Is AutoNation financially healthy?
Not really
AutoNation carries heavy debt: it would take 6.4 years of earnings to pay it off.
The numbers behind it
Net debt / EBITDA6.4 years
Cash vs. debt$59M vs. $10.2B
Current ratio0.8×Short-term assets for each $1 of bills due within a year
Interest coverage3.0×How many times operating profit covers the interest bill
How we decide
We measure debt in years of earnings (net debt / EBITDA): under 1 is very comfortable, 1 to 3 is manageable, above 3 is heavy. A company that earns less than 3 times its interest bill also counts as weak.
More questions about AutoNation
Data as of Nov 13, 2026.