CALIFORNIA AUTO FINANCE · DEALER WORKSPACE
Ready to do a California Auto Finance deal?
Check the customer. Check the vehicle. Structure the deal. Enter the secure portal. Contact Jay whenever you need help.
DEAL READINESS
- CustomerNeeds review
- VehicleNeeds review
- StructureNeeds review
- DocumentsNeeds review
Start the right next step
Current guidance: No repossessions within the preceding 12 months. No open bankruptcies. A customer interview and verified GPS ping at home or work are required before funding.
PRELIMINARY SCREEN · NO CONSUMER PII
Does this customer appear to fit?
Answer the primary screening questions before spending time structuring the deal. This is not a credit application or lender decision.
LIVE CAF EXCLUSION CHECK · POINT OF SALE ONLY
Vehicle quick check
Enter the vehicle details to check the current supplied CAF point-of-sale exclusion list. The checker recognizes common manufacturer spellings and reversed make/model entries. A not-listed result is not a final eligibility or approval decision.
LIVE REFERENCE Browse the CAF excluded-vehicle list75 vehicles · 28 manufacturers
CAF EXCLUDED VEHICLES
Point-of-sale submissions only.
Use this searchable CAF list before submitting a vehicle through the Texas point-of-sale program. It applies only to CAF point-of-sale submissions—not to Auto Capital Express portfolio-purchase eligibility.
75 excluded vehicles shown.
Audi
6- Audi A4
- Audi A5
- Audi A6
- Audi Q3
- Audi Q5
- Audi TT
BMW
3- BMW 4
- BMW 5
- BMW M3
Buick
3- Buick LaCrosse
- Buick Lucerne
- Buick Verano
Cadillac
1- Cadillac DeVille
Chevrolet
6- Chevrolet Commercial Medium
- Chevrolet Cruze
- Chevrolet Impala
- Chevrolet S-10
- Chevrolet Sonic
- Chevrolet Volt
Chrysler
3- Chrysler 200
- Chrysler Aspen
- Chrysler Crossfire
Dodge
2- Dodge Avenger
- Dodge Dart
Ford
6- Ford E-350
- Ford Excursion
- Ford Flex
- Ford Focus
- Ford Taurus
- Ford Wagon
GMC
1- GMC Denali
Hyundai
4- Hyundai Accent
- Hyundai Azera
- Hyundai Ioniq
- Hyundai Veracruz
Infiniti
2- Infiniti EX
- Infiniti JX
Isuzu
2- Isuzu Ascender
- Isuzu NPR
Jaguar
4- Jaguar XE
- Jaguar XF
- Jaguar XJ
- Jaguar XK
Jeep
1- Jeep Patriot
Kia
5- Kia Cadenza
- Kia Optima
- Kia Rio
- Kia Sedona
- Kia Soul
Lexus
1- Lexus LS
Lincoln
3- Lincoln MKX
- Lincoln MKZ
- Lincoln Town
Maserati
1- Maserati Ghibli
Mazda
1- Mazda Mazda5
Mercedes-Benz
2- Mercedes-Benz GLK
- Mercedes-Benz S
Mercury
2- Mercury Mariner
- Mercury Mountaineer
Mitsubishi
1- Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan
2- Nissan Juke
- Nissan Maxima
Pontiac
2- Pontiac G8
- Pontiac Grand
Porsche
1- Porsche Boxster
Saturn
2- Saturn Outlook
- Saturn Vue
Subaru
3- Subaru Impreza
- Subaru Outback
- Subaru WRX
Volkswagen
5- Volkswagen Atlas
- Volkswagen CC
- Volkswagen GTI
- Volkswagen Routan
- Volkswagen Tiguan
No listed vehicle matches that search.
Check the spelling, search by manufacturer, or contact Jay when the make/model is unclear.
Important: CAF controls vehicle eligibility and may revise this list. Spelling and capitalization were standardized from the supplied list; ambiguous source labels were preserved. Confirm current eligibility with CAF before contracting.
REVERSE-ENGINEERED CAF DEAL STRUCTURING
Know the required down before you submit
Choose KBB or NADA clean trade and enter the value. The calculator works backward from the 150% LTV ceiling to show the standard 15% down payment, the conditional 10% stronger-credit scenario, maximum selling price, payment and PTI.
1 Choose clean-trade book2 Enter value + available cash3 See required down + price
Your required down payment will appear here.
Book source and clean-trade value are required. Available cash is optional.
PROGRAM SOURCE OF TRUTH
California Auto Finance guidelines
CAF Program Version 2026.07 · Last verified July 31, 2026 · Program guidelines subject to change without notice.
GENERAL TERMS
Core structure
- $5,000–$25,000 amount financed
- 24–66 months
- 19.99%–24.99% APR, or maximum permitted by law
- 15% standard down payment; 10% minimum for stronger-credit customers
- Under 18% maximum PTI; below 15% preferred
- Up to 150% LTV
- Two-payment recourse; one may be possible for stronger credit
CREDIT PROFILE
Primary screening
- No minimum credit score
- No second auto loans
- No repossessions within preceding 12 months
- No open bankruptcies
- No current or recent auto-loan derogatories
- No other charge-offs or derogatories within preceding 12 months
- Collections and certain older/non-auto derogatories may be considered
- Straw purchases are not eligible
INCOME & EMPLOYMENT
Verifiable income
- All paystub jobs disclosed and verified
- Self-employed income may be considered with bank statements
- Cash income requires electronic bank-statement access
- Ghost credit plus cash income is outside guidelines
- Ghost credit and loans over $15K require six months on job
- Other loans require three months on job
- Retirement, IHSS and government-assistance income are not eligible under this guide
FUNDING
Before funding
- GPS installed and verified before funding
- $100 GPS reimbursement on funding date
- Vehicle must ping at customer home or work
- Customer interview completed
- Income and employment documentation complete
- Vehicle passes current official excluded-list review
Term and mileage guidance
| Amount financed | Mileage | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| $17,000+ | Under 75,000 | Up to 66 months |
| $15,000–$17,000 | 76,000–100,000 | Up to 60 months |
| $13,000–$15,000 | 100,000–125,000 | Up to 54 months |
| $10,000–$13,000 | 126,000–150,000 | Up to 48 months |
| Under $10,000 | 150,000+ | 36–42 months |
Term ranges are guidance, not guaranteed terms. Final structure, approval and pricing are determined by California Auto Finance.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT
Required stips & funding checklist
Check items as you prepare the file. This list saves locally on this device and does not store customer information.
CURRENT DEALER LIBRARY
Forms & downloads
Verified current resources are published here. Materials that have not been supplied or confirmed are clearly identified.
FAST ANSWERS · VERIFIED SOURCE
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum amount financed?
The current guide states $25,000, subject to the 150% LTV ceiling and full underwriting review.
Is there a minimum credit score?
No minimum score is stated. The complete credit profile, income, collateral and structure still determine the decision.
Can the customer have another open auto loan?
The verified wording is “no second auto loans.” If a trade or payoff changes the situation, contact Jay before interpreting the rule more broadly.
What if the customer had a repo?
No repossessions are permitted within the preceding 12 months. Older serious derogatories may be considered under the complete lender review.
Can cash or self-employed income be used?
Cash income may be considered with electronic bank-statement access, except for ghost-credit applicants. Self-employed income may be considered with bank statements.
How much job time is required?
Ghost-credit applicants and requests above $15,000 require at least six months on the job. Other requests require at least three months under the current guide.
How much down payment is required?
The current guide states a 15% standard down payment. A 10% minimum applies only to stronger-credit customers and remains subject to CAF underwriting and approval. Use the Deal Calculator to see both dollar amounts for the entered clean-trade value.
What is the PTI limit?
Estimated PTI must remain under 18%. Below 15% is preferred according to the current guide.
Where do I enter an application?
Use the secure appTRAKER Applications tab. Auto Capital Express does not receive or store portal passwords or application data.
Where do I check approvals and pending stips?
Use the Approvals & Pending Stips tab. Omega is the current public portal candidate and requires final lender confirmation for workflow and embedding authorization.
Which vehicles are excluded?
Use the searchable CAF excluded-vehicle list in the Vehicle Quick Check. The current supplied list contains 75 vehicles across 28 manufacturers and applies only to CAF point-of-sale submissions. CAF controls final vehicle eligibility and may revise the list.
AUTHORIZED DEALER ACCESS ONLY
appTRAKER secure dealer portal
Secure third-party portal provided by appTRAKER. Auto Capital Express never captures your login or consumer application data.
SECURE THIRD-PARTY PORTAL
Continue to appTRAKER
appTRAKER currently prevents its login page from being displayed inside other websites. Use the secure button below while Auto Capital Express obtains the provider’s written embedding authorization. Your Deal Center remains open here.
Open appTRAKER Securely Authorized dealer access only. Your login, password, and application data go directly to appTRAKER—not Auto Capital Express.DON’T MISS YOUR CALLBACK
After entering the deal in the authorized portal, mark it submitted here so this device remembers to check the decision.
CALLBACKS · APPROVALS · PENDING STIPS
CAF approval portal
Omega is the publicly identified portal candidate. Lender confirmation of the exact workflow and iframe authorization remains required.
WORKFLOW CONFIRMATION PENDING
Continue to Omega
The public Omega dealer login is reachable, but California Auto Finance must confirm the exact callback, approval, and pending-stip workflow and authorize embedding. Use the secure portal directly in the meantime.
Open Omega Securely Auto Capital Express does not capture portal credentials, decisions, or customer information.