Before discussing a car and a payment
A difficult credit history can affect whether finance is available and its cost. There is no guaranteed-approval route here. A lender considers your circumstances, credit record and affordability, not only the car you want.
Check your credit report for errors and challenge inaccurate information with the relevant agency or organisation. Prepare a realistic income-and-outgoings budget, including existing repayments. If you have recently been declined, read our next steps after a refusal before making repeated applications.
Use the imperfect-credit preparation guide for a fuller checklist. If payments are already difficult, consider free, impartial help from MoneyHelper before taking on more borrowing.
- Know what is accurate on your credit file.
- Choose a budget that includes your existing commitments.
- Understand which credit search a provider proposes before proceeding.
- Treat a callback as a discussion, not approval or an affordability assessment.
Can I get car finance with poor credit?
Poor credit does not produce the same answer for every applicant. The lender makes its own decision using the information it requires, including your commitments, income and credit history. Our team can discuss the next steps, but we cannot tell you from a keyword, score or short callback request that you will qualify.
If you need a car, first compare its total ownership costs with money left after essential commitments. Read how soft and hard credit searches differ before agreeing to later checks. Our callback form does not search your credit file; it is not a soft-search eligibility checker.
Begin with an affordable budget
A lender considers its own criteria and the information provided about your circumstances. A low credit score is not the only consideration, and a deposit does not guarantee approval. Any finance offered may cost more than the representative rate shown on the website.
Work out what remains after essential commitments and the running costs of a car. Do not increase your borrowing simply to match an advertised vehicle or monthly figure.
Prepare before another application
Check that the information you provide is accurate. If you have recently been declined, understand the reason where possible before making further applications. Our guides cover preparing with imperfect credit and what to do after a decline.
