Finance companies’ appetite for subprime risk appears to be waning, judging by the softening trends Experian Automotive shared on Wednesday.

According to its latest State of the Automotive Finance Market report, Experian determined that the percentage of new-vehicle loans to subprime and deep subprime borrowers began to level off in the second quarter.

The percentage of new-vehicle loans going to consumers in the subprime and deep subprime segments was at 15.1 percent in Q2, down from 22.1 percent a year earlier. While analysts pointed out the latest reading is higher than the low at the worst juncture of the recession in 2009 when it was at 10.2 percent, they also said the current figures are still well below the prerecession level highs of 16.6 percent in Q2 of 2008 and 19.9 percent in Q2 of 2007.

The subprime softening also is apparent on the used-vehicle side, too.

Experian indicated the percentage of used-vehicle loans extended to the subprime and deep subprime segments in the quarter settled at 40.2 percent, down from 50.6 percent in Q2 of last year. Again, the figures are up slightly from the 39 percent seen in Q2 2009, but still below the prerecession levels in 2008 and 2007 of 43.4 percent and 46.6 percent, respectively.

Melinda Zabritski, senior director of automotive finance for Experian, examined the figures and shared her thoughts, just like she will do during the opening keynote presentation at the SubPrime Forum, which runs from Nov. 10 through 12 as a part of Used Car Week at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas.

“Although we’ve seen relative stability in the automotive industry the past several years, lenders are still showing cautionary signs when lending to the subprime market and keeping their risk at manageable levels,” Zabritski said.

“As for consumers, as long as those in these higher risk segments continue to pay their bills on time, keep delinquent balances in check and select a vehicle that fits within their budget, they should still be able to obtain the necessary financing to purchase a vehicle that meets their needs,” she continued.

As subprime volume softened year-over-year, Experian also noticed the amount that borrowers with bruised credit histories also dipped in the second quarter.

The average new-vehicle loan amount to a subprime borrower dropped to $27,347 in Q2 2014 from $27,563 in Q2 of last year, and new loans to deep subprime borrowers fell to $24,836 in Q2 from $25,486 in Q2 a year earlier.

For used vehicles, the average subprime borrower loan fell to $16,546 in Q2 from $17,020 in Q2 of 2013. Used deep subprime loans fell to $14,358 in Q2 from $15,113 in the year-ago quarter.

While those contract amounts are on the way down, Experian also pointed out the average monthly payment for a used vehicle reached an all-time high in the second quarter. That monthly commitment for a used vehicle came in at $355 in Q2, up $4 from a year ago.

“Used-vehicle financing has experienced consistent growth over the last several years,” Zabritski said.

“As we continue to see the price of vehicles reach new heights, more and more consumers, especially those that are credit challenged, are turning to the used vehicle market as a viable option to purchase their next car,” she went on say.

While not a record, Experian also noted that the average monthly payment for a new vehicle increased, too. The second-quarter average moved up by $10 to $467/

Experian also highlighted several other trends from the its Q2 data, including

• Of all new vehicles sold in Q2 2014, leases accounted for a record high 25.6 percent, up from 23.4 percent the previous year.

• The interest rate for a new vehicle was up from 4.46 percent in Q2 of 2013 to 4.59 percent in Q2 of 2014.

• Used vehicle interest rates were up from 8.56 percent in Q2 of 2013 to 8.82 percent in Q2 of 2014.

• The average credit score for a new vehicle loan in Q2 of 2014 was 711, up from 699 a year earlier.

• The average credit score for a new vehicle lease rose to 717 in Q2 of 2014 from 706 in Q2 of 2013.