What is the credit score needed to buy a car?
The first step in preparing for any auto loan is to know your credit. When people ask “what’s your credit look like,” they are generally talking about your credit score – a three-digit number lenders use to assess your creditworthiness. This differs from your credit report, which is an in-depth file of your credit history. The information in a credit report is used to determine your credit score.
Lenders will look at both your credit report and credit score when evaluating your auto loan application. We recommend that you get your credit score before completing our online auto loan request form.
Credit Reports without Scores
As a US citizen, you’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the national reporting bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax – once every 12 months. To stay on top of your credit year-round, we recommend getting one report from one credit bureau every four months by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.
By doing this, you can ensure your reports are accurate and dispute any errors you may find. If you need help cleaning up your credit reports, signing up with a reputable credit repair company could help.
Credit Report with Scores
Believe it or not, you don’t have just one credit score. There are several companies that provide credit scores. FICO and VantageScore are the two most common, but most lenders use your FICO score when making a credit decision.
There are several ways you can view your credit score. For example, each of the three credit bureaus offers a service that gives you unlimited access to your score for a monthly fee.
Signing up with a credit monitoring service typically requires your credit card information. If any site offers a free trial to view your scores, know that you'll more than likely need to cancel the service following any trial period if you don't want to be charged for it.
If You Know Your Credit Score
If you’ve already received your credit score and are ready to find a local dealer to help you with your next vehicle purchase, CarPaymentsUnder.com wants to help. Simply select the credit score closest to yours below to view used cars and payment options.
If your credit score is less than 625, we recommend that you request an auto loan before shopping online for a used car. Our network of dealers has the lending resources to help people in many challenging credit situations.