{"id":3623,"date":"2026-03-16T14:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/?p=3623"},"modified":"2026-03-16T14:32:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:32:00","slug":"car-repossessions-on-the-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/car-repossessions-on-the-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Car Repossessions on the Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-3624 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"742\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Repossession-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 742px) 100vw, 742px\" \/>Car repossessions are increasing across the United States. A repossession can happen when a borrower does not satisfy the terms of their loan. The numbers are rising quickly. In 2025, there were approximately 3 million vehicle repossessions across the country. We have not seen levels this high since the Great Recession of 2008 &#8211; 2009.<\/p>\n<h3>The High Cost of a Car Purchase<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3625\" src=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Car-Lot-with-cars-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The cost of purchasing a car is higher than ever.\u00a0 Last year, the average price of a new car was more than $50,000, and used cars about $26,000. It has been reported that the average monthly payment for a new car is about $749, where a used car is about $529.<\/p>\n<h3>The High Cost of Financing an Auto Loan<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-3626 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-300x90.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-300x90.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-1024x307.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-768x230.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-1536x461.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sign-for-auto-loan-2048x614.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Interest rates on car loans also remain high. Recent data shows average interest rates of about 6.5% for new vehicles and around 10\u201311% for used vehicles. At Flitter Milz, we hear from clients with used car finance rates of up to 20% and higher. Higher interest rates make monthly payments more expensive, especially for borrowers with lower credit scores \u2013 sometimes called \u201csubprime loans.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Behind on Auto Loan Payments<\/h3>\n<p>When borrowers fall behind on payments lenders may repossess the vehicle within 60 to 120 days after a payment has been missed. For subprime lenders or \u201cbuy-here-pay-here\u201d loans, repossessions could occur within 30 days or less after the first missed payment. In most cases, there is no requirement for the lender to notify the borrower in the advance of a repossession.<\/p>\n<h3>Steps to Take Before the Repossession<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3627\" src=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/behind-on-bills-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>1) Gather all documents from the sale<br \/>\nand finance of the vehicle.<br \/>\n2) Keep all documents in a safe place &#8211;NOT IN THE VEHICLE.<br \/>\n3) Take photos of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, to document the condition of the vehicle.<br \/>\n4) Take a photo of the odometer reading.<\/p>\n<h3>After the Repossession<\/h3>\n<p>Once a repossession has occurred, the lender is required to send a letter through the mail which confirms the repossession took place.\u00a0 The letter, frequently called a NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL PROPERTY, will detail steps for the borrower to retrieve the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>If the borrower is not able to get the vehicle back, the lender may take steps to sell the vehicle at a private sale or auction. Once the vehicle is sold, the lender will send a second letter to the borrower confirming the sale price and show the calculation of any remaining balance owed to satisfy the loan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE<\/strong>:\u00a0 Do not discard any letters or notices, including mailing envelopes, emails or texts, received from the lender after repossession.\u00a0 These documents are important for a legal evaluation.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;\">Qualified Legal Help After Repossession<\/span><\/p>\n<p><u><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-Like-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/u>Flitter Milz has represented many consumers across the country who have fallen victim to car repossession. If your vehicle was repossessed, gather all documents related to the vehicle purchase, financing and repossession and forward them to our office for a legal review. There is no cost for the consultation.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/contact-us\/\">Contact Us<\/a><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 <strong>Toll Free<\/strong>:\u00a0 888-668-1225\u00a0 \u00a0<strong>Email<\/strong>:\u00a0 consumers@consumerslaw.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Car repossessions are increasing across the United States. A repossession can happen when a borrower does not satisfy the terms of their loan. The numbers are rising quickly. In 2025, there were approximately 3 million vehicle repossessions across the country. We have not seen levels this high since the Great Recession of 2008 &#8211; 2009. &hellip; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/car-repossessions-on-the-rise\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Car Repossessions on the Rise<\/span> &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3623"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3647,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions\/3647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumerslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}