Sales of new Mazdas and Subarus improved by 35% and 10% year-over-year in May, leading all U.S.-facing factories as fleets helped offset flat retail sales. +

The Federal Reserve board of governors voted 8-4 in favor of holding its target lending rate at 3.5% to 3.75%, where it has stood since December, in what was likely its last meeting led by chairman Jerome Powell. +

Average amounts financed, monthly payments and repayment terms all grew on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter, putting auto finance on shaky ground. +

Dealertrack's Credit Availability Index climbed to 101.3 in February, a 6% year-over-year improvement, despite a lower overall approval rate and a widening yield spread. +

Analysts say fewer than half of U.S. dealers are optimistic about the auto retail market in Cox Automotive’s latest Dealer Sentiment Index report, but expectations for the spring are notably higher. +

Experian reports subprime borrowers accounted for 15.3% of U.S. auto finance originations in the fourth quarter, claiming their largest share of the market since 2021. +

Record numbers of new and used vehicle buyers committed to a monthly payment of $1,000 or more in the fourth quarter, but interest rates ticked down for both groups. +

Protective’s Rick Kurtz urges dealers and agents to maximize F&I product sales by treating every presentation as an opportunity to help customers manage affordability and mitigate risk. +

Edmunds’s Q3 auto finance report shows the average down payment for a new vehicle fell to $6,020 while $1,000-plus monthly payments, loan terms and interest rates remain high. +

A new Carleton survey of 2,000 U.S. lending, bank, auto finance and fintech professionals finds the majority experience loan payment discrepancies on a weekly or monthly basis. +