Car buyers expecting to take advantage of the scrappage scheme before it ends in February are being sent mixed messages over how the remaining cash will be spent.
With enough cash for about 80,000 scrappage orders left, the Government has decided it will be divided between the manufacturers by popularity. However, whether this is the overall market share or under market share under scrappage is unknown.
Certain cars have been far more popular under scrappage than their overall share of the market suggests, which could penalise some of the most successful manufacturers in the scheme and bring an early end to their cash-for-scrap deals.
A spokesman from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) told Parker's: "We're not yet dividing up the money. We are just saying that this is how the scheme will be phased out.
"All we know at the moment is that the money will be split on brand popularity but we have nothing else to add."
Under the scheme smaller brands such as Hyundai have seen sales hit an all time high with the manufacturer selling more cars than ever in 2009.
The Hyundai i10 has proved so popular that it was the best selling model to private buyers in August 2009, a spot usually filled by cars like the Ford Focus or Fiesta.
With Hyundai performing so well in the scrappage bonus, the manufacturer is keen to see the money divided on the market share under the scrappage scheme.
A Hyundai spokesman told Parker's: "As far as we know the Government still don't know how the left-over money will be split, presumably they will talk to industry to try and decide."
"Obviously we are backing the money being divided up between the most popular brands under scrappage as we think that this makes the most sense."
With 318,000 order placed with the £2000 discount by January 15, another issue will be whether there will actually be any money left to divide up with the possibility of the allocated money running out.
This isn't the first time the Government's scrappage policy has caught people out. When the plans were originally unveiled there was confusion among car makers as many were expecting the full £2000 discount to come from the Government rather than having to pay half themselves.
Later on during the scheme there were further problems as some of the cars ordered with the plan had been double counted and the total of cars sold was actually much lower than the Government claimed.
While the scheme is being lauded a success by the Society for Manufacturers and Motor Traders (SMMT) and the Government, yearly new car sales still slumped to a 14 year low for 2009 with 1.9m cars sold. This is set to fall even further in 2010 to below 1.8m sales.
