was great, but other are having the same foot-dragging BS that you got. People should read the rules and go in knowing what the dealer is supposed to do.

http://www.cars.gov The government website
http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/ Excellent info website

I didn't get myself informed enough about the way the program worked, so I thought it was reasonable for them to do it. Granted, I'd be pretty nervous about having hundreds of thousands of dollars on the books with no money to pay for it, but my sympathy is limited by the fact that the dealership I went to is gigantic, they sell everything from Nissans to GM products to snowmobiles to boats and ATVs. I'd estimate that they make in the high tens of millions of dollars a year, so their business isn't at risk in any way, well, except for if someone reports them for being in violation of the law. The website states that fines of up to $15,000 per transaction can be assessed for willful violations of the CARS program. The manager I talked to said that they'd done about 200 CARS credit deals, so by my calculations, they could potentially be fined 3 million dollars. That's a pretty good incentive to do things the right way.

Good job.

Traded in big old 1995 Ford van with fuel ignition problems, reeking of gasoline. Horrible gas mileage. Paid cash for Chevy Aveo.

It was simple for us. We had to show the title in our name, and that the car had insurance for the past 2 years. (You can't just go to the junkyard and get a clunker to trade it in.)

The dealers don't have to receive the money first either, before letting you complete the deal, or impairing the engine of the old clunker.

According to a revised law, the dealers have a week after they get the rebate money before the clunkers are disabled. I'm wondering if the money isn't received from the government, could the dealers re-sell the clunkers?

More info...
8/5/09 'Clunkers' Pile Up On Auto Dealer's 'Death Row'
On Friday, the government changed the rules to give dealers seven days after they receive refunds to disable the cars.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111561543

I've mostly just lurked here, but wow....I'm impressed!