Bad Credit Car Finance

Yes. It is possible to get car finance even if you currently have poor credit. There is no legal minimum credit score, and no score below which lenders are required to decline you.

We work with a panel of lenders that includes specialists in bad credit car finance. They look at your wider circumstances, not just the number on your credit file. That means you could still be considered if you have:

• CCJs, defaults and IVAs - these stay on file for six years
• A debt management plan, a completed debt relief order or a discharged bankruptcy
• Missed or late payments on credit or household bills
• Mortgage or rent arrears
• A car finance application refused elsewhere
• Little or no credit history

Approval is not guaranteed. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender criteria.

Bad credit car finance is car finance for people whose credit history isn't perfect. It works in the same way as any other car finance agreement. You borrow money towards a car and pay it back in fixed monthly installments. The difference is that the lenders offering it are prepared to look at more than just your credit score.

There's no industry-wide minimum credit score for car finance in the UK, and no single definition of what counts as bad credit. Each credit reference agency uses its own scale, so your score can look different depending on where you check it.

That's why we work with a panel of lenders that includes specialists in this area. They look at more than the number on your credit file, taking a range of factors into account when they assess your application.

Below are the bands that Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion use to describe a poor or very poor credit score.

Correct as of September 2026.

If your score falls within one of these ranges, it doesn't automatically rule you out. It may mean a higher rate than someone with a stronger credit file, and a smaller choice of lenders. There are also steps you could take to gradually improve your credit score over time.

To apply for bad credit car finance, you'll need to:

• Be 18 years or over
• Have UK residency
• Have a regular income that means you can afford the repayments

Criteria does vary between lenders, however many of our lenders offer:

• Address history: no minimum UK address history needed with some of our lenders
• Borrowing: £1,000 to £35,000
• Agreement length: 24 to 60 months
• Deposit: no-deposit options available
• Driving licence: full UK, EU and provisional licences accepted
• Employment and income: all types considered, including self-employed and benefits, as long as your income is regular
• Credit history: applicants with bad credit or no credit history 
• Car age: no more than 15 years old at the end of your agreement
• Mileage: under 120,000 miles when your agreement starts
• Car history: it can't have been an insurance write-off

Criteria correct as of September 2026. Finance is subject to status and eligibility.

We're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our firm reference number is 653019, so you can look us up on the FCA register. We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office too, under Z1897658.

We've been doing this since 2006. In that time, we've helped more than 500,000 people find finance for a car - even those with bad credit.

We're a broker, not a lender. We don't lend the money ourselves. What we do is take your application to our panel of lenders and see what they could offer you.

There are a few types of car finance available with bad credit. At Car Finance 247 we work with lenders who offer Hire Purchase, Personal Contract Purchase and refinancing, subject to status.

Each spreads the cost over fixed monthly payments rather than paying for the car upfront.

Being declined doesn't necessarily mean you won't be approved in future. Lenders tend to turn down applications because of affordability, issues on your credit file, errors on your credit report, or too many recent applications.

For more detail, read our guide to what to do if you've been refused car finance.

Your credit score isn't fixed. It changes as your circumstances change, so a low score now doesn't have to stay that way.

There's no quick fix, and each credit reference agency scores you slightly differently, so your score may look better with one than another.

Here's what makes the biggest difference

Pay your bills on time
Payment history carries more weight than almost anything else. Direct debits are the simplest way to try and protect and improve it.

Get on the electoral roll
Lenders use it to confirm your address. It's free, and can be one of the quicker changes to show up.

Check your report for mistakes
A settled debt still showing as outstanding will drag your score down. Your report is free from all three agencies.

Keep some of your credit limit free
Using most of what's available could suggest to lenders you're stretched. Staying well under tells a lender the opposite.

Space out your applications
Several applications that involve a hard credit search close together leave a mark. Look for lenders who run a soft search first.

Check your financial links
A joint account links your file to someone else's. Ask the agency to break the link if it's out of date.

If you’d like to go into more detail, our comprehensive guide on how to boost your credit score is available.

If you're struggling with debt, free and confidential help is available. MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline all offer impartial advice and are there to help you understand your options before taking on new credit.