There is required to buy a car, as lenders set their own criteria. However, most traditional lenders prefer to see at least 6 to 12 months of established credit history to offer competitive rates.

If your credit file is "thin" (less than 6 months old) or nonexistent, you have several options to secure approval: What Credit Score Range is Required to Buy a Car?

While you can technically finance a car with zero credit history, it often requires additional steps or leads to significantly higher costs.

According to Experian data from late 2025, the average credit scores for those who successfully financed a vehicle were: 753. Used Car Loan: 689.

Roughly 69% of financed cars went to borrowers with a score of 661 or higher . Financing with Short or No Credit History