Anyone in the market for a new car might consider a vehicle made in Missouri and get a federal tax credit at the same time. But time is running out to get the maximum payback.

The Ford Motor Company is reminding car shoppers that the federal government is offering tax credits for purchases of certain vehicles made at the company’s plant in Claycomo, near Kansas City. Ford’s Gil Portalatin says tax credits up to $3,000 per vehicle are being offered for environmentally-friendly hybrids made at Claycomo.

The credit is only available on 2009 models of the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, with the full credit only available on purchases made through March 31st of this year.

For the Ford Escape Hybrid FWD and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD the tax credit falls from $3,000 to $1,500 after April 1st, and then to $750 on October 1st through March 31st of next year. The tax credit for the Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD and the Mercuty Mariner Hybrid 4WD is worth $1,950 through March 31st of this year, falls to $975 from April 1st through September 30th, and goes to $487.50 from October 1st through March 31st of 2010. Come April 1st, 2010, the tax credit disappears.

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