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Santander Consumer USA Reviews, Complaints & Contacts

Santander Consumer USA Inc. is a Dallas-based auto lender that finances and services vehicle loans and leases under its own name and the RoadLoans brand; since September 19, 2026, Chrysler Capital accounts have been serviced by Santander Bank, N.A. under the Santander Consumer USA name. The business grew out of Drive Financial Services, which Banco Santander bought in December 2006, and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Santander Holdings USA, Inc. It has settled a series of federal and state matters over subprime underwriting, GAP and loan-extension disclosures, credit reporting and servicemember protections, among them a settlement of more than $550 million with 34 attorneys general in May 2020, two Servicemembers Civil Relief Act settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice (2015 and 2021), and a June 2026 New York Department of Financial Services settlement over undisclosed monthly extension fees. BBB, CFPB and Trustpilot figures are reported separately on this page; on this site there are 765 published complaint reports linked to this profile, most of them posted between 2003 and 2012 and many naming Drive Financial.

REVIEWS & COMPLAINTS765on USAComplaints · 1 in last 3 yrs
PHONE888-222-4227Customer Service
WEBSITEsantanderconsumerusa.com
HEADQUARTERSDallas, TX
PROFILE CHECKED2026-11-05
Submit a Complaint Read reviews & complaints ↓ Call 888-222-4227 Official website ↗
VERIFIED

Contacts, Payment & Login

PhoneEmailAddress

Customer service & general contact

Cancel, billing & returns

Account & login

Other contacts

VERIFIED

Locations

  • Headquarters1601 Elm Street, Suite 800 Dallas TX 75201
  • Mailing addressP.O. Box 961245 Fort Worth TX 76161-1245
EDITORIAL

Is Santander Consumer USA Legitimate?

BBB, CFPB, Trustpilot

Legal name
Santander Consumer USA Inc.
Business type
Auto finance company (NMLS ID 4239) that originates and services vehicle loans and leases, including under the Chrysler Capital and RoadLoans names; a wholly owned subsidiary of Santander Holdings USA, Inc.
Website
santanderconsumerusa.comSource: Company website, checked 2026-10-27
Headquarters
Dallas, TXSource: Santander Consumer USA SCRA page, checked 2026-10-27
Owned by
Santander Holdings USA, Inc.Source: Santander US press release, August 2021, checked 2026-10-27
Owned by
Banco Santander, S.A.Source: Santander US press release, August 2021, checked 2026-10-27

Santander Consumer USA Inc. is a licensed auto lender: it holds NMLS ID 4239 and posts its state licenses on its website. It is headquartered at 1601 Elm Street, Suite 800, Dallas, Texas, and is wholly owned by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., the U.S. holding company of Banco Santander, S.A.

Since 2015 it has settled federal and state matters over subprime underwriting, add-on product and loan-extension disclosures, credit reporting, repossessions and lease terminations involving servicemembers, and extension fees. The state attorney general and Justice Department matters were settled on allegations; the two CFPB consent orders, in 2018 and 2020, set out the Bureau's findings of violations, and the New York Department of Financial Services described the 2026 matter as violations of New York Banking Law.

Before signing a loan or lease arranged by a dealer, a borrower can look up the lender's license on NMLS Consumer Access (nmlsconsumeraccess.org) and read the full contract, including the price of any GAP or service add-on and whether it is optional.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBBNot BBB accredited
366 reviews · 2,113 complaints · BBB business grade A+ · average customer rating 1.08 / 5
CFPBComplaints received February 2012 to September 2022 under this former company name
12,455 complaints
CFPBComplaints since August 2018 under the parent company name, which also covers Santander Bank
18,238 complaints
TrustpilotProfile claimed by the company in July 2023
507 reviews · TrustScore 2.4 / 5
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Reviews & Complaints on USAComplaints

765 complaints on USAComplaints, including 1 published in the last three years.

Show 15 more on this page
EDITORIAL

Complaint record: USAComplaints, CFPB, BBB and Trustpilot, reported separately

Several sources track complaints and reviews about this company. Each is reported on its own, and their figures are never added together or averaged.

  • USAComplaints: 765 published complaint reports are linked to this profile. They name Santander Consumer USA or one of its earlier or associated names, mainly Drive Financial and Drive Financial Services, and also RoadLoans and Santander. Most were posted between 2003 and 2012, and many of them name Drive Financial. A few also name Triad Financial, a separate lender from which Santander Consumer bought a large loan portfolio and certain operations. Each post is the author's own account and is an allegation.
  • BBB: the Dallas profile for Santander Consumer USA, Inc. is not BBB accredited, carries a BBB rating of A+, and shows complaints filed in the last three years and an average customer-review score; the current figures are in the BBB row of this profile. The BBB letter grade is based on factors such as complaint history and how complaints are answered; it is not an average of customer reviews.
  • CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: complaints appear under two company names. "Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc." covers complaints received from February 2012 to September 2022. Later complaints about the auto-finance business appear under the parent company name, "Santander Holdings USA, Inc.," which also includes complaints about the separate retail bank, Santander Bank, N.A., so only part of that total concerns vehicle loans and leases. The CFPB says its complaint data are not a statistical sample.
  • Trustpilot: a profile for santanderconsumerusa.com, claimed by the company in July 2023, with the TrustScore and review count shown in the Trustpilot row. Reviews there often describe payment posting, insurance and GAP claim handling, and title delays.

Had an experience with Santander Consumer USA? Tell other people what happened.

Submit a Complaint
EDITORIAL

Dealing with Santander Consumer USA or Chrysler Capital? What to check first

Santander Consumer USA, Chrysler Capital and RoadLoans accounts are all handled through the same MyAccount site and phone lines. Chrysler Capital customers log in to MyAccount with their existing Chrysler Capital username and password.

  • Paying online or by phone: in MyAccount (myaccount.santanderconsumerusa.com) a one-time bank-account (ACH) payment is free. Third-party processors charge $3.28 for a debit card (including Apple Pay and Google Pay), $6.75 for PayPal or Venmo, and $3.99 for cash at PayNearMe stores such as 7-Eleven and CVS. The automated line, 888-222-4227, takes free bank-account payments; a debit card by phone, automated or with an agent, also costs $3.28.
  • Auto pay: free, drawn from a checking or savings account on the due date; the account must not be past due to enroll.
  • Paying by mail: send a check or money order with your statement stub to the address on the stub (P.O. Box 660633, Dallas, TX 75266-0633). Mail takes seven to ten business days to process, so do not mail a late payment. Overnight or certified mail goes to 3000 Kellway Drive, Suite 120, Carrollton, TX 75006.
  • Payoff and title: MyAccount shows your payoff amount. If a dealer sends the payoff, it must include an authorization signed by you for the title to go to the dealer, and payoffs by personal check can delay the title release.
    More detailShow less

    Title questions go to the Titles line, 800-526-0157 (Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-6 p.m. CT); confirm your mailing address before payoff so the title or lien release reaches you.

  • Customer service: 888-222-4227, Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CT and Sat 7 a.m.-5 p.m. CT, for a past-due account, an extension request or payment options. If you ask for an extension, get the fee and how interest will be applied in writing; both were the subject of past CFPB and New York findings.
  • Active-duty military: the company's SCRA program caps the interest rate at 6% for the life of the loan, forgives interest above 6% and protects against repossession during qualifying service, and its early lease-termination program waives the early-termination fee. Benefits must be requested no later than 180 days after release from service, with a copy of your orders or a commanding officer's letter, by email to [email protected], by fax to (214) 615-3999, or by mail to Attn: SCRA Department, 1601 Elm Street, Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75201. The company notes that payments are still due on time on accounts that receive SCRA benefits.
  • Wrong information on your credit report: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you can dispute directly with Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, which must generally investigate within 30 days, or write to Santander directly at Santander Consumer USA, Credit Bureau Disputes, P.O. Box 961211, Fort Worth, TX 76161. Include your account number, the item you dispute and copies of proof.
  • If your car is repossessed: depending on state law you may be able to reinstate the loan by paying the overdue amount and repossession costs, or redeem the car before it is sold by paying the full balance plus costs.
    More detailShow less

    State law sets the deadlines for both, so read every letter that arrives after the repossession at once. If the sale does not cover the balance, you can be billed for the deficiency, and you can ask the lender to explain how that amount was calculated.

  • If it is not resolved: file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov/complaint), which forwards it to the company for a response, and with your state attorney general or the state agency that licenses the company, which NMLS Consumer Access lists under NMLS ID 4239; servicemembers can also contact their installation's legal assistance office. Keep your contract, payment history and every letter, especially around a payoff, title release or disputed fee.
EDITORIAL

Federal and state regulator actions

Santander Consumer USA has settled a series of federal and state matters since 2015. They are listed here in date order, each with the amounts and terms its own announcement gives.

February 2015, U.S. Department of Justice, servicemember repossessions. Santander agreed to pay at least $9.35 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) over 1,112 vehicle repossessions between January 2008 and February 2013. The Department said Santander repossessed 760 vehicles of SCRA-protected servicemembers without the required court orders, and sought to collect fees on 352 more repossessions that other lenders had carried out before Santander acquired the loans. Under the consent order, each servicemember whose vehicle Santander repossessed was to receive $10,000 plus any lost equity in the vehicle, with interest, and each servicemember in the prior-lender repossessions $5,000. The Department called it the largest settlement for illegal vehicle repossessions it had obtained under the SCRA. The court in Dallas signed the consent order on February 26, 2015; Santander neither admitted nor denied the allegations.

November 2015, Massachusetts Attorney General, GAP fees and the state interest cap. In an Assurance of Discontinuance filed in Suffolk Superior Court, the Attorney General alleged that fees for GAP coverage added to subprime loans Santander bought pushed their effective interest rates above the state's 21 percent cap. Santander agreed to about $5.4 million in relief for more than 450 Massachusetts consumers, by eliminating and forgiving interest on those loans and refunding interest already paid, and to pay $150,000 to the Commonwealth.

More on regulatorsShow less

March 2017, Massachusetts and Delaware Attorneys General, subprime underwriting. Massachusetts announced a $22 million settlement, filed in Suffolk Superior Court: $16 million in relief to more than 2,000 consumers and $6 million to the Commonwealth. The Attorney General alleged that Santander funded auto loans without a reasonable basis to believe borrowers could afford them, predicted that many would default, knew that dealer-reported incomes were often inflated, and kept funding loans through a group of dealers that the Attorney General's complaint labeled "fraud dealers." The same day Delaware announced a Cease and Desist by Agreement after its joint investigation with Massachusetts: $2.875 million into a trust for harmed Delaware consumers, just over $1 million to the Delaware Consumer Protection Fund, and new screening of loans from Delaware dealers.

November 2018, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, GAP and loan extensions. A CFPB consent order (2018-BCFP-0008) found that Santander violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 by not adequately describing the benefits and limitations of its S-GUARD GAP add-on, and by not clearly disclosing that interest accrued during a loan extension would be paid before principal once payments resumed. It required about $9.29 million in restitution to certain consumers who bought the add-on, better disclosures and a $2.5 million civil penalty. The CFPB lists the order as terminated.

May 2020, 34 attorneys general, subprime lending. Attorneys general of 33 states and the District of Columbia announced a settlement of more than $550 million. They alleged that Santander used credit-scoring models that identified subprime borrowers likely to default and funded their loans anyway, along with deceptive servicing practices. Relief included about $433 million in immediate forgiveness and deficiency waivers for certain defaulted borrowers; deficiency waivers of up to $45 million in total for defaulted borrowers whose cars were not repossessed, who keep the vehicle; $65 million to the states for restitution to certain borrowers who defaulted between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019; $5 million more to the states; and up to $2 million for settlement administration. Santander must also factor a borrower's ability to pay into its underwriting.

December 2020, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, credit reporting. A second consent order (2020-BCFP-0027) found that from January 2016 to August 2019 Santander furnished auto loan information to credit reporting agencies that it knew or should have known was inaccurate, did not promptly correct information it later found incomplete, left out the date of first delinquency on some delinquent or charged-off accounts, and lacked reasonable written accuracy policies, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Regulation V. The order imposed a $4,750,000 civil penalty and corrective steps, with no consumer redress amount. The CFPB lists the order as terminated.

September 2021, U.S. Department of Justice, military lease terminations. Santander Consumer USA Inc., doing business as Chrysler Capital, agreed to pay more than $134,000, namely $94,282.62 to ten servicemembers and a $40,000 civil penalty, to resolve a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas alleging that it unlawfully denied early lease terminations to servicemembers who qualified under the SCRA. The complaint describes an Army captain who returned his leased vehicle before a 2019 deployment and waited about six months, into his deployment to Afghanistan, before Santander granted the termination, cancelled the early-termination charges and refunded lease payments made in advance. Santander also agreed to update its SCRA policies and training.

February 2022, Massachusetts Attorney General, deficiency notices. An Assurance of Discontinuance filed in Suffolk Superior Court resolved allegations that Santander did not give certain consumers enough information about how the deficiency left on their auto loan after repossession was calculated. Santander agreed to pay $5.56 million into a fund providing cash payments, debt relief and credit repair; more than 1,000 Massachusetts borrowers were expected to be eligible and were to be contacted by the Attorney General's Office, which answers eligibility questions at 617-963-2240.

June 2026, New York Department of Financial Services, extension fees. On June 3, 2026, the Department announced that Santander Consumer USA Inc. will pay a $400,000 penalty and more than $275,000 to eligible borrowers for violations of New York Banking Law. Its investigation found that the extension agreement Santander published disclosed "a single $25.00 extension fee," but in practice Santander "charged borrowers an extension fee of $25.00 per month." New York borrowers paid about $237,000 in these undisclosed fees, and another $86,000 was assessed but not collected; Santander had voluntarily stopped charging them. Restitution is a refund check with interest or a waiver of fees assessed but unpaid. Borrowers who had a Santander auto loan before 2018 may be eligible and can call Santander at 888-356-0269 about restitution.

A separate 2016 CFPB order requiring a $10 million fine over overdraft practices, in which the bank's telemarketing vendor enrolled customers without their consent, was against Santander Bank, N.A., the sister retail bank under the same parent, not against Santander Consumer USA.

EDITORIAL

Court record beyond the regulator settlements

Court records

Several of the government settlements described in the regulator section were filed in court. Both Justice Department cases under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act were federal lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, each resolved by a consent order: the 2015 repossession case (No. 3:15-cv-633-B, order signed February 26, 2015) and the 2021 lease-termination case (No. 3:21-cv-2323-D, order signed October 1, 2021). Massachusetts filed its 2015 and 2022 Assurances of Discontinuance and its 2017 settlement in Suffolk Superior Court. In the 2020 multistate settlement each participating state filed its own papers; New Jersey, for example, filed a complaint and consent judgment in the Superior Court of New Jersey.

More on the lawsuitsShow less

A borrower considering a private claim should first read the dispute-resolution section of their own retail installment contract or lease, since auto-finance contracts often contain an arbitration clause, and the wording of the borrower's own contract is what applies.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

Massachusetts Attorney General settlement with Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (subprime underwriting)

Settled

Suffolk Superior Court (Massachusetts)Source ↗

Settled

Eligible consumers were to be contacted by an independent trustee and the Attorney General's Office.

Case details: Massachusetts Attorney General settlement with Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (subprime underwriting)Show less

Settlement filed in Suffolk Superior Court. The Attorney General alleged that Santander funded auto loans without a reasonable basis to believe borrowers could afford them, predicted that many would default, and knew that dealer-reported incomes were often inflated, and that it kept funding loans through a group of dealers that the Attorney General's complaint labeled "fraud dealers." Santander agreed to $22 million: $16 million in relief to more than 2,000 Massachusetts consumers and $6 million to the Commonwealth, plus new dealer-oversight policies.

Delaware Attorney General Cease and Desist by Agreement with Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.

Settled

Delaware Department of Justice, Fraud Division (out-of-court agreement)Source ↗

Settled

Santander agreed to pay $2.875 million into a trust for harmed Delaware consumers, with a trustee contacting eligible borrowers, and just over $1 million to the Delaware Consumer Protection Fund, and to screen loans from Delaware dealers and not sell loans from high-risk dealers that fail those screens.

Case details: Delaware Attorney General Cease and Desist by Agreement with Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.Show less

Announced on March 29, 2017, after a joint Delaware and Massachusetts investigation, and resolved by a Cease and Desist by Agreement rather than a court case. The Delaware Attorney General alleged that Santander funded auto loans without a reasonable basis to believe borrowers could afford them, and kept buying loans from dealers it knew regularly submitted inaccurate, often inflated, income data.

In re Santander Consumer USA Inc. (CFPB consent order, GAP/loan extensions)

Settled

CFPB Office of Administrative AdjudicationDocket 2018-BCFP-0008Source ↗

Settled

The CFPB lists the order as terminated.

Case details: In re Santander Consumer USA Inc. (CFPB consent order, GAP/loan extensions)Show less

Consent order. The CFPB found that Santander violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 by not adequately describing the benefits and limitations of its S-GUARD GAP add-on product, and by not clearly disclosing that interest accrued during a loan extension would be paid before principal once payments resumed. The order required about $9.29 million in restitution to certain consumers who bought the add-on product, better disclosures, and a $2.5 million civil money penalty.

Multistate attorneys general settlement with Santander Consumer USA (subprime lending)

Settled

Filed separately in each participating state, for example by consent judgment in the Superior Court of New JerseySource ↗

Settled

Santander must also factor a borrower's ability to pay into its underwriting.

Case details: Multistate attorneys general settlement with Santander Consumer USA (subprime lending)Show less

Settlement announced on May 19, 2020, by 34 attorneys general (33 states and the District of Columbia), each of which filed its own papers; New Jersey, for example, filed a complaint and consent judgment in its Superior Court. They alleged that Santander used credit-scoring models that identified subprime borrowers likely to default and funded their loans anyway, along with deceptive servicing practices. Relief: about $433 million in immediate forgiveness and deficiency waivers for certain defaulted borrowers; deficiency waivers of up to $45 million in total for defaulted borrowers whose cars were not repossessed, who keep the vehicle; $65 million paid to the states for restitution to certain borrowers who defaulted between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019; $5 million more to the states; and up to $2 million for settlement administration.

In re Santander Consumer USA Inc. (CFPB consent order, credit reporting)

Settled

CFPB Office of Administrative AdjudicationDocket 2020-BCFP-0027Source ↗

Settled

The CFPB lists the order as terminated.

Case details: In re Santander Consumer USA Inc. (CFPB consent order, credit reporting)Show less

Consent order. The CFPB found that from January 2016 to August 2019 Santander furnished auto loan information to credit reporting agencies that it knew or should have known was inaccurate, did not promptly correct information it later found incomplete, left out the date of first delinquency on some delinquent or charged-off accounts, and lacked reasonable written accuracy and integrity policies, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Regulation V. The order imposed a $4,750,000 civil money penalty and required corrective steps; it set no consumer redress amount.

United States v. Santander Consumer USA, Inc. d/b/a Chrysler Capital (SCRA lease terminations)

Settled

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas DivisionDocket 3:21-cv-2323-DSource ↗

Settled

Santander agreed to deposit $94,282.62 to compensate the ten servicemembers, to pay a $40,000 civil penalty, and to update its SCRA policies and training.

Case details: United States v. Santander Consumer USA, Inc. d/b/a Chrysler Capital (SCRA lease terminations)Show less

Federal lawsuit resolved by a consent order the court signed on October 1, 2021. The Department of Justice alleged that Santander Consumer USA Inc., doing business as Chrysler Capital, unlawfully denied early motor-vehicle lease terminations to ten servicemembers who qualified under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. One was an Army captain who returned his leased Jeep before deploying in 2019; the company first rejected his request and billed him early-termination charges, and granted the termination about six months later, during his deployment to Afghanistan.

EDITORIAL

Company background: from Drive Financial to Santander Consumer USA

Santander Consumer USA grew out of Drive Financial Services, a Dallas subprime auto lender that Banco Santander bought for $636 million in cash, closing on December 7, 2006. In its 2013 IPO registration statement the company dated its founding to 1995, and it described buying large loan portfolios and certain operations from other lenders, including Triad Financial and CitiFinancial Auto. Today it buys retail installment contracts, the loan contracts a car buyer signs at the dealership, from dealers, makes and services vehicle loans and leases, and lends under names including Chrysler Capital and RoadLoans. Its BBB profile also lists Santander Auto Finance, HelpingLoans, Maserati Capital, Drive Financial and Drive Financial Services as alternate names, and the U.S. Department of Justice describes the company as Santander Consumer USA Inc., doing business as Chrysler Capital.

The company is licensed through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System under NMLS ID 4239; its state licenses are posted on its website. Its former parent, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SC. In August 2021, Santander Holdings USA, Inc. (SHUSA), which already held most of the shares, agreed to buy the rest at $41.50 a share; the tender offer and merger closed on January 31, 2022, and the company became wholly owned by SHUSA. SHUSA is the U.S. holding company of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A., and also owns the retail bank Santander Bank, N.A., which now services Chrysler Capital accounts under the Santander Consumer USA name.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Owned bySantander Holdings USA, Inc.
  • Owned byBanco Santander, S.A.
  • Affiliated withSantander Bank, N.A.
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Santander Consumer USA a licensed lender?

It is a licensed auto-finance company with NMLS ID 4239, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and wholly owned by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., the U.S. arm of Banco Santander. You can confirm its licenses on NMLS Consumer Access and on the state licenses page of its website. Since 2015 it has settled federal and state matters over underwriting, disclosures, credit reporting, extension fees and servicemember protections, described in the regulator section.

Does Santander Consumer USA refinance an existing auto loan?

Santander Consumer USA's 2022 customer welcome booklet states: "Santander Consumer USA does not refinance existing accounts." The same booklet says that if you believe you cannot make a monthly payment on time, you can contact the company at (888) 222-4227 for assistance Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT or Saturday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.

Is Santander Consumer USA the same company as Santander Bank?

They are separate companies with the same parent, Santander Holdings USA, Inc. Santander Consumer USA Inc. is the auto lender behind Santander Consumer USA, Chrysler Capital and RoadLoans loans and leases. Santander Bank, N.A. is the retail bank for checking, savings and other accounts; its 2016 CFPB overdraft order does not involve Santander Consumer USA. The line has blurred for Chrysler Capital customers: since September 19, 2026, Santander Bank, N.A. services Chrysler Capital accounts, but under the Santander Consumer USA name, so those customers still use Santander Consumer USA's MyAccount and phone numbers.

What are Chrysler Capital, RoadLoans and Maserati Capital?

They are names under which Santander Consumer USA has financed and leased vehicles. The Justice Department describes the company as Santander Consumer USA Inc., doing business as Chrysler Capital. RoadLoans is a trademark of the Santander group that the company lists on its own website, and RoadLoans, Chrysler Capital and Maserati Capital all appear on the company's BBB profile as alternate names. Whatever name is on your contract, payments, payoffs and titles are handled through Santander Consumer USA's MyAccount and phone lines.

Was Santander Consumer USA formerly called Drive Financial Services?

The business was known as Drive Financial Services before it took the Santander Consumer USA name. Banco Santander completed its $636 million purchase of Drive on December 7, 2006, and the company's BBB profile still lists Drive Financial and Drive Financial Services as alternate names. Many older posts on this site about the company use the Drive Financial name, and a few name Triad Financial, a separate lender from which Santander Consumer bought a large loan portfolio and certain operations.

How do I make a payment or get a payoff quote?

Log in to MyAccount (myaccount.santanderconsumerusa.com), which shows your payoff amount and takes payments: a one-time bank-account (ACH) payment is free, while debit card ($3.28), PayPal or Venmo ($6.75) and cash at PayNearMe stores ($3.99) carry third-party fees. You can also pay free from a bank account through the automated line at 888-222-4227 (a debit card by phone costs $3.28), set up free Auto pay if the account is not past due, or mail a check or money order with your statement stub to P.O. Box 660633, Dallas, TX 75266-0633, allowing seven to ten business days. For the payoff itself, a dealer paying off your loan must include an authorization you signed for the title to be sent to the dealer, and a payoff by personal check can delay the title release.

What was the $550 million multistate settlement about, and am I eligible?

In May 2020, attorneys general of 33 states and the District of Columbia announced a settlement of more than $550 million with Santander Consumer USA over subprime auto lending. It included about $433 million in immediate forgiveness and deficiency waivers for certain borrowers who had defaulted, deficiency waivers of up to $45 million for defaulted borrowers whose cars were not repossessed, and $65 million paid to the states for restitution to certain borrowers who defaulted between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019. Relief went only to borrowers in the participating states who met the settlement's criteria. If you think you were covered, contact the consumer-protection office of your state attorney general.

Did Santander Consumer USA illegally repossess servicemembers' cars?

The U.S. Department of Justice alleged it did, and Santander settled. In February 2015 the company agreed to pay at least $9.35 million to resolve a Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lawsuit covering 1,112 repossessions between January 2008 and February 2013: 760 vehicles Santander repossessed without the required court orders, and 352 repossessed by other lenders before Santander acquired the loans, on which Santander then sought to collect fees. The consent order set compensation of $10,000 plus lost equity and interest for each vehicle Santander repossessed, and $5,000 for each of the other 352. The Department called it the largest settlement for illegal vehicle repossessions it had obtained under the SCRA; Santander neither admitted nor denied the allegations. In September 2021 the company, doing business as Chrysler Capital, paid more than $134,000 to resolve allegations that it wrongly denied early lease terminations to ten servicemembers under the same law.

Why does the CFPB database show few recent complaints under "Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc."?

Complaints under the company name "Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc." stop after September 2022. Later complaints about the auto-finance business are logged under the parent company name, "Santander Holdings USA, Inc.," which also includes complaints about the separate retail bank, Santander Bank, N.A. To see only auto-loan complaints, search the CFPB database for the parent name and filter by the product "Vehicle loan or lease." The two CFPB figures in this profile are shown separately and not added together.

How do I contact Santander Consumer USA?

Customer Service: 888-222-4227 (Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CT, Sat 7 a.m.-5 p.m. CT). Titles: 800-526-0157 (Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-6 p.m. CT, closed Saturday). Existing customers can also chat after logging in to MyAccount at myaccount.santanderconsumerusa.com. Mailing address: Santander Consumer USA Inc., P.O. Box 961245, Fort Worth, TX 76161-1245. Payment address: P.O. Box 660633, Dallas, TX 75266-0633. Credit report disputes: Santander Consumer USA, Credit Bureau Disputes, P.O. Box 961211, Fort Worth, TX 76161. Military benefits: [email protected]. Headquarters: 1601 Elm Street, Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75201.

How do I get my car title from Santander Consumer USA after paying off my loan?

What you receive depends on your state and title type, according to Santander Consumer USA's titles page. For an electronic (ELT) title, Santander notifies your state that the lien is satisfied and the state titling office prints and mails the title; California mails it to the address on the state registration, and Florida residents must ask the state to mail the paper title. For a paper title, Santander ships it by USPS. In title-holding states, where you already hold the title with Santander listed as lienholder, Santander mails a Release of Lien. Take the original title or lien release to your state titling office to get a new title with no lienholder; the state may charge a fee. Before paying off, confirm your mailing address in MyAccount. Questions go to the Titles line, 800-526-0157; a request to move a title to a new state is mailed to Santander Titles Department, 1601 Elm St., Dallas, TX 75201, or faxed to 214-237-3549.

What was the 2026 New York DFS settlement with Santander Consumer about?

On June 3, 2026, New York's Department of Financial Services announced that Santander Consumer USA will pay a $400,000 penalty and more than $275,000 to eligible New York borrowers. The Department found that Santander's published extension agreement disclosed a single $25 extension fee, but the company charged $25 for each month of an extension; borrowers paid about $237,000 in these undisclosed fees and another $86,000 was assessed but not collected. Santander had voluntarily stopped the practice. Restitution is a refund check with interest or a waiver of fees assessed but unpaid. Borrowers who had a Santander auto loan before 2018 may be eligible, and the Department directs restitution questions to Santander at 888-356-0269.

Sources (26)

Santander Consumer USA (own site)

Public records

Review sites

Other