10-K 1 aart2023-112_31x2310xk.htm 10-K Document

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
þ
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES   EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
¨
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES   EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ___________ to ____________.


Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1
(Exact name of issuing entity as specified in its charter)

Commission file number of issuing entity: 333-262894-04

Central Index Key Number of issuing entity: 0001980826

Ally Auto Assets LLC
(Exact name of depositor as specified in its charter)

Commission file number of depositor: 333-262894

Central Index Key Number of depositor: 0001477336

Ally Bank
(Exact name of sponsor as specified in its charter)
Central Index Key Number of sponsor (if applicable): 0001601846

DELAWARE93-6426774
(State or other jurisdiction of(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)Identification No.)
Ally Auto Assets LLC
500 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan
48226
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(866) 710-4623
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of Acts. Yes ¨ No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
þ Yes ¨ No








Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of  "large accelerated filer,"  "accelerated filer," "non-accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
¨  Large accelerated filer
¨  Accelerated filer
¨  Smaller reporting company
þ  Non-accelerated filer
¨  Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ¨

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ¨ Yes þ No

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. None

Registrant does not have any voting or non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates.

Documents incorporated by reference. None







































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INDEX

Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1
Part I
Item 1.
Business*
Item 1A.
Risk Factors*
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 1C.
Cybersecurity*
Item 2.
Properties*
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings*
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
Part II
Item 5.
Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities*
Item 6.
[Reserved]*
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations*
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk*
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data*
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure*
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures*
Item 9B.
Other Information
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Part III
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance*
Item 11.
Executive Compensation*
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters*
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence*
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services*
Part IV
Item 15.
Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary

* Item is omitted in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K.

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Part I

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

Substitute information provided in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:

Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB. Significant Obligors of Pool Assets (Financial Information).

There are no significant obligors with respect to the pool assets held by Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1 (the “Issuing Entity”).

Item 1114(b)(2) of Regulation AB. Credit Enhancement and Other Support, Except for Certain Derivatives Instruments (Financial Information).

No entity or group of affiliated entities provides any external credit enhancement or other support with respect to either payment of the pool assets held by the Issuing Entity or payments on the notes (the “Notes”) or certificates (the “Certificates”) issued by the Issuing Entity.

Item 1115(b) of Regulation AB. Certain Derivatives Instruments (Financial Information).

No entity or group of affiliated entities provides any derivative instruments that are used to alter the payment characteristics of the cashflows from the Issuing Entity.

Item 1117 of Regulation AB. Legal Proceedings.

There are no current legal proceedings pending, or to the best knowledge of management of such entity, threatened, against the Issuing Entity, the sponsor, the servicer or the depositor that, if determined adversely to such party, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of the notes.

The owner trustee has represented to the Issuing Entity that it is not a party to any current legal proceedings, nor is its management aware of any legal proceedings threatened against it that, if determined adversely to such party, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of the notes.

The indenture trustee has provided the following information for inclusion in this report on Form 10-K:

U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”) and other large financial institutions have been sued in their capacity as trustee or successor trustee for certain residential mortgage backed securities ("RMBS") trusts. The complaints, primarily filed by investors or investor groups against U.S. Bank and similar institutions, allege the trustees caused losses to investors as a result of alleged failures by the sponsors, mortgage loan sellers and servicers to comply with the governing agreements for these RMBS trusts. Plaintiffs generally assert causes of action based upon the trustees’ purported failures to enforce repurchase obligations of mortgage loan sellers for alleged breaches of representations and warranties, notify securityholders of purported events of default allegedly caused by breaches of servicing standards by mortgage loan servicers and abide by a heightened standard of care following alleged events of default.

U.S. Bank denies liability and believes that it has performed its obligations under the RMBS trusts in good faith, that its actions were not the cause of losses to investors, that it has meritorious defenses, and it has contested and intends to continue contesting the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously. However, U.S. Bank cannot assure you as to the outcome of any of the litigation, or the possible impact of these litigations on the trustee or the RMBS trusts.

On March 9, 2018, a law firm purporting to represent fifteen Delaware statutory trusts (the “DSTs”) that issued securities backed by student loans (the “Student Loans”) filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”) in its capacities as indenture trustee and successor special servicer, and three other institutions in their respective transaction capacities, with respect to the DSTs and the Student Loans. This lawsuit is captioned The National Collegiate Student Loan Master Trust I, et al. v. U.S. Bank National Association, et al., C.A. No. 2018-0167-JRS (Del. Ch.) (the “NCMSLT Action”). The complaint, as amended on June 15, 2018, alleged that the DSTs have been harmed as a result of purported misconduct or omissions by the defendants concerning administration of the trusts and special servicing of the Student Loans. Since the filing of the NCMSLT Action, certain Student Loan borrowers have made assertions against U.S. Bank concerning special servicing that appear to be based on certain allegations made on behalf of the DSTs in the NCMSLT Action.

U.S. Bank has filed a motion seeking dismissal of the operative complaint in its entirety with prejudice pursuant to Chancery Court Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) or, in the alternative, a stay of the case while other prior filed disputes involving the DSTs and the Student Loans are
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litigated. On November 7, 2018, the Court ruled that the case should be stayed in its entirety pending resolution of the first-filed cases. On January 21, 2020, the Court entered an order consolidating for pretrial purposes the NCMSLT Action and three other lawsuits pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning the DSTs and the Student Loans, which remains pending.

U.S. Bank denies liability in the NCMSLT Action and believes it has performed its obligations as indenture trustee and special servicer in good faith and in compliance in all material respects with the terms of the agreements governing the DSTs and that it has meritorious defenses. It has contested and intends to continue contesting the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously.


Part II

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.

Not applicable.


Part III

Substitute information provided in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:

Item 1119 of Regulation AB. Affiliations and Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.

Information required by Item 1119 of Regulation AB has been omitted from this report on Form 10-K in reliance on the Instruction to Item 1119.  The information has been provided previously in a Prospectus, dated July 11, 2023, filed by the Issuing Entity, pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) of the Securities Act of 1933 on July 13, 2023.

Item 1122 of Regulation AB. Compliance with Applicable Servicing Criteria.

Each of Ally Bank and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (each, a “Servicing Participant”) has been identified by the registrant as a party participating in the servicing function with respect to the pool assets held by the Issuing Entity during the reporting period. Each of the Servicing Participants has completed a report on an assessment of compliance with the servicing criteria applicable to such Servicing Participant (each, a “Report on Assessment”) during the Issuing Entity’s year ended December 31, 2023, which Reports on Assessment are attached as exhibits to this Form 10-K. In addition, each of the Servicing Participants has provided an attestation report (each, an “Attestation Report”) by a registered independent public accounting firm regarding its related Report on Assessment. Each Attestation Report is attached as an exhibit to this Form 10-K.

None of the Reports on Assessment or the related Attestation Reports has identified any material instances of noncompliance with the servicing criteria described in the related Report on Assessment as being applicable to each such Servicing Participant.

Item 1123 of Regulation AB. Servicer Compliance Statement.

Ally Bank has been identified as the servicer during the reporting period with respect to the pool assets held by the Issuing Entity. Ally Bank has provided a statement of compliance with the applicable servicing activities (the “Compliance Statement”), signed by an authorized officer, and such Compliance Statement is attached as an exhibit to this Form 10-K.
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Part IV

Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)List the following documents filed as a part of the report:
(1)Financial Statements — Not Applicable.
(2)Financial Statement Schedules — Not Applicable.
(3)Exhibits

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

None.
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Signature

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Ally Auto Assets LLC, as Depositor
/s/ Elliot Kahan
Elliot Kahan
President
(Senior Officer in charge of securitization of the depositor)

Date: March 22, 2024
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Index of Exhibits

ExhibitDescriptionMethod of Filing
3.1Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Ally Auto Assets LLC, dated as of November 7, 2018.
**
4.1Indenture between Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1 and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Indenture Trustee, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
4.2Trust Agreement between Ally Auto Assets LLC, as Depositor and BNY Mellon Trust of Delaware, as Owner Trustee and Paying Agent, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
4.3Pooling Agreement between Ally Bank, as Seller, and Ally Auto Assets LLC, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
31.1Certification of Executive Officer Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(d)/15d-14(d).Filed herewith.
33.1Report on Assessment of Compliance with SEC Regulation AB Servicing Criteria concerning activities of Ally Bank for the year ended December 31, 2023.Filed herewith.
33.2Report on Assessment of Compliance with SEC Regulation AB Servicing Criteria concerning activities of U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association for the year ended December 31, 2023.Filed herewith.
34.1Registered Public Accounting Firm Attestation Report on Assessment of Compliance with applicable Servicing Criteria of Ally Bank dated March 8, 2024 for the year ended December 31, 2023.Filed herewith.
34.2Registered Public Accounting Firm Attestation Report on Assessment of Compliance with applicable Servicing Criteria of U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, dated February 27, 2024 for the year ended December 31, 2023.Filed herewith.
35.1Servicer Compliance Statement of Ally Bank for the year ended December 31, 2023.Filed herewith.
99.1Trust Sale Agreement between Ally Auto Assets LLC, as Depositor, and Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1, as Issuing Entity, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
99.2Custodian Agreement between Ally Bank, as Custodian, and Ally Auto Assets LLC, as Depositor, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
99.3Administration Agreement among Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1, as Issuing Entity, Ally Bank, as Administrator, and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Indenture Trustee, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
99.4Servicing Agreement among Ally Bank, as Servicer, Ally Auto Assets LLC, as Depositor, and Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1, as Issuing Entity, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
99.5Asset Representations Review Agreement among Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1, as Issuing Entity, Ally Bank, as Sponsor, and Clayton Fixed Income Services LLC, as Asset Representations Reviewer, dated as of July 19, 2023.*
99.6Securities Account Control Agreement among Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2023-1, as Issuing Entity, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Indenture Trustee, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Securities Intermediary, dated as of July 19, 2023.*



*Incorporated by reference to the corresponding Exhibit to the Issuing Entity’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 19, 2023 (File No. 333-262894-04).
**Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Ally Auto Assets LLC's Form SF-3 Registration Statement filed on February 22, 2022 (File No. 333-262894).
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