Circumstances
Car Finance with a CCJ
A County Court Judgement doesn't rule out car finance. It does narrow your options and push up the rate. Here's what you're working with.
A CCJ stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date of judgement.
Mainstream lenders will typically decline you during that window. Specialist lenders will consider you, but expect 15-30% APR versus the 4.1% bank loan benchmark.
Satisfied vs unsatisfied: it matters
An unsatisfied CCJ means the debt hasn't been paid. A satisfied CCJ means you've settled it. Lenders treat these very differently.
If you paid the CCJ within one month of the judgement, it's removed from the register entirely. If you paid it later, it stays on your file for the full 6 years, but it's marked as satisfied. That distinction is visible to every lender who searches your file.
Pay the CCJ off if you can. It's still a black mark, but it's a resolved one. Lenders look more favourably on someone who settled a debt than someone who's still ignoring it.
Which lenders will consider you
Moneybarn
Rep APR 30.7%
Largest UK specialist lender. Will consider CCJs. Rates are high — check the total cost, not just the monthly payment.
Startline Motor Finance
Near-prime lender
Sits between prime and subprime. Worth trying before going straight to the high-rate lenders.
Go Car Credit
Specialist lender
Takes a broader view of affordability. Uses Open Banking to assess income alongside the credit file.
The 3-year threshold
Time softens the impact. If your CCJ is over 3 years old and satisfied, some near-prime lenders will consider you. A few mainstream lenders will too, though you won't get their headline rates.
Fresh CCJ under 12 months old? You're looking at specialist lenders only, and you'll pay for it. A CCJ from 4 years ago, fully paid? The picture is meaningfully different.
What it actually costs
On a £10,000 car over 4 years:
Bank loan (4.1% APR)
£226/month
Total interest: ~£840
Near-prime (~15% APR)
£278/month
Total interest: ~£3,350
Specialist (~30% APR)
£340/month
Total interest: ~£6,300
Before you apply
A few things worth doing first:
- Get your settlement figure. If the CCJ is unpaid, pay it off before applying. It won't improve your score overnight, but it removes the worst flag.
- Check all three credit reports. ClearScore (Equifax), Credit Karma (TransUnion), MSE Credit Club (Experian). All free. Sometimes a CCJ appears on one file and not another.
- Save a bigger deposit. 20% down reduces the loan-to-value ratio. That reduces lender risk, which can bring the APR down.
- Try a near-prime broker before a high-rate specialist. Startline and similar lenders sit between the two worlds. You might qualify.
The bottom line
A CCJ makes car finance harder and more expensive. It doesn't make it impossible. A satisfied CCJ over 3 years old leaves you in a better position than most people with a CCJ assume. Get the detail right, compare the total cost, and don't accept 30% APR without checking whether 15% is available first.
Related
Sources
- Bank of England IADB series IUMBV48: 4.1% avg personal loan rate, March 2026
- Registry Trust: CCJ registration and satisfaction rules, England & Wales
- Moneybarn representative APR: scraped from moneybarn.com, April 2026
- ICO / Experian: 6-year retention period for CCJs on credit files