New delinquent U.S. car loans at 8-year peak, says report

More Americans fell back on their car loan payments in the 4th quarter, bringing auto delinquencies to their highest considering that the height of the monetary crisis, Federal Reserve Bank of New York information released on Thursday revealed.

Car loans delinquent by 30 days or more increased to $23.27 billion, the most since $23.46 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2008. They rise from $22.98 billion in the previous quarter.

Seriously delinquent auto loans whose payments were 90 days or more overdue leapt to $8.24 billion in the fourth quarter, the highest since the 3rd quarter of last year, as per the survey.

Delinquency is a predictor on possible losses for automakers, which typically make low interest loans to draw in purchasers.

Last month, Ford Motor’s finance arm stated it anticipated a pickup in loan losses from historically low levels following an increase in delinquencies and vehicle ownerships.

“Credit losses have been at traditionally low levels for rather some time, and we continue to see credit losses increase toward more regular levels,” Ford Credit stated in a presentation of its fourth-quarter outcomes and 2017 outlook.

The boost in late loan payments accompanied drivers loading up on debt to purchase the latest vehicle, trunk and SUV models, sustaining expectations for record auto sales this year.

In the fourth quarter, $142 billion in car loans were produced, giving 2016 the most auto loan origination in the 18-year history of the data, the New York Fed stated.

Auto debt struck $1.16 trillion, with a $93 billion increase over the year.