Zuto is a credit broker, not a lender. Our rates start from 9.9% APR. The rate you are offered will depend on your individual circumstances. Representative Example: Borrowing £7,000 over 48 months with a representative APR of 19.3%, the amount payable would be £205 a month, with a total cost of credit of £2,831 and a total amount payable of £9,831.
Bad credit car finance allows you to buy a car on finance even if you have a low credit score. Instead of paying for a car with your own money, you can pay using a loan from a finance company, and repay the amount borrowed in affordable monthly instalments (plus any interest).
At Zuto, we can help you apply for car finance, bad credit history included. If approved, we can guide you through the process step-by-step, to ensure you get the car you want, no matter your credit situation.
Something to keep in mind when you apply for car finance with bad credit is that you might find that the APR rates you’re offered are higher than those offered to customers with a better credit score.
Read on to discover how you can apply for bad credit car finance.
There are three types of car finance available online, even if you have a poor credit score:
HP car finance has regular monthly repayments, is secured against the vehicle, and means you own the car at the end of the term.
PCP car finance has regular monthly repayments, is secured against the vehicle, and gives you the option to purchase the car at the end of the term (you only pay the depreciation).
Personal loans have regular monthly repayments which are not secured against the car, but you will own the car from day one.
There are a number of reasons why you may have a poor credit history: defaulting on a previous loan or being declared bankrupt are a couple of the more common reasons. While this can make getting car finance more difficult, some of the lenders we work with specialise in providing flexible options.
This is how you can apply for car finance with bad credit today:
Our team has over 15 years’ experience in helping drivers find the right car finance for bad credit, and accept applications for people with defaults, County Court Judgments (CCJs), Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs), mortgage arrears, or late payments on their credit history.
By getting to know you and your financial situation, we can search our panel of lenders to try to find a car finance deal which suits you and your personal circumstances. Why not try our finance calculator below to see how much you could borrow?
Understanding how applying for car finance affects your credit score, why you may have been refused finance in the past, and what you can do to improve your credit score moving forward should all help in improving your chances of being approved for car finance.
You can also find more information in our guide: Impact to credit scores when applying for car finance.
Will applying affect my credit score?
With Zuto, you can apply for car finance online without impacting your credit score.
After completing your application, we’ll approach our panel of lenders to find the options available based on your personal circumstances.
If you proceed, we will need to perform a hard search, which will impact your credit score, but we will always ask for your consent beforehand.
Why have I been refused car finance before?
If you’ve been refused car finance before, it might be because you:
We go into this in more detail in our guide: what should I do if I’ve been refused car finance before.
How can I improve my credit score?
There are some simple ways you can try to improve your credit score:
If you haven’t already, you can check your credit score and report, for free, with our trusted partner ClearScore.
What’s the difference between a ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ credit check?
A soft credit check is an initial look at certain information on your credit report. Lenders do this to decide how successful your car finance application would be without conducting a full, more detailed, assessment of your credit history.
Only you can see a soft search on your credit report; soft searches aren’t visible to lenders, so they have no impact on your credit score, or any future credit applications you might make.
A hard credit check happens when a lender conducts a full, more detailed, search of your credit report. Each hard search is recorded on your credit report, so any lender searching in the future will be able to see that you’ve applied for credit.
The more credit applications you make in a short space of time, which result in a hard search, the greater the impact on your credit score and likelihood of getting credit in the future.
A selection of reviews from customers who we've helped get car finance with bad credit.
Find out what our customers are asking when it comes to applying for car finance with bad credit.
Can I get car finance with a CCJ?
Yes, you can get car finance with a County Court Judgment (CCJ), but it can make being approved harder. Zuto works with a large panel of lenders who can help you if you have a lower credit score.
Find out more in our guide: Can I get car finance with a CCJ?.
Can I get car finance with an IVA?
You might be able to get car finance with an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), but it does make it more difficult.
It isn’t impossible, though. At Zuto we work with a large panel of lenders who specialise in providing poor credit car finance .
Discover more information about IVA car finance.
Can I get car finance if I’ve been made bankrupt?
If your bankruptcy has ended and you’ve been discharged, you can apply for car finance again.
We recommend you wait 12 months to try to build up your credit score again – you can find more help and advice in our car finance bankruptcy guide.
Can I get car finance if I have a default?
You can apply for bad credit car finance if you have a default, but your chances of being approved are likely to be lower due to the default itself impacting your credit score.
Discover more information about applying for car finance with a default.
Can I get car finance with poor credit?
Car finance depends on your personal circumstances. With over 15 years’ experience, we’ve helped thousands of customers find bad credit finance and a car deal that works for them.
You can apply for car finance with Zuto without impacting your credit score. We’ll then approach our lenders and share the options with you. If you decide to proceed, we’ll perform a ‘hard search’ which is when your credit score could be affected.
What credit score is too low for a car loan?
There is no set limit for car loans – it depends on your personal circumstances.
You can apply for bad credit car finance with Zuto without affecting your credit score; if you’re eligible for car finance, you can then proceed and we’ll carry out a ‘hard search’ which can affect your credit score.
Is it hard to get accepted for car finance?
In general, you are more likely to be accepted for car finance if you have a good credit score.
It can be more difficult if you have a poor or bad credit score, but, as a broker, Zuto is able to help find potential options for you by searching our large panel of lenders.
Find out more about car finance eligibility.
Can I get guaranteed car finance with bad credit?
Unfortunately, we can’t offer guaranteed car finance for bad credit. This is because we need to run a credit search to determine whether you can afford to make the monthly repayments. However, if you’re unsure whether you’ll be eligible, feel free to apply and we’ll conduct a soft search, which doesn’t impact your credit score, to give you an idea of whether you’ll be accepted by one of our lenders.
