History & Risk
AUCN Data: Which Brands Are Most Likely to Still Have Finance Owing
Trucks and late-model EVs show finance owing in 23–39% of AUCN checks, while older budget cars sit under 7%. See the brand, type and age breakdown.
Updated 2026-09-30 · 4 min read
Finance owing is the most common risk flag in used-car checks — but it is nowhere near evenly spread. Depending on the brand, the share of vehicles still carrying an active security interest ranges from below 1% to roughly 39%.
These percentages come from AUCN's own PPSR check data. If you know where your car sits on the list, you know how much you need to verify before paying.
The brands at the top
- Kenworth39.3%
- RAM38.6%
- Scania36.5%
- Fuso35.8%
- Mack32.4%
- BYD30.6%
- Tesla29.8%
- Haval28.1%
- LDV27.7%
- Porsche23.3%
Share of AUCN checks on that brand showing an active security interest. Smaller-volume brands are approximate.
| Brand | Finance-owing rate |
|---|---|
| Kenworth (truck) | 39.3% |
| RAM | 38.6% |
| Scania (truck) | 36.5% |
| Fuso (truck) | 35.8% |
| Mack (truck) | 32.4% |
| BYD | 30.6% |
| Tesla | 29.8% |
| Haval | 28.1% |
| LDV | 27.7% |
| Porsche | 23.3% |
The brands at the bottom
- Subaru6.6%
- Suzuki5.3%
- Peugeot4.2%
- Honda4.0%
- Daihatsu0.7%
Older, lower-priced vehicles where any original finance has usually been discharged.
| Brand | Finance-owing rate |
|---|---|
| Subaru | 6.6% |
| Suzuki | 5.3% |
| Peugeot | 4.2% |
| Honda | 4.0% |
| Daihatsu | 0.7% |
Why the gap is so wide
The pattern is not really about brand reputation — it is about price, age and what the vehicle is used for:
- Commercial trucks sit at the very top. A Kenworth, Mack or Scania is an expensive business asset and almost always financed at some point.
- New and premium vehicles follow the same logic. Tesla, BYD, Haval, LDV and Chery are mostly late-model cars still inside a finance term, and a Porsche is rarely paid for in cash.
- Older, cheaper cars are the cleanest. By the time a car reaches the age and price of a typical Honda, Suzuki or Daihatsu, the original loan has usually been paid off long ago.
A vehicle search on the PPSR costs $2 and is the only reliable way to confirm whether an interest is still registered — a seller's word is not evidence.
The pattern holds by vehicle type
- Truck / heavy vehicle19.4%
- Light commercial / ute13.8%
- Bus11.8%
- Passenger car10.0%
- Caravan or trailer8.7%
- Motorcycle6.2%
The same logic as the brand table: the bigger the asset and the longer the finance term, the more likely an interest is still registered.
And by vehicle age
- 0-3 years old26.2%
- 4-7 years old23.8%
- 8-11 years old14.1%
- 12-15 years old8.5%
- 16+ years old4.1%
Almost one in four vehicles in the 4–7 year window still carries finance — the stage when many private buyers assume the loan is long gone.
This is the single most useful reframe for buyers: finance risk is highest exactly where used-car buyers shop. A four-to-seven-year-old car looks like the sensible middle of the market, and it is — but in that band, close to one in four vehicles still has a registered security interest.
If you are buying
- Check the PPSR before negotiating. If finance is registered, the price is not the real price until the payout is confirmed.
- Ask for a payout letter from the lender and confirm the discharge date in writing.
- Settle the finance at settlement — do not accept "I'll pay it off next week".
- Re-check on the day you pay. A security interest can be registered against a vehicle at any time before settlement.
If you are selling or trading in
- Discharge finance before you advertise. A clear PPSR result removes the single biggest objection buyers raise.
- Have the paperwork ready: payout letter, discharge confirmation, service records, and the original PPSR search.
- Expect buyers to ask for a $2 search. Offering it yourself shortens the deal and protects you from disputes later.
If you are a dealer or buying stock
- Screen every trade-in, especially utes, trucks, EVs and premium vehicles — the four highest-risk categories in the data.
- Re-check aged stock. Finance or a new registration can appear on a vehicle after purchase.
- Keep each search in the vehicle file to support compliance and dispute resolution.
The bottom line
Finance owing is common enough to check on every car — but the odds change sharply by brand and vehicle type. If you are buying a truck, a late-model EV or Chinese-brand SUV, or any premium vehicle, a $2 PPSR search is the highest-value five minutes in the whole purchase.
Related AUCN data
- Nearly 1 in 4 used cars carry a risk flag
- Motorcycles top the stolen list
- How much value a car keeps by age
Sources
- PPSR — About the PPSR (Australian Financial Security Authority)
- Australian Consumer Law
- VicRoads — Buy, sell or transfer a vehicle
About this data: AUCN Data, percentage basis, based on AUCN PPSR checks through September 2026. Aggregated percentages only; no individual vehicles or personal information are published. Smaller-volume brands are noted as approximate. See the AUCN Data methodology and definitions for how these figures are produced.
Frequently asked questions
Which brands are most likely to still have finance owing?
Commercial trucks lead: Kenworth 39.3%, RAM 38.6%, Scania 36.5%, Fuso 35.8% and Mack 32.4%. Among cars, BYD (30.6%) and Tesla (29.8%) are highest, followed by Haval, LDV, Chery and Porsche in the 23–28% range.
Which vehicles are least likely to have finance owing?
Older, lower-priced vehicles: Daihatsu 0.7%, Honda 4.0%, Peugeot 4.2%, Suzuki 5.3% and Subaru 6.6%.
Does the age of a car change the finance-owing rate?
Yes, sharply. Finance owing runs at 26.2% for 0–3-year-old vehicles, 23.8% for 4–7 years, 14.1% for 8–11 years, 8.5% for 12–15 years and 4.1% for 16+ years.
How do I confirm finance has actually been discharged?
Get a payout letter from the lender, confirm discharge in writing, and run a fresh PPSR search on the day of settlement — a security interest can be registered at any time before then.
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