We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. While we don't cover every company or financial product on
the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective
editorial perspectives.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us for advertisements that
appear on our site. This compensation helps us provide tools and services -
like free credit score access and monitoring. With the exception of
mortgage, home equity and other home-lending products or services, partner
compensation is one of several factors that may affect which products we
highlight and where they appear on our site. Other factors include your
credit profile, product availability and proprietary website methodologies.
However, these factors do not influence our editors' opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot
pay us to guarantee favorable reviews. Here is a list of our partners.
Can You Get a Preapproved Auto Loan With Bad Credit?
It’s possible to get preapproved with bad credit, although your options may be limited.
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising
partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or
click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our
evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and
here's how we make money.
Updated · 2 min read
How is this page expert verified?
NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and
relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and
editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.
Benjamin Din is a lead travel writer at NerdWallet. He previously was a technology reporter at Politico, where he authored a daily newsletter covering tech and telecom policy.
Benjamin loves to travel — both for work and for fun. He’s reported from three continents and visited more than 45 countries. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and The (Johannesburg) Star, as well as covered two Olympics with NBC Sports.
His goal is to visit a new country and a new state each year.
Dawnielle Robinson-Walker supported content creation across verticals at NerdWallet as an at large editor before landing on Home mortgages in 2024. She spent over 16 years teaching college creative writing and African-American literature courses, as well as writing and editing for various companies and online publications. Prior to joining NerdWallet, she was an editor at Hallmark Cards. A Kansas City, Missouri native, barbecue sauce runs through her veins — and she'll never bet against the Chiefs.
Editor & Content Strategist
SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED
This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on
NerdWallet. The information has been collected by NerdWallet and has not
been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
You can get a preapproved auto loan with bad credit, but you’ll need to spend time finding the right lender.
If you have bad credit, the pool of lenders available to you is smaller. Some lenders choose to have credit score minimums to reduce risk, meaning you have to meet a cutoff to be considered for a loan.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of options. For example, some lenders specialize in bad-credit auto loans with low minimum credit scores or no minimum at all. These loans also may have lower requirements for income or time on the job.
Regardless, people with bad credit get preapproved car loans every day.
Why you should get preapproved if you have bad credit
It’s important to get preapproved auto loan offers because people with bad credit generally have higher annual percentage rates on their loans compared with good credit borrowers.
Credit score
Average APR, new car
Average APR, used car
Superprime: 781-850.
4.88%.
7.43%.
Prime: 661-780.
6.51%.
9.65%.
Nonprime: 601-660.
9.77%.
14.11%.
Subprime: 501-600.
13.34%.
19.00%.
Deep subprime: 300-500.
15.85%.
21.60%.
Source: Experian Information Solutions, 3rd quarter 2025. Based on VantageScore credit scoring model.
The dealer may find you a loan — it is their business to find you a loan — but you’ll be presented with an interest rate, term and conditions you might feel pressured to accept. Dealerships make money off the loans they arrange and, within guidelines, can even increase the interest rate their lender partners offer you.
On the other hand, if you can bring a preapproved offer, the dealer will try its best to beat it. And if they can’t, you have the preapproved loan to fall back on.
In any case, you won’t leave the dealership waiting on a loan offer. And you’ll be able to shop and negotiate with more confidence.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account factors like maximum rates, variety of loan options, visibility of borrower requirements, accessibility, speed of funding, fees and more.
Best for applicants who want to compare multiple new car purchase loan offers.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account factors like maximum rates, variety of loan options, visibility of borrower requirements, accessibility, speed of funding, fees and more.
4.0
Est. APR:
Annual percentage rate (APR) represents the true cost of
borrowing money. It is your interest rate plus any loan fees,
and is expressed as a percentage.
Annual percentage rate (APR) represents the true cost of
borrowing money. It is your interest rate plus any loan fees,
and is expressed as a percentage.
6.24 - 29.90%
Term: 24 - 84 months
You will be redirected to the partner's website.
The terms presented here are estimated and provided solely to assist you
in finding a great lender. The terms may vary based on the partner's terms
and conditions.
You will be redirected to the partner's website
The terms presented here are estimated and provided solely to assist you in finding a great lender. The monthly payment amount, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), and any other terms are based on standard Consumers Credit Union rates and terms for your NerdWallet provided credit score, zip code, and the other self-provided information. These terms may vary based on your credit history, your individual income, or other terms of the lender.
Auto Credit Express
New car purchase loan
Not yet rated
Best for new-car buyers who can’t qualify for a lower-rate loan through a traditional lender and need help finding a dealer with subprime lending.
Min score: None
Amount: No min. - $100,000
Min. AmountNo min.
Max. Amount$100,000
Not yet rated
Est. APR:
Annual percentage rate (APR) represents the true cost of
borrowing money. It is your interest rate plus any loan fees,
and is expressed as a percentage.
Annual percentage rate (APR) represents the true cost of
borrowing money. It is your interest rate plus any loan fees,
and is expressed as a percentage.
N/A - N/A
Term: 24 - 84 months
You will be redirected to the partner's website.
The terms presented here are estimated and provided solely to assist you
in finding a great lender. The terms may vary based on the partner's terms
and conditions.
You will be redirected to the partner's website
The terms presented here are estimated and provided solely to assist you in finding a great lender. The monthly payment amount, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), and any other terms are based on standard Consumers Credit Union rates and terms for your NerdWallet provided credit score, zip code, and the other self-provided information. These terms may vary based on your credit history, your individual income, or other terms of the lender.
Before you do anything, check your credit score. You don’t want to discover you have bad credit in the dealer’s finance office.
You should also take a close look at your credit report, which you can use to identify strategies to build your credit. Consider delaying your auto purchase if need be.
If you are ready to shop for a loan, remember that getting preapproved differs from getting pre-qualified. Pre-qualification estimates a rate you are likely to receive based on limited financial information. You are not applying for a loan, just checking rates.
Preapproval means you have applied for credit and supplied personal information, such as your Social Security number and pay stubs. Lenders will typically conduct a hard credit inquiry at this stage. This gives them access to your full credit report, and they may ask questions about late payments or collections on your record. However, it could also cause a slight temporary dip in your credit score.
Where to find a preapproved bad credit auto loan
First, try getting preapproved at a credit union or bank you already use. Those institutions tend to offer lower rates than lenders that work primarily with people who have low credit scores.
Then, turn to online lenders that offer pre-qualification; they give you a preliminary approval and estimated rate. Choose the best offer, then apply. If approved, the lender will send you a preapproval letter or email with the information needed to use the loan.
It’s best to send out all your applications within a 14-day period, as credit scoring models will typically consider multiple hard inquiries within that time as a single inquiry.
If you’re unable to get preapproved, look for lenders that allow joint applications or co-signers with good credit. That person will be on the hook for your loan if you can’t pay it off.
Preapproved offers typically last for 30 to 60 days. You don’t have to use the loan if you get a better offer.
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary,
trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed
studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with
industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness
and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high
standards for journalism by reading our
editorial guidelines.
