A car loan is a monthly number. Work out yours before the dealer does.
Lenditia explains what financing a car really costs, how each kind of auto loan works, and what your state lets lenders and dealers do.
Lenditia is not a lender or a dealer. The figures below are estimates you control.
Your monthly payment
$561/mo
Interest over the loan:
$5,664. Amount financed:
$28,000.
60 mo at 7.5%
Where the money for a car comes from
All car loan pagesFinancing a purchase
- New car loans Average new-car rates by credit tier, promotional rates versus rebates, and the federal interest deduction.
- Used car loans Why used cars cost more to finance, the average rates by credit tier, and how to compare offers.
- Dealer financing How the dealer arranges your loan, the buy rate and markup, and how to compare its offer with your own.
- Credit union car loans Who can join, the 18% federal credit union rate ceiling, and how to compare a credit union offer.
- Private-party car loans How a loan for a car from a private seller works, how the seller is paid and how the title moves.
- Buy here pay here When the dealer is the lender: what it costs, tracking devices, collections and the options to try first.
- Electric vehicle loans Financing an EV after the federal credit ended: rates, the interest deduction and state incentives.
Refinancing and lease buyouts
- Auto refinance When a new loan saves money, what a longer term costs, and the steps from payoff quote to new title.
- Cash-out auto refinance How lenders size the cash, what it costs over the term, and why a bigger loan raises the risk.
- Lease buyout loans How the buyout price is set, what gets added on top, and when buying beats returning the car.
Every state writes its own car-loan rules
Rate ceilings on dealer contracts, limits on doc fees, sales tax on the car, and what happens when a payment is late all depend on where you buy. In 19 states, the law lets you catch up on missed payments and keep the car instead of losing it at the first default.
See the map of all 51
Right to cure
Texas:
No right to cure
Rate ceiling
18% on 2024+ models; about 21%–27% APR on older ones (2026 chart)
Doc fee limit
$225 unless the dealer files a cost analysis with the OCCC
After repossession
Notice before sale; you may redeem; deficiency allowed
If your credit or situation is unusual
- Bad credit car loans Average rates below a 600 score, what they cost on a $20,000 loan, and how to lower the price.
- First-time car buyers How lenders judge a short credit history, what a first car really costs, and the steps in order.
- No credit car loans Why you may have no score, how lenders decide without one, and what makes your offer better.
- Car loans after bankruptcy Keeping your car in Chapter 7 or 13, borrowing during and after a case, and what lenders charge.
- Cosigner car loans What a cosigner owes, the FTC notice they must get, and how to protect both signers.
The buying guide, in the order you need it
- 1 Get preapproved Prequalification vs preapproval, how rate shopping affects your credit, and how to use an offer.
- 2 Choose a loan term What 36 to 84 months does to your payment, total interest and equity, with a worked example.
- 3 Down payment Why cash down lowers your LTV, payment and interest, and how a trade-in counts toward it.
- 4 Understand APR APR vs interest rate, the finance charge on your contract, and how a dealer markup raises the APR.
- 5 Trade-in and negative equity Find your equity, see what rolling a $3,000 gap into a new loan costs, and check it on the contract.
- 6 Add-ons, GAP and service contracts What GAP and service contracts pay for, what they cost when financed, and how to decline or cancel.
- 7 Out-the-door price Every line from vehicle price to amount financed: doc fees, sales tax, add-ons and the trade-in.
- 8 Retail installment contract The disclosure box, the Holder Rule notice, spot delivery and arbitration clauses, and a signing checklist.
Behind on the payment?
The days after a missed payment matter most. Here is what lenders may do, in what order, and what you can still do about it.
- Behind on payments What a missed payment costs, what to ask your lender for, and when repossession becomes a risk.
- Repossession When the lender can take the car, what an agent may not do, and how to get it back.
- Deficiency balance How lenders compute what you owe after a repossession sale, and how to check or dispute it.
- Voluntary surrender Handing the car back saves some fees, but the debt and the credit damage can remain.
- Upside-down car loan Why you can owe more than the car is worth, what rolling it over costs, and your options.
- Yo-yo financing The dealer says your financing fell through after you drove away. What to check and what to refuse.
- Dealer complaints Which agency handles which problem, what records to gather, and when to consider small claims.
Car math
Recent rule changes
-
, rates
Federal Reserve data: bank new-car loan rates dipped in the second quarter of 2026 -
, state law
California's CARS Act takes effect -
, rates
Fed raises its target range to 3.75%–4.00%
Hear from auto lenders about this car
Describe the car and the loan in five answers. Lenditia sends your request to auto lenders, car dealers and loan brokers, who may contact you with financing options. Nothing is agreed until you sign a contract with one of them.
- 1 The car, the amount, your credit and ZIP code.
- 2 Your name, phone, email and consent to be contacted.
- 3 An auto lender, car dealer or loan broker may call, text or email you. Compare any offer by APR and total cost before you sign.
Sending a request costs you nothing. Lenditia is not a lender and is paid by the auto lenders, car dealers and loan brokers who receive requests; they set their own rates and terms. How we make money.