A $45,000 LOAN FOR A $27,000 RIDE: More Borrowers Are Going Underwater on Car Loans.
John Schricker took out a loan to buy a car in 2017. Then he took out another. And then another.
In two years, the 40-year-old electrician signed up for four auto loans, each time trading in the previous car and rolling the unpaid balance into the next loan. He recently bought a $27,000 Jeep Cherokee with a $45,000 loan from Ally Financial Inc.
Consumers, salespeople and lenders are treating cars a lot like houses during the last financial crisis: by piling on debt to such a degree that it often exceeds the car’s value. This phenomenon—referred to as negative equity, or being underwater—can leave car owners trapped.
Don’t worry, I’m sure it will end well, this time.