The below chart was taken from a Business Insider article discussing subprime auto lending. Since 2010, auto originations have been increasing steadily, topping $465.6 billion in 2016. This increase has been in part due to the low interest rate environment. Many people have speculated that the increase in subprime auto loans should be cause for concern. The subprime share of auto loans currently sits at around 17% as shown below. Data from Equifax and VantageScore from 2015 to 2016 shows auto loan delinquencies have increased from historical lows. In 2015, severe delinquencies (60 days+ past due) were 1.24% compared to 1.35% today. As of December 2016, 13.1% of the portfolios at banks and credit unions were considered subprime, defined as having a credit score less than 620, compared to 34.8% of other finance companies. Source
