Car loans are easier to get approved for than other, unsecured lines of credit because they are secured by the car you purchase. So, even with a bad credit history, its possible to get approved for a car loan. This article offers tips on getting approved for a car loan with a bad credit history:

Make a Down Payment

If you have a bad credit history, lenders are going to want to make sure that, even if you dont pay your loan, they can resale the car and get their money back. For this reason, its important that you take out a loan for less than the cars appraised amount. For example, if the car youre buying is worth $15,000, youll want to borrow less than that amount. Usually that means making a significant down payment. Making a down payment makes you less of a risk to a borrower, therefore improving your chances of being approved.

Use Online Search Engines

If the only place you search for a car loan is the car lot, then youre not going to know whether the rates theyre offering you are reasonable or not. Dealerships are notorious for telling people that they cannot get approved for a better loan because of their credit when, in reality, this is not true. Even with a bad credit history, on a secured loan you should be able to get a decent interest rate. Shop online before going to the car lot and get an idea of what type of loan you can get from other lenders.

Clean Up Your Credit

In the months before you apply for a car loan, make timely payment on your other credit accounts. Even if you just have a few months of timely payments prior to applying for an auto loan, it will look much better than applying for a loan with recent negative reporting from your other creditors. If you can prove that your bad credit history is a thing of the past, a lender is much more likely to approve your car loan.