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Subprime Auto Loans in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Demetrios Berdousis Demetrios Berdousis New York, United States Last Updated: October 2024 NAICS OD5743

Revenue

$19.0bn

2024

$19.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

9,020

Businesses

192

Wages

$X.Xbn

Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry analysis

Companies in the Subprime Auto Loans industry have contended with rising interest rates and significant economic volatility. Several small, specialized creditors have been pushed to bankruptcy because of diminishing profit and growing subprime auto loan delinquencies. According to Fitch Ratings Inc., the index of the 60-day delinquency rate of subprime auto loans reached 6.11% in September 2023 and remained significantly elevated at 6.00% in October 2023 (latest data available), a worse rating than during the great financial crisis. As a result, many businesses have exited the industry. However, in 2024 the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a point and is anticipated to cut rates further in the near future which will positively impact the industry. 

Trends and Insights

  • Subprime borrowers have low FICO credit scores. This is caused by limited or spotty credit histories and imperfect information on their financial status that restricts their access to credit.
  • Subprime loans are desirable for banks because they can charge higher interest rates. In the industry, subprime loans are those made to consumers with credit scores below 600.
  • The Great Lakes area has faced economic challenges. This can bring about unemployment, lower wages and economic instability, prompting people to have lower credit ratings and look for subprime auto loans
  • The Subprime Auto Loans industry exhibits intense competition. Competition primarily focuses on expanding the customer base through portfolio acquisitions or alliances.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $19.0bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Auto loan delinquencies rising

  • Subprime borrowers have remained a relatively small share of the total automotive finance market. While companies can charge a higher risk premium that offers more attractive returns to industry companies and investors in secondary markets, the rate of default and delinquencies has risen sharply.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Subprime Auto Loans in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Private equity contends with challenges

  • Private equity firms that initially were lured to the industry by high interest rates and short-term returns are expected to contend with mounting challenges with diminishing options for how to exit the market.

Biggest companies in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Profit ($m)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024
Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc.
1,301.3
386.8
29.7

To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Subprime Auto Loans in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including 18-29 years old, 30-39 years old and 40-49 years old. 18-29 years old is the largest segment of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US.

Trends and Insights

Young adults struggle with debt

  • This segment includes young adults (ages 18 to 29) who have not made timely payments on their auto loans.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Operators in this industry finance automobile purchases through loans and leases for subprime borrowers, defined as borrowers with a credit score below 600.

What's included in this industry?

Subprime automotive lendingSubprime automotive leasing

Companies

Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc.

Purchase this report to view all 1 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

SUBPRIME AUTO LOANSNONPRIME AUTO LOANSDEEP SUBPRIME AUTO LOANSBUY HERE, PAY HERE (BHPH)

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 52229 - Subprime Auto Loans in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Subprime borrowers have low FICO credit scores. This is caused by limited or spotty credit histories and imperfect information on their financial status that restricts their ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Subprime loans are desirable for banks because they can charge higher interest rates. In the industry, subprime loans are those made to consumers with credit scores below 600...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The Great Lakes area has faced economic challenges. This can bring about unemployment, lower wages and economic instability, prompting people to have lower credit ratings and...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The Subprime Auto Loans industry exhibits intense competition. Competition primarily focuses on expanding the customer base through portfolio acquisitions or alliances.

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Santander Consumer expanded a key partnership with AutoFi, developing its end-to-end car buying experience. This expansion aims at developing the company’s end-to-end digital...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Several states have laws that limit interest rates on consumer financing. During periods of high-interest rates, these limitations can have adverse effects on operations.

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

High-interest rates will boost revenue in the latter part of the period. With higher rates, borrowing becomes more expensive, which benefits the industry.

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States is $19.0bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in 2024?

There are 192 businesses in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 5.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States has been declining at a CAGR of 1.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US market in United States?

The biggest company operating in the Subprime Auto Loans market in United States is Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc.

What does the Subprime Auto Loans in the US in United States include?

Subprime automotive lending and Subprime automotive leasing are part of the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is Santander Consumer Usa Holdings Inc..

How competitive is the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Subprime Auto Loans in the US industry in United States.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Commercial Banking in the US
  • Credit Unions in the US

Complementors

  • Auto Leasing, Loans & Sales Financing in the US
  • Loan Administration, Check Cashing & Other Services in the US

International industries

  • Non-Depository Financing in Australia
  • Non-Banks and Other Financial Institutions in New Zealand
  • Financial Leasing in the UK

View all industries in United States

Methodology

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IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

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