What are Upside-down Car Loans?
An upside-down car loan is a loan that exceeds the current value or resale price of the car. Simply stated, upside-down car loans happen when you owe more money on a new car than its really worth. Say, for example, you still owe $5,000 on a car loan and you decide to resell. You find out that the trade-in value is only around $3,000. Your car loan is therefore what is termed as an upside-down car loan. Upside-down car loans have become quite common and many people find themselves in the same situation as you are now. About 38 per cent of those who are trading in their old cars owe more money on their trade-ins than the resale price. This is according to the Power Information Network, an affiliate of market researcher J.D. Power and Associates.
