Dealertrack’s Credit Availability index climbed to 99.1 in November, a new high for 2025 and its best level since October 2022, buoyed by higher approval rates and down payments. +
TransUnion’s Q3 2025 Credit Industry Insights Report finds a growing disparity among U.S. car buyers seeking auto loans, who increasingly find themselves in the highest- and lowest-risk credit tiers. +
Kelley Blue Book reports the average transaction price for a U.S.-sold new vehicle exceeded $50,000 for the first time in September despite increased incentive spending. +
Edmunds reports the average amount owed on upside-down car loans reached a new record of $6,905 in the third quarter as more new car buyers traded in vehicles burdened by negative equity. +
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. +
Edmunds reports more than one in four Americans who secured an auto loan in the second quarter were underwater on their current vehicle, with a historically high average balance of $6,754. +
Dealertrack’s Credit Availability Index improved 3% year-over-year in February, but negative indicators such as subprime share, term, down payments and negative equity added risk to loan portfolios. +
The latest new-vehicle sales and finance reports from Cox Automotive show strong sales and credit availability as incentives offset higher prices to sustain affordability. +
Analysts say more than one-third of upside-down car buyers owed more than $10,000 on their prior loans in the third quarter, with 7.5% owing more than $15,000. +
