For auto loans, lenders primarily use industry-specific FICO Auto Scores, particularly FICO Auto Score 8, which ranges from 250-900 and weighs past car payment history heavily, rather than the standard 300-850 FICO score, to better predict auto loan risk. While base FICO scores (like FICO 8 or 9) and VantageScore models can also be used, the specialized Auto Score gives a more tailored assessment for car financing.
Lenders can choose either FICO® or VantageScore® to evaluate car loan applicants. The most common choice is the industry-specific FICO Auto Score 8, which ranges from 250 to 900 (compared to 300 to 850 for the base FICO Score).
This specific score only determines your eligibility for buying a vehicle. Your Auto FICO Score differs from your generic FICO Score in that it is tailored towards your creditworthiness of purchasing an automobile. While your FICO Score ranges from 300 to 850, respectively, your Auto FICO Score ranges from 250 to 900.
Usually, higher scores mean lower interest rates on loans. According to Experian, a target credit score of 661 or above should get you a new-car loan with an annual percentage rate of around 6.51% or better, or a used-car loan around 9.65% or lower. Superprime: 781-850. 4.88%.
FICO offers many types of FICO® Scores to auto lenders. Some of the models that your lender might use include: FICO® Score 8 or 9: These are older generic FICO scoring models, meaning they weren't created for a specific type of lender. However, many lenders still use them, including some auto lenders.
Versions 8 and 9 of FICO scores are similar, but FICO Score 9 is generally considered the more forgiving of the two for a few reasons: With FICO 9, third-party collections no longer hurt your credit score once those debts are paid off. FICO 9 treats medical collections differently than other types of debt.
Pay your bills on time
Your payment history makes up 35% of your FICO® Score, so making sure that you pay your credit and bills on time is a big deal. Late payments on things like credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, or student loans can significantly impact your score.
Auto dealerships, including Toyota, typically use major credit bureaus like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to assess creditworthiness for car loans. These agencies provide credit scores and reports that lenders rely on to evaluate risk.
Dealers may use either Equifax or TransUnion, and many use Experian as well. The bureau used depends on the lender's internal policies, the region, and the type of financing requested. Some lenders pull multiple bureaus to get a more complete picture of an applicant's credit history.
Good FICO Auto Scores for Auto Loan Qualification
Lenders typically prefer borrowers with a credit score of 661 or higher. In addition to qualifying you for a loan, your FICO auto score can influence the interest rates that lenders offer you. A higher credit score will usually translate into a lower interest rate.
According to the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), the highest possible FICO® Credit Score is 850, and only 1.7% of the U.S. population has it (as of April 2023). When you know what your score means you can better plan for new credit options.
For most people, increasing a credit score by 100 points in a month isn't going to happen. But if you pay your bills on time, eliminate your consumer debt, don't run large balances on your cards and maintain a mix of both consumer and secured borrowing, an increase in your credit could happen within months.
How to Get a 700 Credit Score
The base FICO score falls between 300 and 850. On the other hand, FICO Auto Score ranges from 250 to 900. As you want to shop for financing to buy car or vehicle, there are some factors that will affect your payment. Buyers choose a car loan that lasts for five years or longer.
What actions you can take to boost your credit scores?
Preapproved offers for credit cards and personal loans typically don't impact your credit score, while mortgage and auto loan preapproval typically involve a hard inquiry, which affects your credit.
The best times to buy a car are the end of the year (especially December) for big discounts on outgoing models and hitting quotas, fall (Sept-Nov) to clear old inventory as new models arrive, end of the month/quarter for sales staff to meet goals, and specific holidays like Black Friday; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often better days due to fewer crowds, while late January offers good deals with less holiday shopping competition.
You're most likely familiar with their FICO score. FICO offers specific products and solutions for car dealers and auto loans. Their product is called Auto Score 8. As you can see here from FICO's promotional materials, Auto Score 8 is meant to help dealers assess credit risk and make approval decisions for auto loans.
Yes, you can likely get a $50,000 loan with a 700 credit score, as this falls into the "good" credit range (670-739) that unlocks better rates, but approval also hinges on your income, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio (ideally below 36%), and overall credit history, with lenders looking for stability and repayment ability, so prequalifying with multiple lenders helps compare terms.
How does my income affect my credit score? Your income doesn't directly impact your credit score, though how much money you make affects your ability to pay off your loans and debts, which in turn affects your credit score. "Creditworthiness" is often shown through a credit score.