It lasted six weeks, but buyers considering trading in used cars in New York for new cars as part of the Cash for Clunkers program may find that funding has ceased for the incentives.

The government is set to stop taking claims after 8 p.m. on August 24, fearing that otherwise, the $3 billion set aside for the program will not cover the rebates already issued as part of the CARS efforts to improve national fuel economy measures, reported the Detroit Free Press.

The federal Department of Transportation says that $1.9 billion has already been issued, and another $500 billion or so in rebate applications are likely to be applied for as dealers process paperwork, the newspaper noted.

Some automakers have stepped up to guarantee that the remaining dealers will be paid if they are not covered by the government, up to the November 1 deadline for the program, according to Fox News.

However, drivers of used cars in New York are unlikely to find the current deals that included matching discounts from dealerships, and may want to consider recent used cars instead of 2009 and 2010 vehicles to fit their budget.

General Motors is looking to revamp its entire line of automobiles, with majors shifts in store for brands like Buick, but as some state agencies and other buyers are finding, used cars in New Jersey and other states may be more economically sound choices.

Currently, less than one in five new cars sold in America are made by GM, and the company has focused on younger buyers with new styling and more fuel efficient vehicles, along with programs designed to improve brand awareness, according to the New York Times.

“People are looking at us with a healthy degree of skepticism,” Fritz Henderson, GM’s CEO, told the newspaper. “The awareness of our products was painfully, almost pitifully low.”

But states like West Virginia, constrained by funding shortfalls, are choosing to move away from new vehicles to fill shortages in various agencies, reported the Associated Press.

Buyers considering used cars in New Jersey may not see the $800,000 that West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin expects, according to the wire service, but they may be able to find a vehicle that costs 40 percent less than a comparable new vehicle.

Recent internet purchasing analysis shows that by August 20, interest in new cars will be down to the level it was before the government-sponsored programs, in part because of people preferring used cars in New York.

Edmunds.com said that although interest reached a high on July 29, two days after the federal program was officially launched, buyers are now less likely to be shopping online and researching new vehicles.

“The funding for the original program was very low in relation to the size of the auto market,” said Michelle Krebs, Edmunds.com senior analyst. “This created a ‘Gold Rush’ mentality where consumers hurried to take advantage before funding ran out.”

People are still looking at purchasing vehicles, however, including those now considering used cars in New York, but there is some concern about new car sales later this year.

Krebs’ colleague Jessica Caldwell warns that a continued economic downturn could impact sales this fall, even with the introduction of new models after the spate of purchases related to Cash for Clunkers.