Why More Car Trade-Ins Are Underwater – and How Smart Maintenance Can Help

The headlines are out there: more than one in four trade‑ins are heading into new cars while still owing more than they’re worth, with average negative equity up around $6,754 in Q2 2025. This means cars are dropping value faster than owners are chipping away at their car note (this isn’t helped by some of the longer-term loans consumers are opting for).

Even worse: nearly 24% of underwater trade‑ins owe $10K or more, and about 7–8% owe over $15K. If you roll that debt into a new loan, you’re signing up for an extra $159 per month and thousands more financed total (of course, this depends on finance rate, but the point stands).

So here’s the real advice experts share: hold onto your car longer – while maintaining it properly. That’s where we come in.

Rislone Helps Plug the Value Leak

All that negative equity? It’s not just about the loan – it’s about preserving what your car is actually worth. A car that’s been babied, maintained, and runs like new wins resale value. One that’s been neglected loses value fast. Common sense stuff.

How Rislone Helps Keep Your Car Value Maximized:

• Fuel System Optimization That Works – Our Rislone Complete Fuel System Cleaner tackles carbon deposits, cleans injectors, and lubricates upper cylinders – for a maintenance “tune‑up” that extends fuel economy and smooth operation over 5,000 miles. It’s eight additives in a single bottle, and the reason it won a PTEN Innovation Award.
• Every 3-4 months, we recommend using our CAT Complete® Fuel, Exhaust & Emissions System Cleaner. Not only does this optimize your entire fuel system, but it also helps to clear a stubborn Check Engine Light (CEL) and is a perfect thing to use before a smog/emissions test. It’s the most advanced fuel & emissions additive we’ve created in our 100+ year history. (We also make a diesel version, too.)
• Preventative Maintenance Engine Treatments – This is one area that made Rislone famous. The cleaner you keep your car’s lubrication system, the better it runs. Our famous, award-winning Maximum Performance Rislone Engine Treatment does just that. This product contains high quality penetrating oil, combined with protective engine additives and special cleaning agents.

What About Bar’s Leaks?

Sure, they’re our sibling brand and the first thing to reach for when leaks happen. Bar’s Leaks specializes in fixing active leaks in any critical system, head gasket issues, radiator repairs, and more.

We recommend using Bar’s Leaks for targeted repairs, then switching to Rislone to maintain systemic performance going forward.

Call It Like It Is

Let’s be blunt: buying a new car while underwater is like jumping out of the frying pan into a debt fire. Rolling old debt into new loans just magnifies the problem. Want a better strategy? Keep driving your car if it runs well – maintain it intelligently and you’ll see depreciation slow its roll. You’d be surprised at how many avoidable problems simply would never rear their heads if everyone was a little better at regular maintenance.

If you truly love your ride, or at least value it, maintaining it with Rislone isn’t just about performance. It’s about keeping yourself in the best financial position possible. Bar’s Leaks fills in the gap when something goes wrong – but prevention is your best line of defense.

The Bottom Line

• Over 26% of trade‑ins in Q2 2025 had negative equity, with average shortfall around $6.7K and many owing far more.
• Financial analysts recommend holding onto your car longer and maintaining it aggressively to fight depreciation.
• Rislone offers fuel‑system and engine supplements designed for proactive DIY maintenance.
• When leaks happen, reach for Bar’s Leaks – and then switch back to Rislone for ongoing care.

Stick with us, DIYers: take care of your ride, preserve your equity – and don’t let depreciation (or your lender) – pull you under. Smart maintenance is easy and inexpensive. Knowing where to start is where most people stumble. And if you’re reading this, you’re already way ahead of most.