Clean Cars 4 All in San Diego: Up to $12,000 to Replace an Old Car
If your old car is failing smog and you're income-qualified, scrapping it through Clean Cars 4 All may be worth far more than repairing it.
By EZ Auto Repairs Editors · Updated
What the program pays
Clean Cars 4 All, run in San Diego County by the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, offers up to $12,000 toward a new or used battery-electric or fuel-cell vehicle (purchase or lease), $11,500 toward a plug-in hybrid, or up to $7,500 for a prepaid transit card and/or an e-bike, in exchange for scrapping an older car.
Who qualifies
- San Diego County resident with a California driver's license.
- Household income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level (the program lists $46,950 for a one-person household and $96,450 for four).
- A trade-in vehicle from model year 2009 or older, under 10,000 lb, that has been operated in California for the past two years.
CAP or Clean Cars 4 All?
If your car failed smog and is 2009 or older, compare both. State CAP retirement pays $1,350 to $2,000 in cash. Clean Cars 4 All pays much more but only toward a cleaner replacement or transit. Program funding and waitlists change, so check with the program directly before scrapping anything.
Keep reading
In San Diego County? See our city guides for local DMV offices and smog help.
Sources
Last checked October 2026.