Navy Federal Credit Union Auto Loan Review (2024 Rates) (2024)

All APR figures last updated on 7/14/2023 – please check partner site for latest details. Rate may vary based on credit score, credit history and loan term.

*Scores are out of 10.0 points per rating category.

Pros and cons

Year founded: 1933
Headquarters: Vienna, Va.
Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: Not rated

Navy Federal Credit Union was founded in 1933 by seven Navy Department employees. Since then, the financial institution has rapidly expanded and has over 12 million members nationwide.

NFCU membership is open to active-duty military members and veterans, as well as employees or retirees of the Department of Defense. Close family members may also become Navy Federal Credit Union members.

The company offers a range of financial products, including:

• Checking accounts
• Savings accounts
• Credit cards
• Personal loans
• Auto loans and refinancing

Members who are looking for new vehicles can participate in NFCU’s Car Buying Service. This feature can help you search for a new car, get personalized offers on local inventory and set up delivery for the vehicle you decide to purchase.

Loan amount: No minimum specified
Starting APR: 4.54%
Loan Term: Up to 96 months or 180 months for classic cars
Prepayment penalty: None
Application fee: None

Navy Federal Credit Union provides financing for new, used, and classic cars. Also, the company offers loans for alternative vehicles such as boats, motorcycles and RVs. As with most credit unions, borrowers who qualify for membership can apply to get an auto loan or refinancing.

Navy Federal Credit Union offers a preapproval process for auto loans, which may help you negotiate a better sales price with a dealership. During preapproval, the credit union will perform a hard credit check and ask for any necessary documents to provide you with a loan amount and term you may qualify for. Note that a hard credit check could temporarily lower your credit score.

New and Used Car Financing

Borrowers who are eligible to get a new or used car loan through Navy Federal Credit Union can generally expect to find low interest rates. Term lengths for auto loans range from one to eight years, though the lowest APRs are typically found with loan terms lasting fewer than five years.

There are no application or prepayment penalties for getting an auto loan for your new or used car. You can set up recurring payments for your car loan through the Navy Federal Credit Union mobile app or online banking. You also have the option to make additional payments when you want.

Refinancing a Car Loan

Refinancing your existing car loan can be a good idea if you’ve improved your credit score or interest rates are significantly lower than when you initially took out the loan. Navy Federal Credit Union offers refinance auto loans for your vehicle.

To refinance your car with Navy Federal, you must take out a loan that’s at least $5,000. Term limits and APRs for refinancing are the same as those for new and used auto loans.

Navy Federal Auto Loan Rates

Our research shows that the company offers competitive rates in the finance industry, with annual percentage rates (APRs) as low as 4.54% for new-vehicle loans. However, only borrowers with excellent credit will be eligible for the lowest rates.

Here are the latest auto loan rates for new and used vehicles from Navy Federal Credit Union:

*Rate range as of June 13, 2023 for both auto financing and refinancing loans.

Late model and used vehicles are defined as follows:

• Late model used cars: 2022-to-2024 vehicle models with 7,500 to 30,000 miles
• Used cars: 2021 or older vehicles or any model year vehicle with over 30,000 miles

The company can also finance classic and antique cars for up to 180 months. The lowest rates for 60 months and below is 7.45% and anything above those terms are subject to APRs of 9.8% and above.

To be eligible for a Navy Federal auto loan, you must be a member. This requires you to be an active military member or related family to the person in service. Otherwise, there’s no minimum credit score requirement or income requirements for financing a car with the lender.

Navy Federal Credit Union members can apply online for auto loan preapproval. However, members with poor credit scores should consider adding a co-signer to their application to increase their chances of being approved for the credit union’s loan products.

Navy Federal Credit Union members can complete their auto loan applications in four simple steps:

1. Enter your information. To begin the preapproval process, submit your application on the Navy Federal Credit Union website. You’ll provide your personal, employment and vehicle information. If you have a co-signer, enter their information as well.
2. Receive an update on your loan application. After submitting your information, you’ll receive a text or email on the status of your application. Auto loan decisions tend to be made within five minutes. If you need to provide more information for a decision, the credit union will let you know what documents you need to submit.
3. Receive your funds. Once you’re approved, you can pick your funds up at your nearest Navy Federal Credit Union branch or have them mailed to your home.
4. Send Navy Federal your vehicle title. Once you pay the seller or dealership, you’ll need to ensure Navy Federal Credit Union receives the title within 90 days of purchase.

Navy Federal Auto Loan Requirements

To apply, you’ll need:

• Your phone number and email address
• Current housing information
• Employment and income information
• Trade-in information (title or loan information, registration)
• Amount you expect to finance (including vehicle purchase price, taxes, tags, title and warranty)
• Term length of the loan you want

If you’re signing with a co-applicant, you’ll need to provide the same information above for them as well.

If you’ve already chosen the vehicle you want to purchase, you’ll also need to provide:

• The vehicle identification number (VIN)
• The state where you plan to register your vehicle
• The exact mileage reading
• The dealership or seller’s name

Navy Federal Credit Union has a strong reputation backed by customer reviews and industry studies. In the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Consumer Financing Study℠, Navy Federal Credit Union received a score of 908 out of a possible 1,000 points.

This gave the company the highest score for overall customer satisfaction among financial institutions that offer auto loans for mass-market vehicles. However, Navy Federal Credit Union didn’t formally rank in the study due to its eligibility requirements for membership.

On Trustpilot, the financial institution has an average customer rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.0 from over 19,000 reviews. On the site, 90% of reviews collectively give the company “Excellent” or “Great” ratings.

While reviews on Trustpilot are largely positive, Navy Federal’s customer reviews on the BBB are mixed. The lender is not rated by the BBB and has an average star rating of 1.4 out of 5.0 from just over 140 customers.

Our team reached out to Navy Federal Credit Union for a comment on these scores but did not receive a response.

Navy Federal Credit Union Consumer Survey

In November 2022, our Guides team surveyed 2,000 different loan recipients across the country. Of those 2,000, 4% favored Navy Federal Credit Union, making it the fourth most popular auto loan lender in the survey.

A Navy Federal Credit Union auto loan or auto refinance loan can be a good choice for those who qualify for membership. Credit union members can take advantage of low APRs and lengthy loan terms. If you’re not in the armed services or part of a military family, you’ll need to look elsewhere for a loan to finance your vehicle purchase.

Recommendations for Auto Loans

While Navy Federal Credit Union can be a solid choice for borrowers, its membership limits who can apply for an auto loan or refinancing. Shopping around for auto loan and refinance rates will allow you to find the best APR for your new or used vehicle. We recommend reaching out to myAutoloan and Auto Approve.

myAutoloan: Most Popular Marketplace

The myAutoloan marketplace lets borrowers compare auto loan and refinance rates from several providers. The company offers auto loans for new and used vehicles, refinancing and lease buyouts. For new auto loans, rates start as low as 5.39% for term lengths of 37 to 60 months. Used auto loan rates start at 5.49% for 37 to 60 months, while auto refinance rates can be found for as low as 4.01% for terms up to 36 months.

Within the finance industry, myAutoloan has a stellar reputation, earning an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB. The company also has an average customer rating of 4.1 stars out of 5.0 from reviewers on Trustpilot.

Keep reading: myAutoloan review

Auto Approve: Best Refinance Loan

While Auto Approve doesn’t offer auto loans for purchasing new or used vehicles, it’s built a reputation as a refinance car loan specialist. The company’s APRs start at 5.24% for refinancing, though only borrowers with high credit scores will have access to these rates. Auto Approve also offers a lease buyout option for people looking to purchase their leased vehicles.

Auto Approve has a strong reputation among industry organizations. The lender has an A+ rating from the BBB, where customers give it an average score of nearly 4.3 stars. Customers on Trustpilot also give the company high marks, with an average rating of 4.6 stars.

Keep reading: Auto Approve review

All APR figures last updated on 7/14/2023 – please check partner site for latest details. Rate may vary based on credit score, credit history and loan term.

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best auto loan companies. We collected data on dozens of loan providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Industry standing: Our research team considered ratings from industry experts and each lender’s years in business when giving this score.
• Rates and discounts: Auto loan providers with low APRs, good discount opportunities and high loan amounts scored highest in this category.
• Availability: Companies that cover a variety of circ*mstances are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Customer service: This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings and transparency. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each loan company’s customer service team based on our shopper analysis.

Our credentials:

• 300+ hours researched
• 25 companies reviewed
• 2,000+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.