Along with the concerns we wrote about yesterday in connection with the federal "cash for clunkers" program, you can add car dealer advertising fraud.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo recently announced that he has issued cease and desist orders to nearly 40 dealers statewide. Cuomo has accused these dealers of using misleading and deceptive advertising in connection with the federal Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program.

Cuomo said the ads omitted significant requirements for program, which provides a credit of up to $4,500 for anyone who trades in a federally-designated gas-guzzling clunker for the purchase or lease of a qualifying new vehicle.

A statement from Cuomo’s office said that the ads “mislead consumers into believing that their trade-in vehicle qualifies for the program when it does not or that they are eligible for a several-thousand-dollar rebate, when they are not.”

The Cuomo action underscores the need for anyone considering buying a new vehicle under the program to research the requirements before going to the dealership. 

For a trade-in to be eligible, it must be EPA-rated at 18 mpg or less. Check the fuel-efficiency rating for your old vehicle, as well as the new ones you are considering. Learn more about the "cash for clunkers" program by visiting the federal government’s CARS Web site and the Consumer Reports CARS resource center.–Anthony Giorgianni