The average credit score for a new car loan is , while the average for a used car loan is 689 , according to fourth-quarter 2025 data from NerdWallet . While there is no official minimum score to purchase a vehicle, lenders generally categorize borrowers into tiers that dictate available interest rates and loan terms. Average Financing Tiers (April 2026)

The vast majority of car buyers (roughly 69%) have a credit score of . Credit Tier Score Range New Car Avg. APR Used Car Avg. APR Super Prime Prime Nonprime Subprime Deep Subprime Sources: The Wall Street Journal and Bankrate Key Financing Benchmarks