Can I negotiate a car loan interest rate with the dealer? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2024)

FAQs

Can I negotiate a car loan interest rate with the dealer? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? ›

Yes, just like the price of the vehicle, the interest rate is negotiable. Dealers may not offer you the lowest rate that you qualify for. To get the best interest rate, shop around with multiple lenders and negotiate.

Yes – a loan term can result in thousands of dollars in savings over the life of a loan. Getting a lower rate could potentially lead to you paying out more at the end of the term if the loan is longer than a shorter-term loan with a slightly higher rate.

Buying Down the Interest Rate

To induce a lender to accept the loans, the dealer "buys down" the interest rate by making an additional payment to the lender. To calculate this buy-down amount, check the loan and compute the dealer reserve using the Present Value method.

Make sure the financing is final before you take the car home. A clause in many contracts allows the dealer to renegotiate the deal after you drive the car off the lot.

Each lender will offer somewhat different rates on the same type of loan. Even a couple of percentage points can make a big difference in how high your money payment will be, so be sure to ask around. Negotiate mortgage rate and fees with desired lender.

The law says that lenders cannot charge more than 16 percent interest rate on loans. Unfortunately, some lending companies owned by or affiliated with vehicle makers have devised schemes whereby you are charged interest at rates exceeding the maximum permitted by law. This is called usury.

Dealers make money off in-house financing because they mark up your offered rate. For example, if you could qualify for a loan at 7 percent through a bank, you may receive an offer of 9 percent through dealership financing.

Loan Markup? Dealers make a commission known as the “dealer reserve” or “finance reserve” for arranging an auto loan for a car buyer. The dealer adds 1-2% to the bank's interest rate, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Dealers have no obligation to tell you how much they're marking your loan up by.

A down payment helps many lenders remove some of the upfront risk associated with a car loan. So if you decide to buy a car with no money down, realize you may have to pay a higher interest rate throughout your loan. It can also mean you may pay more for your loan over time due to those higher rates.

Are you offered a better interest rate at the bank or car dealership? ›

Even if you think you may use dealer financing, starting with preapproval from a bank, credit union or online lender helps you squeeze the most out of your auto loan. Outside lenders are often able to offer more competitive interest rates than dealerships and don't need to mark up their rates to turn a profit.

As recently as December 2023, the futures market gave March 2024 rate cuts a 77% probability of occurring. Even Fed officials themselves are predicting lower rates soon, with 17 of 19 projecting that the funds rate will be lower at the end of 2024 than it is now.

Although a driver's rates depend on several factors — including a borrower's credit history, term length, vehicle type and more — increased inflation means higher interest rates for drivers even with perfect credit.

Yes, just like the price of the vehicle, the interest rate is negotiable. Dealers may not offer you the lowest rate that you qualify for.

The direct step to a lower interest on credit cards is to call the card company and ask for a lower rate. However, no call should be placed to a card company without ready information about the account, your credit history and even competing offers from other card companies. When calling, don't be nervous.

Renegotiate the terms of your loan

Call your lender to negotiate a new plan. They may be willing to help if you have a history of on-time loan payments. The lender may offer a forbearance or defer payments for a brief time, or they may offer options such as a lower interest rate or longer payment terms.

What is a good APR for a car loan with my credit score and desired vehicle? If you have excellent credit (750 or higher), the average auto loan rates are 5.07% for a new car and 5.32% for a used car. If you have good credit (700-749), the average auto loan rates are 6.02% for a new car and 6.27% for a used car.

The amount dealerships are willing to offer can be taken off the top of your car loan financing. It's generally a good idea to open a separate negotiation after a deal has been made on the new or pre-owned vehicle.