Edmunds analysts say the average negative equity balance on dealership trade-ins rose to $7,214 in the fourth quarter, reflecting pandemic-era originations and prolonging a four-year trend. +

Dealertrack reports loan approval rates continue to trend upward as of the end of December, capping a year in which the availability of dealer-arranged financing improved by 3.6%. +

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. +