Monthly auto loan payments above $1,000 are growing
Ford pickup trucks are displayed on the sales lot at Serramonte Ford on Jan. 6, 2026 in Colma, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images In a country where big trucks are a big deal, those pickups and SUVs represent a big percentage of auto loans that come with a sizable monthly payment, more than $1,000 a month, according to new data. Experian Automotive‘s analysis of more than 5 million open auto loans and leases in the first quarter shows nearly 19% of new vehicle loans include a monthly payment of at least $1,000. That’s up from roughly 17.4% year over year. “The assumption is that it‘s all luxury, it’s high-line, and that is not the case,” said Melinda Zabritski, head of automotive financial insights for Experian Automotive. Almost 74% of the auto loans requiring owners to pay $1,000 or more every month are for non-luxury models, with the top five models being popular pickup trucks including the F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500, according to Experian. Just five years ago, auto loans with monthly payments over $1,000 accounted for just 5.4% of the market. Then the global chip shortage hit in 2021 and 2022, and automakers around the world prioritized production of higher-end, more profitable









