In the COVID-19 era, social distancing, mask requirements and an uptick in online sales transactions add hurdles to confirming customer identity, dealers say. Perhaps because of this, there has been an increased interest in leveraging virtual notary services in auto sales.

Rather than a positive omen, the move signals a slow economic recovery as the U.S. continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

This is the second round of disaster relief extended by the lender this month amid an active hurricane and wildfire season.

Tighter credit and limited showroom access likely caused the notable decline of consumers in lower credit tiers, exacerbating a trend in motion since 2013.