 TITLE: Can You Buy a Car With a Repossession on Your Credit Report? CONTENT: How Repossession Affects Your Credit Score\n------------------------------------------\nA repossession can stay on your credit report for up to seven years from the original delinquency date. And since your payment history is the most influential factor in your FICO® Score☉ , the missed payments leading up to your repossession will also have a significant negative impact on your credit score. Here are the different ways it can hurt you:\n*   **Late payments**: Before the lender seizes your vehicle, it'll report your initial late payments that can lead to a default and repossession.\n*   **Default**: A repossession is a sign that you didn't pay your debt as originally agreed, and once the lender reports that you defaulted, it can hurt your score even more than the late payments.\n*   **Collections**: In many cases, auto lenders don't send an auto loan to collections because they can seize the vehicle and sell it to collect the debt. However, if there's still a balance on your loan after the sale has been completed, the lender may send that portion of the debt to a collection agency if you can't pay it back. END