Man Plans To Buy 2026 Toyota. Then The Dealership Runs His Credit Report: 'How Many Months?'

A Toyota salesman believes buying a new car with poor credit and zero down payment is a great way to rebuild your credit. 

In a TikTok, Toyota salesman Andrew (@andrewtoyotanorthaustin) shares how he recently sold a 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross to a customer with a 550 credit score with no down payment. The TikTok has over 800 views as of this writing. 

“I just sold this [20]26 Toyota Corolla Cross. Five-fifty credit score with zero down. We can get y’all done. You don’t need a big down payment. You don’t need credit history. You can help rebuild your credit with an auto loan and refinance for a lower rate,” Andrew begins. 

The 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross he sold goes for $27,000 MSRP. The Toyota salesman mentions how the customer left the dealership with a monthly payment of $580.

“Five-fifty credit score with zero down. It’s a myth that you need a big down payment to buy a car,” he continues.

The Toyota salesman believes this strategy can help rebuild credit. 

“Didn’t need a down payment, zero money out of his pocket, and he gets a brand new, reliable car,” the salesman concludes. 

Commenters had questions about this car loan involving the lease term and interest APR. 

“At least 19.99% interest rate!” one TikTok commenter shared. 

“How many months?” another questioned

The Toyota salesman revealed it was a 72-month lease at 10%. 

“Yeah you are right. This customer was very lucky to get into a brand-new vehicle,” one added.

“That’s not bad at all!” another commented. 

What’s The Minimum Credit Score You Need To Buy A New Car?

While buying a car with poor credit can add more difficulty to the car-buying process, it’s not totally impossible. 

According to Experian, in Q3 of 2025, the average credit score for buyers of used cars was 691, and 754 for new cars. The new-car payment monthly average is around $750, with used-car payments being over $500, Motor1 reports. 

While credit lenders will prefer car buyers with a higher credit score, it’s not entirely necessary. 

BankRate reports that there isn’t an official minimum credit score to buy a car. However, lenders will have minimum standards for financing. 

“In general, you’ll need a FICO credit score of at least 661 to qualify for a traditional auto loan, although there are lenders that offer bad credit auto loans,” per Bankrate. 

With a lower credit score will come higher interest rates; it’s important to budget carefully because of this. 

If you have a credit score below 600, average APRs will range between 9.77% and 15.85% for a new car and 14.11% and 21.60% for a used car. This is a stark difference compared to someone with a superprime credit score (781–850), where the APR average is 4.88% for a new car and 7.43% for a used car.

Anyone with a score above 780 will get the best shot at getting the lowest interest rate, while typically people with a score lower than 501 will get much higher interest rates. 

Can Buying A Car Increase Your Credit?

The Toyota salesman suggests buying a new car can be a great way to build up your credit when it’s lower. 

According to NerdWallet, buying a car can indeed help build up your credit score. This is done by securing a car loan and having a credit mix and payment history. 

Credit mix refers to having both installment loans and revolving credit. Installment loans must have equal payments during a set period throughout the loan. Revolving credit involves having variable payments with no end date, just like credit cards. If you mostly have credit cards, setting a car loan into the mix can help with your credit score a little. 

With payment history, this will get built up when bills are paid on time. This will become a track record of showing you can hit your payment deadlines. This is the most important factor that impacts credit score compared to other factors, so it’s imperative to stay on top of payment. 

By making monthly payments and utilizing a credit mix, a car buyer can raise their credit when taking on an auto loan. 

Motor1 has contacted Andrew via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We will update the story if he responds.