CFPB auto-loan dashboard shows 2.2 million December originations and fewer inquiries
U.S. lenders originated 2.2 million auto loans totaling $69.9 billion in December 2025, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dashboard updated in July 2026.
The number of loans was 1.8% higher than a year earlier. The dashboard covers closed-end loans used to finance new or used vehicles, with the vehicle serving as collateral.
Hard-credit inquiries declined 5.6%
Auto-loan inquiries were 5.6% lower in April 2026 than a year earlier. The CFPB’s auto-loan credit-tightness index was down 2.7% year over year in February.
The tightness measure tracks consumers who had a hard auto-loan inquiry but did not subsequently open a loan. A decline does not prove that every applicant had easier access to financing, because borrower credit profiles, vehicle prices, loan terms and lender practices vary.
The newest origination data lag the dashboard update
The CFPB updates the dashboard monthly, but the headline origination figures currently refer to December 2025. The agency uses a nationally representative sample of credit records from one nationwide consumer reporting company, and recent data can be revised.
Sources
- Auto Loans Consumer Credit Trends Dashboard, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Consumer Credit Trends, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
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