Some unintended side effects of this ostensibly popular program:

• Slower auto sales before the program as people who planned to buy anyway waited for the program to take effect, thereby inflating the alleged stimulus effects when the program kicked in
• Reduced supply of old vehicles, raising prices for people who rely on the older car market, and encouraging some of them to keep even older, less fuel efficient and less safe vehicles on the road
• Reduced supply and higher parts prices for old cars, taking money out of the pockets of people who cannot afford new cars
• People upgrade to leather seats and other options, at the expense of their neighbors
• More people regard it as acceptable to accept government handouts financed by taxes and deficit spending as they try to get their share of government largesse (or maybe this was intended by Pelosi/Reid)