Bad Credit Powersports and ATV Financing Options in 2026
You don’t need perfect credit to finance a powersports vehicle. Whether you’re looking to buy an ATV, motorcycle or another off-road or recreational ride, the right loan can help make it happen. LendingTree has compiled options for bad credit powersports financing and explains what you need to know to get started.
What is a bad credit powersports loan?
A bad credit powersports loan is financing you can use for a range of recreational vehicles — including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles (UTVs), motorcycles and more — when you have less-than-perfect credit.
All of the best options on this page are technically personal loans, since personal loans can be used for almost any purpose — including buying an ATV or other powersports vehicle.
Unlike credit cards, personal loans typically have fixed interest rates, so your payment stays the same each month. You’ll have a set period of time to pay back your loan (called a loan term), and you’ll pay interest on what you borrowed.
Many powersports loans are unsecured personal loans, meaning they don’t require collateral. Your lender generally won’t repossess your ATV (or jet ski or snowmobile) if you don’t make your payments.
A secured loan — often offered through a dealer’s finance company — may require a down payment and use the vehicle as collateral. If you don’t make payments on this type of loan, your ATV could be repossessed. This is similar to a typical auto loan, which uses your car as collateral.
Even if you do qualify for bad credit ATV financing, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea. The worse your credit score and credit history, the higher your rates and fees. And for most people, ATVs are a luxury item. You don’t want to take on expensive debt for a toy (even if it’s a cool one).
Use an ATV loan calculator to understand the true cost of borrowing. Pay attention to overall interest and your monthly payments. If either seems unaffordable, consider improving your credit score before financing.
Bad credit powersports and ATV financing options
| Lender | User ratings | Minimum credit score | APR range | Loan amounts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
(2682)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| 580 | 9.95% – 35.99% | $2,000 – $35,000 | |
 |
(2771)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| 580 | 6.99% – 35.99% | $2,000 – $50,000 | |
 |
(8926)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| 500 | 18.00% – 35.99% | $1,500 – $20,000
California residents must borrow at least $3,000 | |
 |
(2355)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| 580 | 7.74% – 35.99% (with discounts) | $1,000 – $50,000 | |
 |
(17649)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| None | 6.50% – 35.99% | $1,000 – $75,000 |
Avant
As convenient as an online loan can be, it can be equally as frustrating if you need to get a hold of customer service. Avant’s customer service department is open seven days a week, with hours long past the typical 9 to 5.
On the downside, Avant may call your job to confirm employment (although it tries electronically first). This could be a turn-off for some.
Learn more by reading our expert Avant personal loan review.
Best Egg
Best Egg offers both secured and unsecured loans for major purchases like an ATV. You’ll qualify for lower rates with a secured loan, and the best rates are reserved for those with excellent credit and a high income.
Best Egg charges a loan origination fee, and there’s no discount for automatic payments. For customer service, you can use the live chat feature, the Best Egg app, email or call to speak with a customer service rep.
Learn more by reading our expert Best Egg personal loan review.
OneMain Financial
Unlike most online lenders, OneMain Financial also has 1,300 branches across nearly every state for loan applications and customer service.
Apply online or at a branch for secured or unsecured personal loans to finance your ATV purchase. If you qualify, you could receive funds within an hour.
Learn more by reading our expert OneMain Financial personal loan review.
Upgrade
Upgrade isn’t just a personal loan platform. It also offers checking accounts (through FDIC-insured Cross River Bank). Opening one may even get you a lower rate on your ATV loan.
You must receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits each month to qualify for the best perks. And technically, Upgrade requires fair credit (580+) to borrow. Adding a second person to your loan could help if you fall short (assuming that the person has strong credit).
Learn more by reading our expert Upgrade personal loan review.
Upstart
Upstart is a lending platform that uses AI modeling to assess whether you’re likely to repay a loan. This helps it approve people other lenders might turn away. It considers factors other than just credit score, like education level and employment.
Origination fees vary depending on the partner lender Upstart connects you with. Upstart will deduct it from your loan, you won’t have to pay it out of pocket.
Learn more by reading our expert Upstart personal loan review.
How to compare bad credit powersports loans with LendingTree
Bad credit powersports and ATV loans can be hard to find. Imagine applying with lender after lender, just to be told at the very end that you don’t qualify. Let LendingTree do the legwork for you.
- Check your credit score. Tap into LendingTree Spring to get your credit score for free. According to a LendingTree study, moving your score from fair (580 to 669) to very good (740 to 799) could save you over $39,000 in loan and credit card interest. Think about whether you should wait to finance or if you’re ready to borrow.
- Tell us what you need. If you’ve decided that a bad credit powersports loan is right for you, compare multiple offers from our network of lenders (the nation’s largest) with no impact to your credit score.
- Compare and win. You could get loan offers from up to five of our partners after one quick form. We’ll also show you which lenders we think are most likely to approve you. If you find a loan you like, we’ll help you take the next step in formally applying.
Pros and cons of bad credit powersports loans
Taking out a powersports loan isn’t the only way to get bad credit ATV financing. And like everything else about personal finance, powersports loans have their pros and cons.
Pros
- No down payments. Personal loans don’t require down payments, but some dealership loans do.
- You can use it for gear. You shouldn’t overborrow, but you can tack on a little extra to pay for helmets and other necessary items.
- Quick and easy. Many online lenders only take a few minutes to review an application. If approved, you might get same- or next-day funding.
Cons
- Higher rates. Unlike manufacturer and dealer financing, most personal loans do not use your vehicle as collateral. Loans without collateral are generally more expensive.
- Could pay a fee. Powersports loans can have an origination fee. This is a fee that your lender will keep for itself before sending you your loan.
- No promotional financing. If you use a personal powersports loan, you could miss out on holiday sales events offered by the manufacturer.
How to better qualify for powersports financing with bad credit
The best way to qualify for loans with low rates is to improve your credit score, but this isn’t an overnight fix. In the meantime, you could:
Focus on bad credit lenders
If you have bad credit, getting a loan can seem out of reach. By targeting lenders with low minimum credit score requirements, getting ATV financing with a 600 credit score (or lower) might be possible, but it can be time-consuming.
Using LendingTree can help streamline this process by matching you with lenders that work with bad credit, saving you from applying one by one.
Make a down payment, apply for a smaller loan and choose a short term
The higher the lender’s risk, the higher your rate. A smaller loan is less risky for the lender, so smaller loans tend to be easier to get.
The same goes for loan terms. The longer it takes for you to repay your loan, the more opportunity you have to fall behind. As a result, don’t expect to get a long loan term with bad credit.
Make a down payment on your ATV or powersports vehicle (10%-20%), depending on whether you’re buying new or used. This will help keep your loan amount down. Then, go for the shortest loan term that you can comfortably afford.
Add a second person to your loan
Applying with a friend or family member can help boost your approval odds. Just be sure that the second person has at least good credit and knows the risk. If you make late payments on your loan, their credit score will also be affected — not only yours.
Consider offering your vehicle as collateral
Some financing options (like manufacturer and dealership financing) use your ATV or powersports vehicle as collateral. This is called a secured loan. Secured loans are less risky for the lender and are typically easier to qualify for. If you fall behind, the lender can recoup some of its losses by repossessing your ATV.
Other bad credit powersports financing options to consider
Manufacturer financing
What we like: Might find a promotional rate discount or another sales event during the holidays
What we don’t like: Credit requirements are often vague and may only apply to “well-qualified buyers”
Some manufacturers offer in-house financing. Here, the company that makes your ATV provides your loan. For instance, if you’re buying through an authorized Honda dealer, you could get a loan through Honda Financial Services. Other dealers use third-party lenders like Synchrony and Sheffield Financial.
Not all manufacturers offer loans for people with bad credit. To make things trickier, many don’t publicly disclose their minimum credit score requirements. In that case, the best way to tell if you qualify is to apply for or request preapproval.
Bank or credit union loans
What we like: Often have lower rates and fewer fees than online loans
What we don’t like: Can have tough eligibility requirements
You could get a powersports loan from your current bank or credit union. These are generally harder to qualify for (particularly true for bank loans). Still, your financial institution might be willing to work with you if you have a long, positive history with them.
Not all banks call their powersports loans by the same name. For example, Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) offers ATV loans, but under its RV loan umbrella. Other banks might not offer a specific powersports loan, but may instead let you get a large-purchase personal loan.
If you aren’t sure whether your bank offers powersports loans, your best bet is to ask.
Dealership financing
What we like: Can take the stress out of buying since the dealer shops for the loan on your behalf
What we don’t like: Harder to compare rates when you’re not in the driver’s seat
If you’ve ever bought a car and let the dealer handle the loan part, that’s dealership financing.
In essence, the dealer contacts its network of lenders to find one willing to give you a loan. This could include financing from the manufacturer as well as third-party loan companies. Dealership financing might be convenient, but stay vigilant. Your dealer is under no obligation to shop for the lowest rate for you.
Also, avoid buy here, pay here lots. Buy here, pay here can be tempting if you have bad credit, but many come with predatory interest rates. Also known as in-house financing, buy here, pay here loans are funded by the dealership itself.
Frequently asked questions
That depends. Powersports loans don’t require a down payment. That’s because these are a type of personal loan, and you never have to make a down payment on a personal loan.
If you buy your ATV through manufacturer or dealer financing, you may have to make a down payment. These work similarly to auto loans. But even if a down payment isn’t required, it can be a good idea to make one anyway. Down payments can make it easier to get approved for financing.
ATV loans come with a wide range of loan term options. The longest loan term on this list is 84 months, offered by Upgrade. Keep in mind that it’s harder to get approved for a long loan term if you have bad credit.
Most of the lenders we’ve highlighted here offer repayment terms of 24 months or more. However, none of them charge a prepayment penalty or a fee for paying your loan off early. Paying your loan off early will help you pay less overall interest.
Generally speaking, no credit is better than bad credit. In that case, you don’t have a negative credit history that may make it difficult to get approved for any kind of loan or tag you with an extremely high interest rate.
You may be able to get approved with no credit history, but it will be easier if you take steps to build your credit score from scratch. Lenders want to see proof that you can make payments on time.