First-Time Car Buyers
Fresh Start Finance Program
No Credit Isn’t Bad Credit. It’s a Starting Point.
Buying your first car with little or no credit history? Lenders can’t read a file that’s empty, so they look at what you can show them instead. Answer a few questions, pick the dealership closest to you, and its finance team walks you through the rest.
- No credit yetA starting point, not a strike
- Lenders decideBanks, credit unions and auto finance companies
- ITINWelcome to apply
- 14 dealershipsLongview, Moses Lake, Yakima, Auburn and Washougal
No credit and bad credit aren’t the same thing
Bad credit is a record of problems a lender has to weigh: late payments, collections, a repossession. No credit is a short record, or none at all, which is where everyone starts. A thin file doesn’t count against you the way missed payments do. It just gives a lender less to read.
So lenders look harder at what you can show them. The CFPB lists what goes into an auto lender’s decision besides a score: what you earn and owe, how much you borrow, your down payment next to the vehicle’s value, and whether the vehicle is new or used.
Your first car loan in six steps
Pull your credit reports
They’re free at AnnualCreditReport.com. A short file can still carry someone else’s account or a typo, and it’s easier to fix before you apply.
Price insurance before the car
Washington requires liability insurance to drive (RCW 46.30.020), and a lender may also want coverage for damage to the vehicle. A quote now keeps the surprise out of your budget.
Answer the quiz
Tell us it’s your first car and pick the dealership closest to you. Its finance team gets in touch to go over what lenders tend to ask first-time buyers for.
Gather your papers
Pay stubs or benefit letters, proof of address and your license. ITIN holders are welcome to apply.
Let the finance team send your application
With your OK, it goes to outside lenders that consider buyers with little or no credit history. Each lender decides whether to approve and on what terms.
Choose a vehicle that fits
If a lender approves, pick from vehicles inside the budget it sets. Used vehicles under $20,000 is a good place to start.
Lenders make every credit decision, and no approval is guaranteed.
What helps a first-time application
Things you can show
- Income you can document: pay stubs, benefit award letters, or tax returns and 1099s if you work for yourself
- Time at your job and at your address
- Cash or a trade toward the vehicle
Under Regulation B, a lender can’t discount part-time, pension or benefit income because of where it comes from. The lender still decides how much of it counts.
First-time buyers at our dealerships
15,300+ five-star Google reviews across our 14 dealerships
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“As a first time car buyer I feel that every step of the process was explained fully and any questions answered in a way that I could understand.”
ashlee z., Bud Clary Ford, Longview, Google review, August 2024
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“Kevin talked me through the anxiety that comes with buying a first car and the all the staff was wonderful.”
marjorie d., Bud Clary Auburn Volkswagen, Google review, May 2022
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“As a first time buyer Jesse was very low pressure and made my first experience a great one!”
Vanesa M., Bud Clary Toyota of Yakima, Google review, November 2024
Sentences from 5-star Google reviews, quoted as written. Every buyer’s credit is different, and lenders make every credit decision.
Words you’ll hear
- Credit report: the record of your borrowing and bill payments that the credit bureaus keep.
- Credit score: a number calculated from that report. With a short history, you may not have one yet.
- Hard inquiry: the credit check a lender runs when you apply. Auto loan checks within 14 to 45 days of each other generally count as one.
- Co-signer: a second signer with established credit who owes the debt if you don’t pay.
- Down payment: cash, a trade’s value or both, paid toward the vehicle up front. In the CFPB’s words, the more you put down, the less you need to borrow.
Will a first car loan show up on my credit report?
It will if the lender reports it to the credit bureaus. Your payment history on the loan then shows on your reports, on-time and late payments alike. Ask the lender whether it reports before you sign, and set up automatic payments if you can.
Budget for more than the loan
Insurance, registration and tabs, fuel and upkeep all come with a first car. Every used vehicle our dealerships sell includes the first two oil changes and two tire rotations free (tire rotations only on an electric vehicle), a 137-point inspection, a 3-month / 3,000-mile limited warranty, a free CARFAX report and a 3-day / 300-mile exchange.
If the used vehicle you want is at one of our other stores, we’ll move it to the one nearest you at no charge, as soon as the same day.
Every dealership has its own first-time buyer page
Each one covers that store’s address, hours and what to bring. Pick the store closest to you.
Moses Lake
Auburn
Yakima and Washougal
Bud Clary Toyota of Yakima is in Union Gap. Westlie Ford keeps its own name.
Questions people ask
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Can I get a car loan with no credit history?
You can apply. With little history to read, lenders lean on your income, your job and address history, what you put toward the vehicle and, if you have one, a co-signer. Each lender decides, and no approval is guaranteed. -
Is no credit worse than bad credit?
They’re different. Bad credit is a record of problems; no credit is a short record. Lenders read the two differently, and each lender sets its own rules. -
Do first-time car buyers need a co-signer?
Not to apply. A co-signer with established credit can help a thin file, but they owe the debt if you don’t pay (FTC), so talk it through first. -
What do I need to buy my first car?
A driver’s license, proof of income, proof of address and insurance before you drive away. Lenders may ask for more, so the dealership’s finance team will tell you what to bring. -
Does applying for my first car loan hurt my credit?
A lender’s credit check can move a score a little, but auto loan checks within the same 14 to 45 days generally count as a single inquiry (CFPB). Apply when you’re ready to buy. -
Is there a first-time car buyer program at Bud Clary?
Our Fresh Start Finance Program covers first-time buyers: the dealership’s finance team sends your application to outside lenders that consider buyers with little or no credit history. Some of the brands we sell also run college graduate programs on new vehicles; where a dealership has one, its first-time buyer page links it.
Ready for your first car?
Take the quiz at the top of this page, or open a dealership’s credit application from the Finance Centers page.
About the author
Written by Dustin Schuler, Marketing Director, Bud Clary Auto Group. Reviewed October 2026. About Dustin