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.

According to new data from Edmunds, 26.6% of trade-ins toward new car purchases in Q2 2025 had negative equity, up from 26.1% in the first quarter. That is the highest level in four years, and it is hitting dealerships where it hurts—in the finance office.