Eligibility

Car finance with bad credit: a realistic guide

Realistic car finance guidance for people with a limited or difficult credit history, with no false guarantees.

Representative 19.9% APR. Credit broker, not a lender. Selected panel, not the whole market. The vehicle may be used as security.

‘Bad credit’ covers many situations. Lenders look at the full credit record, income, commitments, stability and vehicle—not only a score shown by an app.

How it works

Start with a soft-search process where available.
Provide complete income and expenditure details.
A lender may complete a hard search before a final decision.
Read the APR and total payable carefully.

What to check before you apply

Errors or old addresses on credit reports.
Affordability if costs rise.
The benefit of a lower vehicle price.
Recent missed payments and searches.

A realistic note

Guaranteed approval does not exist. A responsible broker should explain uncertainty and avoid encouraging unaffordable borrowing.

Frequently asked questions

What score do I need?

There is no universal score because lenders use their own models.

Does a soft search affect my score?

It is not visible to other lenders as an application search.

Can a deposit help?

It can reduce borrowing, but does not override lender criteria.

Important: We Do Car Finance is a credit-broking service operated by Sandhurst Associates Limited. We are not a lender. Finance is subject to status, affordability and lender criteria. Acceptance is never guaranteed.

Representative example

Representative 19.9% APR

A complete example for a Hire Purchase (HP) agreement. Your rate and payments may differ because they depend on your circumstances and the provider's assessment.

Agreement type: Hire Purchase (HP)
Cash price: £12,000.00
Deposit: £0.00
Amount of credit: £12,000.00
Interest rate: 18.29% p.a. fixed
Duration: 60 months
Repayments: 60 monthly payments
Each repayment: £306.60
Other charges: £0.00
Total charge for credit: £6,396.00
Total amount payable: £18,396.00
Representative APR: 19.9% APR

The vehicle may be used as security and could be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments. Finance is subject to status, affordability and provider criteria. There are no additional charges in this example. We are a credit broker, not a lender.

Take the next step

Ready to check your eligibility?

Start with no obligation. Where available, the initial check uses a soft search; a provider may use a hard search before a final decision.

Check my eligibility

Representative 19.9% APR. We are a credit broker, not a lender, and search a selected panel rather than the whole market. We do not charge you a fee. We may receive variable commission from a provider, which may affect the option we introduce. The vehicle may be used as security. How our service works.