Vehicle Loans Grew 46% in a Year, Bad Loans Up 75% — Is a Lease Bubble Forming?

The Central Bank's latest Financial Stability Review says vehicle-backed and gold-backed loans together now make up almost a quarter of all bank and finance company credit, up from under 20% just two years ago. Finance companies' vehicle loans alone grew over 46% in the year to mid-2026 and drove most of the sector's credit growth — but loans showing early signs of trouble (Stage 2) jumped over 75% in the same period. One side says this is just pent-up demand finally getting financed after years of import bans, and finance companies know their collateral. The other side says half the country leased a car or tuk it can't comfortably afford, and the moment a few EMIs are missed, repossession yards are going to fill up fast. If you're paying a lease right now, is it getting easier or harder to keep up with the installment? Did your finance company tighten anything recently without telling you why? ලීසිං වාරිකය ගෙවීම මේ දිනවල අමාරුද? ඇත්ත අත්දැකීම කියන්න.