Auto Loan Delinquencies Jump 50 Percent in 15 Years

Increasing car prices, higher financing costs, and elevated interest rates are being blamed for the delayed payments.

New Mazda cars are driven from an auto processing terminal on a car hauler at the Port of Los Angeles in Wilmington, Calif., on April 3, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Past due auto loans have increased by 50 percent since 2010, according to a new report from VantageScore, one of America’s leading credit score firms. The firm’s research also shows that while delinquencies in all other loan categories have declined, late auto loan payments continue to rise.

Once thought to be one of the least risky consumer credit products, auto loans are now among the loans most prone to delinquency. Increasing car prices, higher financing costs, and interest rates are being blamed for the delayed payments.