CrossCheck Blog

Auto dealers are heading into 2026 with stronger sales volume, but far less certainty across day-to-day operations. Margins remain tight. Consumer expectations continue to rise. Risk is shifting in ways that are not always obvious on the surface. As a result, many dealers are using this year’s NADA Show as a checkpoint, not just a trade show.

Auto Sales Are Rising, But Payment Certainty Is Under Pressure US retail auto sales closed out 2025 on a stronger footing, even after a softer fourth quarter. According to new data from J.D. Power, full-year new vehicle retail volume increased by approximately 4 percent. On the surface, that points to a resilient market.

The auto market is splitting in two. Affluent buyers continue to purchase vehicles, often paying cash or qualifying easily for loans, while subprime consumers are falling further behind. According to Fitch Ratings (U.S. Auto Loan Indices, Section 04), subprime auto loan delinquencies have climbed to about 6.4 percent. and PYMNTS reports that vehicle repossessions are now at their highest levels since the Great Recession.J.D. Power data cited by DealershipGuy Newsshows that nearly 14 percent of new-car buyers, or roughly one in seven, now have a credit score below 650, the largest share in almost a decade.