Many consumers have experienced problems with late credit card payments and late mortgage payments. Those troubles frequently lead to bad credit scores or even bankruptcy. Even after the consumer has caught up on the payments, the resulting damage has been done and it becomes difficult to finance the purchase of a new or used car. The financial crisis in the banking industry has made lending very tight and more difficult.

Nevertheless, there are many lenders who specialize in second chance auto loans that cater to those with weaker credit profiles. As long as the borrower has a way to pay back the loan, bad credit car loan lenders can often work out the underwriting so that the borrower can get the car. Keep in mind that interest rates will often be much higher than those available to customers with good credit since the borrower is considered high risk.

Picking the Bad Credit Auto Lender

The first step is to get a free credit report and possibly a FICO score to figure out how bad the situation is. If the credit report is bad, eliminating prime lenders from consideration will save time and hassle.