You might be approved for a car loan with a 545 credit score. However, you're not going to find a ton of lenders willing to work with you, as this credit score is in the subprime range. Even if you can find a lender, the lender's interest rate for your car loan is going to be sky-high.
A: With your credit score at 540 it is perfectly possible to successfully get an auto loan, although interest levels for these loans might be a little higher than average. Experian said that vehicle loans for car buyers with scores of under 540 accounted for twenty percent of auto loans in 2019!
In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.
There is no set credit score you need to get an auto loan. If you have a credit score above 660, you will likely qualify for an auto loan at a rate below 10% APR. If you have bad credit or no credit, you could still qualify for a car loan, but you should expect to pay more.
A 545 score means you likely have negative items on your report. Removing those negative items (or hard inquiries) is usually the quickest way to fixing your report.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 545 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score.
Most lenders offer FHA loans starting at a 580 credit score. If your score is 580 or higher, you need to pay only 3.5% down. Those with lower credit (500-579) may still qualify for an FHA loan. But you'd need to put at least 10% down, and it can be harder to find lenders that allow a 500 minimum credit score.
Although a 650 credit score is desirable for any loan, first time car loans may require a score of 680 or higher to waive any co-signer requirements.
The recommended credit score needed to buy a car is 660 and above. This will typically guarantee interest rates under 6%.
Credit cards and auto loans offer the best approval odds for someone with a 570 credit score. For example, people with credit scores below 580 take out roughly 12% of car loans versus only 6% of mortgages, according to 2017 Equifax data.
According to credit reporting agency Experian, more than 21% of auto loans in the fourth quarter of 2018 were extended to borrowers with subprime (501-600) or deep subprime (500 or below) credit scores. So, the answer is yes, you can buy a car with that credit score.
FICO Auto Score has several versions. Most auto lenders use FICO Auto Score 8, as the most widespread, or FICO Auto Score 9. It's the most recent and used by all three bureaus. FICO Auto Score ranges from 250 to 900, meaning your FICO score will differ from your FICO Auto Score.
544 Credit Score Loan & Credit Card Options
Credit cards and auto loans offer the best approval odds for someone with a 544 credit score. For example, people with credit scores below 580 take out roughly 12% of car loans versus only 6% of mortgages, according to 2017 Equifax data.
A 549 credit score puts you in the subprime range, which indicates that you're a high-risk borrower. You might be able to get a car loan with this score, but your pool of lenders will be small, and the interest rates will likely be in the double digits.
It's possible to get a car loan with a credit score of 500, but it'll cost you. People with credit scores of 500 or lower received an average rate of 13.97% for new-car loans and 20.67% for used-car loans in the second quarter of 2020, according to the Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market report.
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
Make Sure You Have Good Credit
Having a good credit score is essential if you want to get approved for an auto loan with decent terms. In general, a good FICO® Score☉ ranges from 670 to 739, and a higher score is even better. Auto lenders typically use the FICO 8 or FICO Auto Score models to determine your score.
Vehicles like the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota C-HR are excellent options for first-time car shoppers thanks to their affordable price tags and reliability. Toyota helps car buyers with limited credit purchase these vehicles with the Financing for Limited Credit Program.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 570 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score.
Financing a Used Car
Generally, it's easier to finance a new car than a used car. A key reason: It's less difficult for a lender to determine the value of a new car versus a used car.
The FICO® Score☉ , which is the most widely used scoring model, falls in a range that goes up to 850. The lowest credit score in this range is 300. But the reality is that almost nobody has a score that low. For the most part, a score below 580 is considered "bad credit." The average FICO® Score in the U.S. is 704.
“It's often possible to earn a higher credit score in 30 days or less,” says Grant, but don't expect your credit score to move from fair to excellent during that time. If you've had a major setback, it usually takes about one to two years to repair your credit, according to Weaver.