It's never easy to purchase a car with bad credit. Some dealerships will treat you like the plague and many lenders won't even take a serious look at your application once they get past the credit report. However, don't despair just yet. There are ways for people with bad credit to get into the car they want, or at least the car they need

If you're purchasing a car with bad credit, the first thing you want to do is take a look at how much you can put down as a deposit. The more money you have to put down, the less likely you are to be denied the loan you're applying for. Try to put at least 20 percent down if not more.

If you have a vehicle to trade in, sell it outright and put the cash towards the deposit. Many lenders look more favorably on cash deposits rather than used-car trade ins.

You also need to expect to pay a higher interest rate, but that doesn't mean you should let someone take advantage of you. Some predatory lenders will charge ridiculously high interest rates when dealing with people with poor credit and if you have bad credit, chances are they'll try to take advantage of you. Because car dealerships often work with this type of lender, it's important to source your loan prior to going to the dealer.

Many loan brokers can help you find the loan that you need. And while this loan may be at a higher interest rate than you would pay if you had good credit, at least it won't be at a ridiculously high rate charged by a predatory lender.

If your credit is really bad or if you don't have enough money to put down for the deposit, you may want to look at having a joint signatory on your loan. If you can find someone who is willing to sign for you, your chances of being approved for a loan will increase and you might even be able to obtain a better interest rate. Just make sure that your joint signatory understands that if you default on the loan, the payments become his or her responsibility.

If you try all of the above and you still cannot finance your car, try to rebuild your credit, wait six months and try again. In the meantime, get a secured credit card and make the payments on time each and every month. As your credit history repairs itself, your chances of being approved for the car loan you want will also increase.