Title Loans for Older Cars: No Age Limit

Can Older Cars Be Used for Title Loans?

Yes. An older car, truck, or SUV can still be used for a title loan if it has enough value and available equity.

Age and mileage matter, but they are only part of the valuation. We also look at the vehicle’s condition, make, model, market demand, and your ability to repay.⁵

Editorial Disclosure: 5 Star Car Title Loans™ is a licensed direct lender, NMLS ID 2253575. This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Your loan approval, amount, APR and terms depend on your state’s law, your car and your income.

How Much Can You Get for a High-Mileage Car?

Our median funded loan amounts by mileage, for loans funded from January 2024 to December 2025, show how much approved borrowers received:

• Under 150,000 miles: $3,515
• 150,000+ miles: $2,093
• 200,000+ miles: $1,725

Of course, every case is different, but our numbers show that even a vehicle with very high mileage may still have enough value to secure a loan of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.⁶

How Is That Possible?

Older vehicles can still qualify because we focus more on the vehicle’s current value and available equity than on age alone. The main question we ask is: How much is your car worth today?

So even if you have bad credit and drive an older or classic vehicle, it may still qualify as collateral.⁶

Which Older Models Do We Fund Most?

Our most funded older vehicles are everyday trucks, SUVs and sedans.

Disclaimer: Our loans on these models when they were 15 or more years old, funded January 2024 to December 2025. Median means half the loans were larger and half smaller. Your amount will differ. Your model does not need to be on this list to qualify.

How Old Is Too Old for a Title Loan?

There is no age limit for a title loan with us. We have funded cars 15, 20 and even more than 30 years old, as long as they still hold enough value.

How Old Are the Cars on the Road Now?

Americans are keeping their cars longer. According to S&P Global Mobility, the average age of a U.S. car or light truck reached 12.8 years in 2025.

That means older vehicles now make up a large share of the cars on the road, and many may still have enough value to be used as collateral for a title loan.

How Much Do We Lend on Cars of Each Age?

The older the car, the smaller the typical loan. One group breaks the pattern. Cars over 25 years old are only 62 loans and include some classics, so their median loan is higher than for cars 21 to 25 years old.

Disclaimer: Miles are rounded to the nearest thousand. Based on our funded car title loans in California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia from January 2024 to December 2025. Your amount will differ.⁶

Do Other Title Lenders Have Age Limits?

Some do. Older cars are often worth less, may have lower resale demand, and can be more likely to lose value or develop mechanical problems during the loan term.

For that reason, some title lenders set vehicle age limits to reduce the risk of lending against a car with limited value.

We do not set an age limit upfront. Instead, we look at what each car is worth and try to make financing possible for older cars whenever the vehicle still has enough value.

If your car is worth less, you may qualify for a smaller loan amount. If its value is too low to support the minimum loan amount available under your state’s law, we may not be able to approve the loan.

How Do We Value an Older Car?

Two cars of the same age can qualify for very different amounts, so we evaluate each vehicle individually. We look closely at the details to estimate the car’s current value as accurately as possible.

For example, our median funded loan on vehicles 16 to 20 years old was $1,883, while a 1989 Mustang GT convertible with 54,000 miles received $7,000.

What Factors Determine an Older Car’s Value?

We start with current wholesale and trade-in values, then adjust for the vehicle’s:

• Mileage
• Condition
• Year, make, model, and trim
• Local market demand
• Available equity

How Much of That Value Can You Borrow?

Once your vehicle’s value is determined, the loan amount is usually based on a percentage of that value, often around 25% to 50% of your car’s value.⁶

How much you can receive in your personal offer also depends on your income, your state’s loan limits, and other underwriting factors.⁵

For a rough estimate of your older or classic car, try our title loan calculator, which can show you funded loan amounts for similar vehicles. You can also check our title loan laws by state guide for local loan limits.

What If My Car Is Too Old for the Pricing Guides?

Some older cars are too old to be in the pricing guides. For those, we go by the car’s condition and what similar cars have sold for.

In Virginia, for example, the law requires a title loan contract to state the car’s fair market value from a recognized pricing guide when the car is listed in one.

What Lowers an Older Car’s Value?

• Rust and body damage. Dents and scratches alone will not stop a loan. They only count if they lower what the car would sell for.
• Warning lights on the dashboard. A lit engine light means repairs a buyer would have to pay for.
• A branded title. A salvage or rebuilt title means a lower value than the same car with a clean title.
• Worn or missing parts. Bald tires, a torn interior or missing trim all come off the value.

Which Older Cars Have We Funded?

We funded these 20 loans in 2024 and 2025, on cars from 1971 to 2015 with up to 350,000 miles.

Classic Cars We Approved

High-Mileage Cars

The Taurus and the Frontier were not old, but they had very high miles. Miles lower the value, not only age.

Cars 20 or More Years Old

The 2005 Sierra 1500 with 275,000 miles got $800, the smallest loan in this group, because it was worth the least.

Cars 15 to 19 Years Old

Disclaimer: Loans we funded between April 2024 and November 2025, taken from our funding records. Miles are rounded to the nearest thousand. Your amount will differ.⁶

Can You Get a Classic Car Title Loan?

Yes. In 2024 and 2025 we funded 25 loans on cars from model year 1985 or older, and we value a classic, antique or vintage car the same way as any car: by what it would sell for.

But a classic takes more checking, because collectors pay for details that do not matter on an everyday car.

What Do We Check on a Classic?

• Numbers-matching parts. Whether the engine, transmission and other VIN-linked parts are the ones the car left the factory with.
• The kind of restoration. A factory-correct restoration usually keeps more collector value than heavy changes.
• Rarity. How many were built, and which factory options the car carries.
• Recent collector sales. What similar cars in similar condition have sold for lately.
• Documentation. Records that back up the car’s history and any restoration work.

How Long Does Approval Take on a Classic?

The process can take a bit longer, because checking what a classic is worth takes more time. Same-day funding may still be possible, case by case.⁸

Could My Classic Be Worth More Elsewhere?

Yes, it could.

Your car may be worth far more to a collector than as a way to get around. If so, a specialty classic-car appraisal may value it higher than we do.

Do You Keep Driving Your Classic?

Yes. With a title loan from us, we hold the title, not the car. Your classic stays in your garage, and you keep driving it to work, to shows or on weekends while you repay.

A classic-car pawn is different. It keeps your car in storage until you pay it back.

Does the Car Have to Run?

No. We may be able to fund a car that does not run, as long as it still has enough wholesale or scrap value to back the loan.⁶

The loan is usually smaller, because a car that does not run is worth less.

What Title Do You Need for a Car That Does Not Run?

• Name: the title is in your name
• Brand: unbranded, so not marked salvage or rebuilt
• Liens: none on the title

What Can Lower or Stop a Loan on an Older Car?

An older car rarely gets a flat no. More often, it gets a smaller loan.

The most common reason is a value too low for the amount you asked for.⁶ Other reasons, such as a title that is not in your name or no proof of income, are the same for any car.

How Our Title Loan Process Works for Older Cars

Our process is similar for older and newer vehicles, but older cars may need a closer look during valuation.

1. Apply and pre-qualify. Tell us about yourself, your income and your car, including its year, make, model, mileage and title status. We use this to see if you may pre-qualify.
2. We value your car. We use the factors above, and we may use your photos to check for body damage, rust or other issues.
3. We review your loan amount and offer. We look at your car’s value, your income and your state’s loan limits. If approved, you get an offer showing the loan amount, APR, fees, payments and term.
4. Sign, get funded and keep driving. You sign the loan agreement and we place a lien on your title. You get the money and keep using your car while you repay. When the loan is paid off, we release the lien.

What you need:

• Your title in your name
• A photo ID
• Proof of income and proof of address
• Insurance, with full coverage on most of our loans
• Your car, in person or by photos

We do not ask for registration, a spare key, references or a co-signer.

To learn more, see how title loans work, our title loan requirements and how to apply online.

Want to see what your older car could borrow? Our application is free, with no obligation.³

What About My Credit, the Cost and the Risk?

Before taking a title loan, it is important to understand the cost and remember that your car secures the loan. If you default, you could lose your car.⁹

Will You Check My Credit?

We may run a soft credit check as part of the final approval process, but your credit score is not the main factor we look at. A soft credit check also does not affect your FICO score.

What matters more is your car’s value and your ability to repay, so borrowers with bad credit may still qualify.⁶

How Much Does a Title Loan Cost?

Title loans are expensive. The FTC guide notes that title loans “often have monthly finance fees as high as 25%, which translates to an APR of about 300%.”

Our APRs go up to 150%, and never above the cap your state’s law sets. Our guide to car title loan interest rates shows what that means in monthly payments.⁷

What Should I Check Before I Sign?

Before you sign, check the payment, the number of payments, the total you will repay and the APR.

Compare our offer with at least one other licensed lender, and ask us anything you are unsure of, so you have clear, complete answers about the title loan we offer you.

Frequently Asked Questions