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How Americans Handled their Auto Loans & Leases in Q3 2025: Subprime & Prime Delinquency Rates, Balances, and Burden
Despite higher unit sales of new and used vehicles in 2025, total balances of auto loans and leases in Q3 remained at $1.66 trillion, essentially unchanged for an entire year, according to data from the New York Fed, based on Equifax credit report data. There are two big factors for this unusual situation of flat auto loan balances for a year despite higher unit sales volume: chart A larger portion of used-vehicle buyers paid cash rather than finance amid higher interest rates for used vehicles. The portion of cash deals rose to 63% in 2025, from 61% in 2024, 59% in 2023, and 58% in 2022, according to Experian. The ... (full story)