Getting credit to buy a car got a little harder in August, though conditions loosened some through automotive-focused lenders, and overall consumer confidence improved for the month.

Cox Automotive’s Dealertrack Credit Availability Index fell slightly, by half a percent month-over-month and by about 2% year-over-year to 92.5.

Loan terms shortened and yield spreads grew, negatively affecting access, while approval rates and subprime and negative-equity shares rose modestly, making access easier, for the slight tightening net effect.

Auto credit tightened in all sales channels and all lender types except auto-focused lenders.

Cox said the share of loans longer than 72 months fell by 60 basis points and was down about two percentage points year-over-year.

Auto borrowers who are under water on their loans rose for the second straight month and were up four percentage points year-over-year.

Despite the mixed conditions for auto consumers, the overall consumer sentiment actually brightened in August, based on three indexes Cox cited.

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