Auto loan delinquency · United States
Auto Loan Delinquency Fell to 5.49% in Q2 2026, Above Its Financial-Crisis High
A year ago, in the second quarter of 2025, the rate was 4.99%. The financial-crisis high was 5.27%, in the fourth quarter of 2010.
What is the current auto loan delinquency rate?
The auto loan serious delinquency rate was 5.49% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.99% a year earlier, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It counts balances at least 90 days late or in a status like charge-off.
The share fell from 5.6% in the first quarter of 2026. Part of that is the season: the New York Fed does not adjust this number for the time of year, so the comparison is with the second quarter of 2025.
The rate counts money still owed on seriously late loans. A larger unpaid balance contributes more than a smaller one, even when both loans are equally late.
The national auto loan series carries the full record and source details. The state table below covers Q4 2025, an earlier period than the national headline.
Is auto loan delinquency higher than during the financial crisis?
The latest balance share, 5.49%, is above its financial-crisis-era high. During the Great Recession era, the share peaked at 5.27% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The highest rate in the data is 5.6%, in the first quarter of 2026. Of 94 quarterly observations since 2003, the latest rate is the second highest. These are balances, not a count of families or repossessions.
Auto loan delinquency is above its financial-crisis high
U.S. auto balances at least 90 days late: 5.49% in Q2 2026. Quarterly, 2003–2026.
Why can unpaid car debt keep a delinquency rate high?
Because loans that fell behind earlier stay in the total until they are paid, charged off or repossessed. That distinguishes all debt still behind from debt newly falling behind.
Philadelphia Fed researchers studied accounts at least 60 days late through the fourth quarter of 2025. They adjusted for seasonality and excluded charged-off or repossessed accounts. Persistent delinquency contributed more to the increase they studied than newly delinquent accounts.
The study follows delinquent accounts, while the national headline measures the dollars owed on seriously late loans.
The New York Fed separately reported a 3% flow into serious auto delinquency in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 2.97% in the first quarter of 2026. The measure adds transitions across four quarters. It does not count all debt already seriously behind.
For the second quarter of 2026, the national balance share fell while the four-quarter flow rose. The balance share counts debt already late; the flow counts debt newly falling behind.
Where are auto loan delinquency rates highest?
Among the states, Mississippi had the highest auto loan balance delinquency rate at year-end 2025, at 7.68%. The District of Columbia, at 13.58%, was higher still.
The table pairs each place with its pre-pandemic rate at year-end 2019. All auto and mortgage rates are shares of balances at least 90 days late. The map covers the contiguous states and D.C.; Alaska and Hawaii are in the table.
The District of Columbia has the largest share of car-loan balances 90 or more days late
Share of auto loan balances 90 or more days late, by state: the District of Columbia 13.58%, Massachusetts 2.59%, Q4 2025.
Share of auto loan balances 90+ days late, by state · Q4 2025
| State or D.C. | Auto 2019 (%) | Auto 2025 (%) | Auto change (percentage points) | Mortgage 2019 (%) | Mortgage 2025 (%) | Distress rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 9.79 | 13.58 | +3.79 | 0.75 | 1.01 | 24th |
| Mississippi | 7.49 | 7.68 | +0.19 | 1.6 | 1.71 | 4th |
| Georgia | 6.32 | 6.99 | +0.67 | 0.97 | 1.27 | 11th |
| Alabama | 6.59 | 6.55 | −0.04 | 0.88 | 1.15 | 10th |
| Louisiana | 6.94 | 6.55 | −0.39 | 1.5 | 1.83 | 1st |
| Indiana | 5.2 | 6.26 | +1.06 | 1.03 | 1.1 | 26th |
| Michigan | 5.34 | 6.25 | +0.91 | 0.68 | 0.86 | 5th |
| South Carolina | 6.4 | 6.18 | −0.22 | 1.19 | 1.15 | 9th |
| Nevada | 5.83 | 6.16 | +0.33 | 1.01 | 0.86 | 2nd |
| Delaware | 5.51 | 6.12 | +0.61 | 1.73 | 1.13 | 8th |
| New Mexico | 6.36 | 6.07 | −0.29 | 1.35 | 1.01 | 18th |
| North Carolina | 5.71 | 6.06 | +0.35 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 29th |
| Maryland | 5.11 | 6 | +0.89 | 1.33 | 1.11 | 16th |
| Texas | 5.83 | 5.76 | −0.07 | 0.89 | 1.21 | 6th |
| Tennessee | 4.83 | 5.69 | +0.86 | 0.88 | 0.72 | 25th |
| Arkansas | 5.47 | 5.61 | +0.14 | 0.96 | 1.08 | 22nd |
| Illinois | 4.51 | 5.59 | +1.08 | 1.27 | 1.15 | tied for 13th |
| Arizona | 5.22 | 5.56 | +0.34 | 0.59 | 0.94 | 7th |
| Missouri | 4.79 | 5.55 | +0.76 | 0.77 | 0.84 | 34th |
| Florida | 5.82 | 5.53 | −0.29 | 1.47 | 1.43 | 3rd |
| Oklahoma | 5.6 | 5.48 | −0.12 | 1.25 | 1.32 | 20th |
| Ohio | 4.56 | 5.34 | +0.78 | 0.92 | 0.96 | 28th |
| West Virginia | 5.41 | 5.27 | −0.14 | 1.24 | 1.15 | 17th |
| Kentucky | 5 | 4.92 | −0.08 | 1.02 | 1.04 | 15th |
| California | 4.89 | 4.84 | −0.05 | 0.58 | 0.63 | 12th |
| Pennsylvania | 4.37 | 4.79 | +0.42 | 1.13 | 1.1 | 27th |
| Virginia | 3.93 | 4.64 | +0.71 | 0.68 | 0.65 | 32nd |
| New York | 4.09 | 4.27 | +0.18 | 1.9 | 1.36 | 21st |
| New Jersey | 3.94 | 4.23 | +0.29 | 1.73 | 1.12 | 23rd |
| Kansas | 3.4 | 4.04 | +0.64 | 0.73 | 0.82 | 37th |
| Montana | 3.97 | 4.02 | +0.05 | 0.64 | 0.5 | 47th |
| Colorado | 3.41 | 4.01 | +0.6 | 0.41 | 0.75 | 30th |
| Washington | 2.56 | 3.78 | +1.22 | 0.5 | 0.57 | 31st |
| Hawaii | 4.09 | 3.67 | −0.42 | 0.71 | 0.56 | 40th |
| South Dakota | 3.42 | 3.65 | +0.23 | 0.66 | 0.79 | 49th |
| Wisconsin | 2.71 | 3.64 | +0.93 | 0.62 | 0.47 | 44th |
| Oregon | 2.61 | 3.59 | +0.98 | 0.5 | 0.64 | 19th |
| Rhode Island | 3.1 | 3.54 | +0.44 | 1.07 | 1 | 35th |
| Iowa | 2.89 | 3.53 | +0.64 | 0.68 | 0.81 | 42nd |
| Wyoming | 3.73 | 3.49 | −0.24 | 0.86 | 0.76 | 45th |
| Idaho | 2.88 | 3.27 | +0.39 | 0.47 | 0.74 | 38th |
| Nebraska | 2.81 | 3.25 | +0.44 | 0.51 | 0.65 | 46th |
| Maine | 3.14 | 3.09 | −0.05 | 1.54 | 0.84 | 43rd |
| Connecticut | 3.14 | 3.06 | −0.08 | 1.77 | 0.97 | tied for 13th |
| Minnesota | 2.26 | 3.03 | +0.77 | 0.56 | 0.63 | 36th |
| New Hampshire | 2.89 | 3.02 | +0.13 | 0.7 | 0.61 | 50th |
| Utah | 2.57 | 2.95 | +0.38 | 0.47 | 0.7 | 39th |
| Alaska | 2.53 | 2.94 | +0.41 | 0.6 | 0.72 | 41st |
| North Dakota | 2.86 | 2.92 | +0.06 | 0.79 | 0.94 | 51st |
| Vermont | 3.21 | 2.84 | −0.37 | 1.11 | 0.62 | 48th |
| Massachusetts | 2.79 | 2.59 | −0.2 | 0.9 | 0.72 | 33rd |
Did auto and mortgage delinquency rise in the same states?
Auto and mortgage delinquency did not rise together everywhere. New Jersey shows how the two measures could move in opposite directions between year-end 2019 and year-end 2025.
New Jersey's auto rate rose from 3.94% to 4.23%. Its mortgage rate fell from 1.73% to 1.12%.
The rates describe separate groups of loans.
How do auto delinquency rates compare with broader state distress?
Seven of the 10 jurisdictions with the highest auto delinquency rates also ranked among the 10 highest on the State Distress Index. The index combines debt, default and jobs data into a ranking.
The index already includes an auto delinquency input, so the overlap partly reflects its construction. The index’s auto delinquency input comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The published index input counts borrowers in Q2 2026; the current borrower measure in the measures table covers Q2 2026. The state balance table covers year-end 2025. The dates and populations differ.
Auto loan delinquency by quarter
The full national record, newest first. Values are percentages of balances at least 90 days late.
| Quarter | Seriously late balances (%) |
|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 5.49 |
| Q1 2026 | 5.6 |
| Q4 2025 | 5.21 |
| Q3 2025 | 5.02 |
| Q2 2025 | 4.99 |
| Q1 2025 | 4.99 |
| Q4 2024 | 4.83 |
| Q3 2024 | 4.59 |
| Q2 2024 | 4.43 |
| Q1 2024 | 4.41 |
| Q4 2023 | 4.17 |
| Q3 2023 | 3.91 |
| Q2 2023 | 3.82 |
| Q1 2023 | 3.89 |
| Q4 2022 | 3.73 |
| Q3 2022 | 3.89 |
| Q2 2022 | 3.86 |
| Q1 2022 | 4 |
| Q4 2021 | 3.98 |
| Q3 2021 | 4.05 |
| Q2 2021 | 4.35 |
| Q1 2021 | 4.79 |
| Q4 2020 | 4.77 |
| Q3 2020 | 4.82 |
| Q2 2020 | 5.03 |
| Q1 2020 | 5.05 |
| Q4 2019 | 4.94 |
| Q3 2019 | 4.71 |
| Q2 2019 | 4.64 |
| Q1 2019 | 4.69 |
| Q4 2018 | 4.47 |
| Q3 2018 | 4.27 |
| Q2 2018 | 4.17 |
| Q1 2018 | 4.26 |
| Q4 2017 | 4.05 |
| Q3 2017 | 3.97 |
| Q2 2017 | 3.92 |
| Q1 2017 | 3.82 |
| Q4 2016 | 3.75 |
| Q3 2016 | 3.58 |
| Q2 2016 | 3.46 |
| Q1 2016 | 3.52 |
| Q4 2015 | 3.37 |
| Q3 2015 | 3.36 |
| Q2 2015 | 3.36 |
| Q1 2015 | 3.34 |
| Q4 2014 | 3.47 |
| Q3 2014 | 3.14 |
| Q2 2014 | 3.27 |
| Q1 2014 | 3.32 |
| Q4 2013 | 3.35 |
| Q3 2013 | 3.37 |
| Q2 2013 | 3.57 |
| Q1 2013 | 3.92 |
| Q4 2012 | 4.03 |
| Q3 2012 | 4.25 |
| Q2 2012 | 4.24 |
| Q1 2012 | 4.55 |
| Q4 2011 | 4.82 |
| Q3 2011 | 5.03 |
| Q2 2011 | 4.99 |
| Q1 2011 | 5.09 |
| Q4 2010 | 5.27 |
| Q3 2010 | 4.83 |
| Q2 2010 | 4.84 |
| Q1 2010 | 5.01 |
| Q4 2009 | 4.92 |
| Q3 2009 | 4.68 |
| Q2 2009 | 4.47 |
| Q1 2009 | 4.35 |
| Q4 2008 | 3.94 |
| Q3 2008 | 3.64 |
| Q2 2008 | 3.26 |
| Q1 2008 | 3.22 |
| Q4 2007 | 3.05 |
| Q3 2007 | 2.76 |
| Q2 2007 | 2.54 |
| Q1 2007 | 2.59 |
| Q4 2006 | 2.62 |
| Q3 2006 | 2.58 |
| Q2 2006 | 2.22 |
| Q1 2006 | 2.15 |
| Q4 2005 | 2.09 |
| Q3 2005 | 2.03 |
| Q2 2005 | 1.99 |
| Q1 2005 | 2.38 |
| Q4 2004 | 2.42 |
| Q3 2004 | 2.27 |
| Q2 2004 | 2.17 |
| Q1 2004 | 2.32 |
| Q4 2003 | 2.16 |
| Q3 2003 | 2.16 |
| Q2 2003 | 2.26 |
| Q1 2003 | 2.33 |
The chart's Download data button includes every observation. Download the separate new-delinquency series (CSV).
Auto loan delinquency measures
The headline measures dollars owed. The other measures count different populations or stages of lateness; their figures describe separate groups.
| Measure | Counts | Threshold | Value (%) | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National seriously late balances | Balances | 90+ days | 5.49% | Q2 2026 |
| New serious delinquencies · four-quarter sum | Balances | 90+ days | 3% | Q2 2026 |
| New early delinquencies · four-quarter sum | Balances | 30+ days | 7.87% | Q2 2026 |
| State seriously late balances · range | Balances | 90+ days | 2.59%–13.58% | Q4 2025 |
| State borrowers behind · range | Borrowers | 90+ days | 4.9%–17.5% | 2026 Q2 |
A repossession date cannot be read from a delinquency rate. We have not established a comprehensive national repossession count.
Other measures of pressure on car borrowers
Unemployment and insurance prices cover later months than the auto delinquency headline. They describe adjacent pressures; they do not establish what caused the balance rate.
| Measure | Rate (%) | Inflation gap (percentage points) | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.2 | — | September 2026 |
| Insurance prices · annual change | −4.98 | — | September 2026 |
| Insurance minus overall inflation | — | −8.7 | September 2026 |
Insurance inflation measures changes in prices, not the premium a household pays. Its gap with overall inflation is measured in percentage points.
Questions about auto loan delinquency
Does the delinquency rate count borrowers?
No. The headline counts balances: 5.49% of auto debt was seriously late in the second quarter of 2026. The Philadelphia Fed borrower measure in the measures table counts people instead.
Does a high delinquency rate mean more repossessions?
A delinquency rate alone cannot count repossessions. It measures reported debt behind on payments; repossessions are a separate event. We have not established a comprehensive national repossession count.
Sources and method
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York · national balances Quarterly Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax data, 2003 through the second quarter of 2026. The headline counts outstanding auto loan and lease balances at least 90 days late or in a status like charge-off. It is not seasonally adjusted. Household Debt and Credit report
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York · new delinquent balances Report workbook AUTO columns on Page 13 Data and Page 14 Data, 2026-Q2. The charts label transitions as a four-quarter moving sum, percent of balances. This report covers the second quarter of 2026. Download the source workbook
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York · state balances State Level Household Debt Statistics 2003-2025, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, February 2026. We pair each jurisdiction's auto and mortgage rates at year-end 2019 and 2025. Equal rates count as unchanged. State ranks, direction counts and index overlap are American Default calculations. State Level Household Debt Statistics
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia · Consumer Finance Institute The April 2026 study by Julia Cheney, Bob Hunt, Lauren Lambie-Hanson, Larry Santucci, Justin Zhou distinguishes newly delinquent accounts from accounts remaining late. It counts accounts at least 60 days late through the fourth quarter of 2025, seasonally adjusted, excluding charged-off and repossessed accounts. It does not decompose this page’s current balance figure. Do Recent Auto Loan Delinquency Rates Overstate Borrower Distress?
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia · borrowers Consumer Credit Explorer, 2026 Q2. Measures people with an auto account at least 90 days late among people with auto debt. This borrower measure enters our State Distress Index. Consumer Credit Explorer
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · adjacent pressures The unemployment rate describes September 2026; motor vehicle insurance inflation is September 2026. Both follow the auto headline quarter. Insurance inflation measures price change, not a household premium. The inflation gap subtracts overall inflation from insurance inflation. These are context, not an explanation of auto delinquency. Motor vehicle insurance price series
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.