Just one missed car payment puts you at risk of repossession, depending on the language of your contract and the laws of the state you live in. The best way to prevent a repossession from happening is to take action before you miss any payments.

If you fail to make your car payments, repossession is nearly unavoidable. But just because your vehicle gets repossessed doesn't mean you have to give up the fight. You have options for getting your car back after a repossession in Seattle, and we can tell you what they are.

Dealing with vehicle repossession in Los Angeles is especially tough if you already have bad credit. If your car's been taken because you didn't or couldn't make your payments, the good news is that you have a number of options available to get it back. States have different repossession laws, and not all of them offer as many options as California.

How much a voluntary repossession affects your credit depends on your specific credit situation at the time. Your credit score is going to drop whether you give up your car voluntarily or it's repossessed, but you may be able to prevent having to give your vehicle up if you take action early enough.

You can still buy a car if you have a repossession on your credit reports, but you may find it more difficult to get approved for an auto loan. While a repo stays on your credit reports for up to seven years, its impact lessens over time, and there are lenders out there that work with people that have dealt with repossession.

Your cosigner on an auto loan can help you stop a repossession by making payments if you're unable to. If your car is repossessed, both of your credit scores are going to drop and the missed payment(s) and repo is going to show up on both of your credit reports.

A repossession stays on your credit reports for up to seven years, regardless of whether it's been redeemed or not. In order to get a redeemed repossession off your credit reports, you need to wait or identity an error regarding the data that you can dispute with the credit bureaus.

If your car gets repossessed, you have three main ways of getting it back: reinstating the loan, redeeming the vehicle, or buying it back at auction. If it's allowed in your state, keep reading to find out how to reinstate an auto loan after repossession.

Getting an auto loan with bad credit and a repossession on your credit reports isn't always easy. Luckily, there are lenders out there who specialize in working with car buyers with less than perfect credit, and we can help you find them.

Trying to avoid repossession by hiding your car is like filling your gas tank with water to make it run – it doesn't work. The lender is going to find your vehicle, and the repo is going to cost you more if you try to do this. Instead of trying to hide your car, let's look at some actual options for avoiding repossession.