Take two minutes to tell us who you are and how much money you’ll need. We’ll take care of the rest. It’s free, simple and secure.
We’ll send you offers from up to five trusted auto lenders. Compare your offers side by side to see which one will save you the most money.
Choose a lender, sign your loan paperwork and take off in your new ride.
5.75%
24 to 72 months
$500-$100,000
No minimum credit score
With CarMax, you can buy a car and get your loan entirely online or with a trip to one of more than 250 CarMax locations. CarMax lets you check your rates without risking your credit, and if you don’t like what you see, you can add a car loan co-borrower for better approval odds and lower rates.
Worried about qualifying? CarMax doesn’t have a minimum credit score requirement, so you could get a loan even with bad credit.
But if you’ve got your eye on a new car or a used one outside of CarMax’s inventory, you’re out of luck. You can only use a CarMax loan on a CarMax car.
CarMax does not have a minimum credit score requirement. You can only use a CarMax loan to buy a car from a CarMax store.
CarMax does business in 42 states. There are no CarMax stores in:
5.49%
36 to 84 months
$7,500 - $100,000
460
If you want to refinance your car loan with bad credit, consider OpenRoad Lending. OpenRoad’s credit requirements are some of the lowest you’ll find, and you can boost your odds of approval by applying with a co-borrower. Plus, borrowers on the LendingTree marketplace give OpenRoad high marks for customer satisfaction.
OpenRoad only offers car loan refinancing, so you can’t use an OpenRoad loan to buy a car. And if you need to refinance fast, consider other car loan refinancing lenders — it can take OpenRoad up to 10 business days to pay your current lender, which is on the slow side.
To refinance your car loan with OpenRoad, you must meet the following requirements:
5.35%
24 to 84 months
Starting at $4,000
500
Not sure if you can qualify for a loan at a traditional dealership? Think again. Capital One approves scores as low as 500, and you can use Capital One’s Auto Navigator tool to check your rates and find cars at local dealerships at the same time.
Capital One car loans aren’t for everyone — you can only use a Capital One auto loan at select partner dealers. If you have a non-partner dealership in mind or want to buy a car from a private seller, consider other lenders.
Capital One requires a credit score of at least 500. The following vehicles are ineligible for financing:
4.85%
24 to 96 months
$2,500 - $100,000
580
If you need to stretch out your car payments, check out the auto marketplace Autopay. In addition to extra-long car loan repayment terms, Autopay also offers prequalification. This allows you to see your potential rates with no impact on your credit score. Plus, Autopay lenders offer loans for private party purchases.
Autopay won’t directly fund your car loan — it partners with lenders who offer car loans. And some of those lenders charge fees of up to $400, so you may need to shell out some extra cash.
Autopay connects borrowers to partner lenders and financial institutions. These partners all have different eligibility requirements.
To use the marketplace, you and the vehicle you’re financing must meet the requirements below:
Lenders use your credit history to decide what car loan rates to offer you. Here are average rate offers for car loans in the LendingTree marketplace.
| Credit score range | Average new car APR | Average used car APR |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent (800+) | 7.28% | 8.96% |
| Very good (740-799) | 7.52% | 8.35% |
| Good (670-739) | 8.94% | 11.46% |
| Fair (580-669) | 19.15% | 21.82% |
| Poor (under 580) | 22.80% | 24.88% |
Source: Average APRs offered to LendingTree users seeking auto loans to purchase light trucks and cars. Limited to requests of at least $5,000 and offered loan terms of between four and six years (48 to 72 months).
That’s a lot of data — here’s what it means for you:
LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst |
“Don’t take the first car loan offer you find. Even with bad credit, you can benefit from comparing offers from multiple lenders. Temper your expectations around those loans, of course. With crummy credit, you’re not going to get that sweetheart deal you’re hoping for. However, shopping around can still help you save money.” |
Want more expert advice? Here’s what to do next:
1. Make sure your new ride fits in your budget. Use the LendingTree auto loan calculator to calculate the true cost of your loan, including interest and fees.
2. Negotiate. Most people know they can negotiate, but few people know how. Prepare yourself before you set foot in a dealership by reading about how to negotiate car prices.
3. Read your loan contract. Yes, really. Mistakes happen, and sometimes lenders or dealers tack on products like GAP insurance. Avoid balloon payments that make your monthly payments cheap at first but expensive at the end of the loan.
4. Come prepared. Bring your preapproved car loan offer and know your rights when buying a used car from a dealership. Don’t show your salesperson how much you need a new car. Play it cool, and be ready to walk away if you’re feeling pressured.
5. Improve your credit and refinance. You’re not stuck with high car payments forever. It’ll take time and effort, but improving your credit score and refinancing your car loan later could save you thousands of dollars.
Stacey B.
I filled out my application online and within minutes I was contacted with an approval amount. The whole process was easy and I received funding on the same day.
Ramona
It's my second time using Lending Tree and it's the best experience. Fast, convenient, reliable and best rates ever.
Donna Rickard
I appreciated that numerous loan options were listed including the number of years and the interest rate as well as what the payment would be. This helped me decide what direction I wanted and needed to select.
We look for lenders with fewer barriers to approval and award points for lower credit requirements, nationwide access, fast funding and simple applications.
We prioritize lenders that offer low starting rates, minimal fees, flexible terms and APR discount opportunities.
We choose lenders with strong reputations, convenient self-service tools, responsive support and borrower-friendly perks.
We reviewed nearly 50 auto lenders to determine the overall best four bad credit car loan lenders. To make our list, lenders must offer auto loans to borrowers with credit scores 580 and below. According to our systematic rating and review process, the best bad credit car loans come from CarMax, OpenRoad, Capital One and Autopay. LendingTree reviews and fact-checks our top lender picks on a monthly basis.
Senior managing editor and Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ |
“Our writers and editors dig through the facts, contact lenders directly and even go through the application process ourselves if it helps better explain what you can expect. As a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠, I’m committed to breaking down complex financial details so people can make confident, informed decisions with their money.” |
Jessica’s experience in editing and financial education helps shape LendingTree articles that are clear, accurate and truly useful to readers. Her certification means our recommendations are built on a foundation of consumer-first financial knowledge — not just numbers.
Our personal loan writers and editors have 32 years of combined editorial experience and 28 years of combined personal finance experience.
100% of our content is reviewed by certified personal finance professionals and meets compliance and legal standards.
We put your interests first. We’ll tell you about any loan drawbacks and be clear about when to consider alternatives.
It’s possible to get a car loan with a 500 credit score, but the lender might have other requirements, too. You might also need to earn a certain amount of money or have been at your job for a specific length of time.
The best way to see if you qualify for an auto loan is to prequalify. It doesn’t require a hard credit hit, so prequalifying won’t negatively impact your credit.
Most approved borrowers have credit scores of 661 or higher, but there is no standard credit score for buying a car. Some lenders don’t require a specific credit score at all. Keep in mind that the easier it is to get a loan, the more expensive that loan will probably be. Even if you have bad credit, shop around and compare offers to find the loan that’s best for you.
Yes, zero-down bad-credit car loans exist, but they come with the risk of going upside-down on your car loan, or owing more on your car than it’s worth. If you can afford to wait, take the time to build up your credit and save up for a down payment instead.
“Tariffs are likely to make car prices go higher, in large part because the cost of producing the pieces that make up that car will go higher,” says Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst. “Anyone shopping for a new or used car in the second half of 2025 should expect to pay higher prices when they buy.”
According to a LendingTree survey, more than 3 in 4 (77%) Americans worry that tariffs will increase the cost of owning a car. Among those worried, 40% plan to drive less as a result.
