Auto Loan Access Keeps Falling

Auto loans were harder to get for the fourth month in a row as approval rates declined and other measures made credit more challenging to come by in July.

Though the average loan rate fell by seven basis points for an 80-point decline since February, loan approval rates declined four percentage points year-over-year, according to Cox Automotive.

In addition to continued reduced approval rates, Cox blamed decreased subprime share and increased yield spreads.

The reduced credit access came in all channels and lender types, according to its report, which put Cox’s All-Loans Index down 1% to 92.9, or about a 2% year-over-year drop.

Loans with negative equity increased slightly for the month, actually helping credit availability. Term lengths, the percentage of down payments, and loans with terms longer than 72 months were flat, though the down payment percentage was up by 30 basis points year-over-year.

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