Fresh Start
Life happens. We make it easy to get back on track.
A repossession, a turn-down at another dealer or plain bad credit: how our finance office works through each of them.
Fresh Start Finance Program
No Credit Isn't Bad Credit. It's a Starting Point.
Looking into a first time buyer car loan in Moses Lake with hardly any credit history? When there's little to score, a lender turns to what you can prove on paper.
A thin file is not a bad file
Bad credit is a record with missed or late payments on it. No credit is a record with almost nothing on it at all, which is normal if you've never borrowed, just moved to Grant County or always paid cash. An empty file holds no black marks. It's just short on pages.
So a lender leans harder on the paperwork you bring. Beyond any score, the CFPB's list covers your paycheck and your bills, the amount you want to borrow, how your down payment stacks up against the vehicle's value, and the new-or-used question.
Six moves toward your first car loan
- Look over your credit reportsThey're free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and the FTC says each nationwide bureau lets you check once a week. A short file can still hold an account that was never yours.
- Get an insurance quote earlyWashington won't let you drive without liability coverage (RCW 46.30.020). Your lender may want more than that, covering damage to the vehicle too, so price it before you fall for a particular car.
- Tell us it's your firstTake the quiz or call (509) 765-4551. Our finance office explains what lenders usually ask a first-time buyer to show.
- Gather your papersYour license, proof of income and proof of address. The full checklist sits near the bottom of this page.
- We pass your application alongWith your say-so, it goes out to lenders that take on first-time buyers. Each one reaches its own answer on approval and terms.
- Pick something that fitsOnce a lender approves, shop within the budget it gives you. Our used inventory can be sorted by price, low to high.
Every credit decision is the lender's alone, and approval isn't guaranteed.
What strengthens a first application
- Paper proof of what you earn: W-2 pay stubs, a letter showing your benefit amount, or your tax return with its 1099s if nobody else signs your checks. Regulation B keeps a lender from discounting part-time or benefit income for where it comes from, though the lender still sets how much of it counts.
- Steady time at one job and one address
- Money or a trade-in toward the price, since a bigger down payment leaves a smaller amount to finance (CFPB)
- Someone with a seasoned credit record who offers to co-sign. They're on the hook for the debt if you miss payments (FTC), so have that conversation early.
- A sticker price that still leaves room for insurance
Finance words in plain English
| Term | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Credit report | Your borrowing and bill-paying track record, kept by the credit bureaus. Check yours at no cost at AnnualCreditReport.com. |
| Credit score | A number worked out from what's in your report. A brand-new file may not produce one yet. |
| Hard inquiry | The credit pull a lender makes once you apply. Pulls from auto lenders that cluster within 14 to 45 days usually register as one (CFPB). |
| Co-signer | Someone with established credit who signs beside you and owes the balance if you stop paying (FTC). |
| Down payment | Cash, trade-in value or a mix of both, paid toward the vehicle at the start so you borrow less (CFPB). |
What first-time buyers say
★★★★★600+ five-star Google reviewsRead our Google reviews for Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake
“Michael helped me purchase my first car and was very knowledgeable, overall great conversationalist and not overly pushy!”
Vanessa L., Google review, April 2025
“I got my first car in 2017 at Bud Clary and then this year 2021 I went and bought myself another car. Martina made sure we were taken care of the whole step of the way and was super friendly!”
Maricela S., Google review, February 2021
“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
Excerpts from 5-star Google reviews, quoted as written. Every buyer's credit is different, and lenders make every credit decision.
Does your first loan land on your credit report?
Only if the lender reports to the credit bureaus. When it does, every payment is recorded, the late ones right alongside the on-time ones. Find out whether yours reports while you're still at the signing table, and put the payment on autopay so a due date can't slip past you.
Budget for more than the payment
A first car brings insurance, registration and tabs, fuel and maintenance along with it. Buy used from us and the first pair of oil changes plus the first pair of tire rotations are on the house (just the rotations on an electric car). The vehicle will have passed our 137-point inspection, and it comes with a free CARFAX history, our limited warranty (3 months or 3,000 miles) and 3 days or 300 miles to swap it for another.
Spot the right used vehicle at a different Bud Clary store? We can bring it over to Moses Lake at no charge, sometimes the very same day.
More from the Fresh Start Finance Program
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy doesn't have to mean no car.
Grant County cases go through the Eastern District of Washington. See what lenders ask for once a Chapter 7 is discharged or while a Chapter 13 is open.
Your first-car checklist for South Pioneer Way
Lenders don't all want the same documents, so a quick call first saves guesswork about yours.
- Your driver's license
- Your Social Security number or ITIN
- Recent pay stubs or a benefits letter, or last year's return and 1099s for self-employment
- Mail or a lease with your current address on it
- Proof of insurance, or your agent's phone number
- Phone and address details for your co-signer, if someone is signing with you
Your first car starts here
Use the quiz above, fill out the full credit application, or phone (509) 765-4551 and ask our finance office anything.
Visit Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake
Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake1140 South Pioneer Way
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Sales
- Mon - Sat
- 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sunday
- 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Service
- Mon - Fri
- 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
Frequently asked questions
Can someone with zero credit history apply for a car loan?
Yes. With so little history to read, lenders focus on your income, your time at work and at home, the money you put toward the vehicle and whether anyone is co-signing. Each lender makes its own call, and approval isn't guaranteed.
Is having no credit worse than having bad credit?
They aren't the same thing. Bad credit records problems; no credit records very little. A lender may read one file quite differently from the other, using rules it sets for itself.
Will I need someone to co-sign my first car loan?
No, nobody has to sign with you for you to apply. A co-signer can lend weight to a short file, but that person owes the debt if you stop paying (FTC).
How much should I have saved before buying my first car?
No set figure applies. Plan for the price, taxes and fees, insurance and registration, plus any cash you put down, and remember that more down means a smaller loan. Our finance office can walk through the numbers with you.
What score do I need for a first car loan?
There isn't one cutoff, and you might not even have a score yet. Every lender sets its own bar and also looks at income, existing debts, loan size and the vehicle (CFPB).
Does comparing first-car loans hurt my credit?
A credit pull can lower a score slightly, but auto loan pulls bunched inside 14 to 45 days are generally counted once (CFPB). Apply when you're ready to buy.
Does Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake have a first-time buyer program?
First-time buyers are part of our Fresh Start Finance Program. Our finance office matches your application with lenders that work with short credit files, and the lender decides.
Related pages
The Fresh Start Finance Program is Bud Clary Ford of Moses Lake's name for how our finance team handles applications from buyers with bad credit, no credit or a past bankruptcy. Financing comes from outside lenders, which decide approval and terms, and approval isn't guaranteed. A negotiable documentary service fee of up to $200 may be added to the sale price.