/ AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — There are complaints from dealers who haven't been reimbursed, but Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is calling the government's Cash for Clunkers program an unprecedented success.
Speaking with reporters in Norristown, Pennsylvania, today, LaHood noted that as many as 800,000 mostly fuel-efficient vehicles will have been sold by the time the reimbursement program ends tonight.
Transportation officials said as of early today, dealers had submitted 625,000 vouchers worth more than $2.5 billion.
Some dealers ended their participation early -- either because they were concerned about getting their money, or because they ran out of eligible cars to sell.
General sales manager Michael Freeman at a Honda dealership in suburban Philadelphia said the program had been "overwhelming," thanks to 115 clunker sales and surges in customer traffic at the beginning and end of the program. He said some members of his staff are now focused on filing the necessary paperwork before tonight's deadline.
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