What rights does a co-borrower have on a car loan?
Matthew Wilson
Updated on February 25, 2026
On a joint car loan, co-borrowers have equal rights and responsibilities to the loan and the vehicle. This means: You can’t sell the car without their permission and vice versa. The lender can ask either co-borrower to make payments, regardless of the payment arrangements made between you.
Who owns the car if there is a co-borrower?
A car loan with two borrowers on the title is also known as a joint auto loan. Both you and your co-borrower share all the rights and responsibilities of financing, no matter who drives the vehicle.
What does co-borrower mean on a car loan?
A co-borrower, sometimes called a co-applicant, is a person who shares liability for repaying a loan with another person. Applying for a loan with a co-borrower reassures the lender that multiple sources of income can go toward repayment.
Can borrower take car from co-borrower?
Because a co-signer is not a legal owner of the vehicle, he can’t turn the vehicle over to the lender in a voluntary repossession or request that the lender repossess the vehicle. However, the lender can still demand payment from the co-signer.
Can a cosigner be removed from a car loan?
Generally speaking, the only way to get a co-signer removed from a car loan is to refinance the loan. If they won’t, you might see if a lender will agree to remove the co-signer after you’ve made a certain number of on-time payments but before you’ve paid off the loan.
How does being a co-borrower affect your credit?
Being a co-signer itself does not affect your credit score. Your score may, however, be negatively affected if the main account holder misses payments. You will owe more debt: Your debt could also increase since the consignee’s debt will appear on your credit report.
Does cosigner mean co owner?
A co-signer on a car loan is obligated to pay the loan if the other person defaults on their payment obligation while a co-owner of a car has an ownership interest in the vehicle itself.
How do I get my name off a joint car loan?
Typically, the only way to get your name off the loan is for your spouse to refinance it in his or her name alone. If your spouse can’t qualify for an auto loan by him or herself, or if he or she refuses to refinance the auto loan, it’s worth the time to speak with a lawyer about your options.
Is it good to have a co-applicant for car loan?
Improving your chances of approval is a big advantage in itself but, if approved with a cosigner or co-applicant, you may also benefit from a lower APR, larger loan amount or both. Co-applicants potentially have a greater effect on maximizing a loan amount as their combined incomes can reduce the debt-to-income ratio.
How do I get a co borrower off my car?
Fear not, as there are two main ways to remove your name from a joint auto loan: refinancing or selling the vehicle.
- Refinancing. If the other co-borrower wants to keep the car and you want your name removed from the loan, they can try to qualify for refinancing.
- Sell the car.
How can a cosigner get off a car loan?
There are three main ways in which you can remove a cosigner from a typical car loan.
- Check Your Contract and Contact Your Lender. First, do an in-depth investigation of your car loan contract.
- Refinance the Loan. One way of going about removing a co-signer from a car loan is refinancing your loan.
- Pay the Loan Off.
How do I stop being a cosigner on a car?
What do you need to know about co-signing a car loan?
Make sure you trust the borrower before committing to a co-signing arrangement
Should you add a co-borrower to your mortgage?
Adding a co-borrower (or co-applicant, co-signer, or guarantor) can be beneficial as doing so could bring additional income and assets to the table. The combined income between the two of you may allow you to qualify for a larger loan amount, since you can afford higher monthly mortgage payments together.
What does co borrower mean?
A co-borrower is any additional borrower whose name appears on loan documents and whose income and credit history is used to qualify for the loan. Under this arrangement, all parties involved have an obligation to repay the loan. For mortgages, the names of applicable co-borrowers also appear on the property’s title.
What is co signing on a car?
For someone with no credit or poor credit, a co-signer can be the answer to getting a car lease or loan. A co-signer is simply someone with good credit who is willing to make your loan or lease payments if you cannot. Both your name and the co-signer’s name go on the loan or lease contract, although the co-signer is not a co-owner.