Only a lender can tell you how big of a car loan you can get approved for because of the way the bad credit auto loan process works. When you need a car loan with bad credit, you typically need to visit a dealership that's signed up with subprime lenders in order to get approved. They'll look over your application carefully and evaluate many different factors which affect how much of a car loan you can get. The three biggest factors bad credit lenders use when qualifying you and setting your loan amount are your credit, income, and debt to income ratio: Credit: Your credit score decides which loan tier or program you're able to qualify for, which determines the interest rate range, maximum loan amount, and maximum monthly payment you can take on. Income: Subprime lenders typically require borrowers to make a minimum of $1,500 to $2,000 a month before taxes. How much you make influences what you qualify for. Debt to income ratio: These lenders look at your disposable income using the debt to income ratio, which is found by dividing your monthly bills by your pre-tax monthly income. This gives lenders a better idea of what you can afford and influences the loan amount and monthly payment you qualify for. Our Car Loan Estimator can give you an estimate for how big of a car loan you can get approved for based on these factors. However, the only way to truly learn how much of a car loan you can get is to apply with a subprime lender so they can evaluate these factors and determine which program or tier you qualify for.