---
title: "DriveTime Review: Approval, Returns, Bridgecrest and the CFPB Order"
description: "DriveTime approves online with a soft pull, but rate and down payment are set per car. Its 5-day return, Bridgecrest’s fees and the 2014 $8M CFPB order."
url: "https://baronauto1.com/financing/drivetime-review/"
type: "article"
published: "2026-10-06"
modified: "2026-10-06"
site: "Baron Auto"
disclaimer: "This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership."
---

# DriveTime Review: Approval, Returns, Bridgecrest and the CFPB Order

> DriveTime approves online with a soft pull, but rate and down payment are set per car. Its 5-day return, Bridgecrest’s fees and the 2014 $8M CFPB order.

*Car Loans & Credit · 22 min read · 4,972 words*

## The short version

- DriveTime sells used cars and lends to its own buyers, which its own pages call buy here pay here. After the sale, the loan is serviced by Bridgecrest, and repair, GAP and theft questions go to SilverRock. All three are on DriveTime’s own list of affiliates.
- The online approval is a soft credit pull. DriveTime says a hard pull is required before the sale, and that the price, down payment, interest rate, term and payment frequency can still change at the dealership. It prints no interest rate or rate range on any page we read.
- Every car comes with a 5-day return guarantee and a 30-day/1,500-mile limited warranty, but DriveTime’s pages print no further terms for either, and the vehicle listing we read says DriveTime “is not able to complete recall repairs.”
- In 2014 the CFPB ordered DriveTime to pay an $8,000,000 civil penalty (File No. 2014-CFPB-0017) over collection calls to workplaces, references and wrong numbers, and over inaccurate credit reporting. DriveTime consented without admitting or denying the findings. North Carolina announced a settlement in 2017, and in 2024 Bridgecrest agreed to a $10,000 civil penalty in Connecticut over licensing.
- Paying Bridgecrest by AutoPay or bank account is free. A debit-card or phone payment costs $4.95 where permitted, and a payment at Walmart or CheckFreePay costs $1.50.
- The two companies are reviewed very differently: DriveTime, which invites customers to review it, has a 4.5 TrustScore from 29,478 Trustpilot reviews, while Bridgecrest has 1.3 from 236 reviews and is named in 7,720 CFPB complaints, a file that also covers Carvana borrowers.

DriveTime is a long-running, BBB-accredited used-car dealer; the real question is what kind of loan comes with the car. On 6 October 2026 we read DriveTime’s [approval and vehicle FAQs](https://www.drivetime.com/customer-service/approvals-vehicles), claims, payment and affiliates pages, a vehicle listing, its Terms of Use and its own advice articles; Bridgecrest’s [payment options](https://www2.bridgecrest.com/payment-options) and Terms of Use; the CFPB’s 2014 [consent order](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201411_cfpb_consent-order_drivetime.pdf), stipulation and press release; a North Carolina Attorney General release; a Connecticut Department of Banking consent order; an SEC filing; and both companies’ BBB and Trustpilot profiles. We submitted no credit application and no VIN, so this page holds no rate or payment quote. This site has no commercial relationship with DriveTime, Bridgecrest or any lender.

**Figure: DriveTime’s promises next to its fine print and the public record**

A two-column table setting six things DriveTime’s pages promise or say (a real approval, a 5-day return and 30-day/1,500-mile warranty, every car on the lot, payments through Bridgecrest, an arbitration clause, and the 2014 CFPB order) against what the fine print and the record show: a hard pull and terms that can still change, no published warranty or return terms, no recall repairs, Bridgecrest’s $4.95 debit and phone fee and $1.50 in-person fee, a 30-day right to reject arbitration, and an $8,000,000 penalty settled without admitting or denying.

Read from DriveTime’s FAQ, a vehicle listing, its Houston page and Terms of Use, Bridgecrest’s payment-options page and the CFPB’s consent order 2014-CFPB-0017 on 6 October 2026. No application was submitted and no rate is shown.

## DriveTime, Bridgecrest and SilverRock: one group, three names

DriveTime describes its own financing plainly. Its Houston page says buy here pay here financing means DriveTime “helps you purchase and finance your vehicle directly” and does so “without third-party banks or outside lenders.” In 2014 the CFPB’s press release described DriveTime Automotive Group, Inc. and its finance company, DT Acceptance Corporation, as “the largest buy-here, pay-here car dealer in the nation,” and defined the term: “the dealer sells the car as well as originates and services the auto loan.” Our [buy here pay here guide](https://baronauto1.com/financing/buy-here-pay-here/) covers the model in general; this page is about the one company.

After you sign, you deal with differently named companies. DriveTime’s [affiliates page](https://www.drivetime.com/affiliates) says the parties associated with DriveTime “include, but are not limited to” eight entities: DriveTime Automotive Group, Inc.; DriveTime Sales and Finance Company, LLC; DriveTime Car Sales Company, LLC; Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation; Bridgecrest Credit Company, LLC; SilverRock Group, Inc.; SilverRock Automotive, Inc.; and SilverRock Automotive of Florida, Inc. DriveTime’s “Make a Payment” link goes to Bridgecrest, and its claims page sends repair, GAP and theft questions to SilverRock. Bridgecrest says Bridgecrest Credit Company, LLC “is a subsidiary of BAC and a licensed servicer of retail installment contracts, including accounts owned by BAC,” BAC being Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation.

The group also reaches into Carvana. Carvana’s 2025 annual report calls DriveTime “a related party due to the Garcia Parties’ control and ownership of substantially all of the interests in DriveTime,” and says “DriveTime provides servicing and administrative functions associated with the Company’s finance receivables.” A servicer statement filed with the SEC on 26 March 2026 for a Carvana Auto Receivables Trust names Bridgecrest Credit Company as the trust’s “Servicer.” So Bridgecrest’s complaint and review record covers Carvana borrowers as well as DriveTime’s. Our [Carvana warranty page](https://baronauto1.com/financing/carvana-warranty/#who-owes) and [Carvana review](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/carvana-review/) cover the relationship from Carvana’s side.

## What a DriveTime approval is, and what it is not

DriveTime’s FAQ says “It only takes two minutes to get approved online.” You give your name, address, monthly income, date of birth and Social Security number, and you get “your approval and down payment information.” Asked whether the online approval is real, DriveTime answers: “This is a real approval! We used DriveTime’s proprietary credit scoring model and the information you provided to calculate your down payment.” Its Houston page adds that “DriveTime has a 99% approval rate for car financing,” without saying what the figure is based on, and the FAQ says bankruptcy “will not always keep you from getting approved.”

The footnote on the Houston page is the part to read slowly. “The initial website inquiry will be a soft pull that will not affect your credit score. If you choose to finance with DriveTime after receiving your offer, prior to sale completion, you will be required to authorize a hard pull for a full credit report inquiry, and it may impact your credit score.” It goes on: “Exact deal terms, including vehicle price, down payment, monthly payment, interest rate, term and payment frequency, may vary,” based on 4 things: the car you choose and where; any “voluntary protection products” you add; the dealership’s verification of your information, “including proof and type of income”; and “verification of credit history.”

So the online approval tells you DriveTime will lend to you. It does not fix the rate, the term or the payment. DriveTime says those come at the dealership, where “in just 15 minutes” a sales advisor shows “the price, down payment, recurring payments” along with the rate and optional products for each car. DriveTime suggests bringing a driver’s license and proof of residence, income and insurance.

DriveTime prints no interest rate, rate range or loan term on any page we read. Its own advice article on buy here pay here is candid about the category: “If you are classified as a ‘high risk’ borrower, you may be paying higher-than-average interest rates through a buy here pay here financing program.” Because the rate appears only at the desk, the way to judge it is to arrive with a number from elsewhere: see [how used-car rates are set](https://baronauto1.com/financing/used-car-financing-rates/), [credit union rates](https://baronauto1.com/financing/credit-union-used-car-loan-rates/) and [getting pre-approved](https://baronauto1.com/financing/car-loan-preapproval/). [Shopping several lenders](https://baronauto1.com/financing/credit-score-to-buy-a-car/#rate-shopping) in a short window does not multiply the hit to your score.

Note the wording, too. The FAQ asks “What will my monthly payments be?” but answers with “recurring payments” that “will be customized,” and the footnote lists “payment frequency” among the terms that may vary. Ask how often you will pay, and compare offers on the total of payments, not one payment.

## The down payment belongs to the car as much as to you

DriveTime’s approval comes with a down payment, and its FAQ is clear that the figure is not fixed: “You are approved for every vehicle on our lot, but some vehicles may require a larger down payment than the one you are quoted, some may require less. Your down payment is the lowest currently available (based on location and vehicle selection) and is subject to availability.” Choose a different car and the down payment can move.

DriveTime advertises the down payment as its selling point. Its comparison page says “Our down payments are $1,000 less on average!” The footnote bases this on “the difference between DriveTime’s average required down payment and average market down payments (from a leading auto research company) for all financed 2024 vehicle sales nationwide.” The research company is not named. The Houston page says “Some auto dealers start as low as $500 down” and that at DriveTime you can “see if you qualify for $0 down.”

To lower the figure, DriveTime suggests you “verify your income, use your current car as a trade-in or even add a co-buyer.” A co-buyer takes on the debt too (see [cosigners and co-buyers](https://baronauto1.com/financing/cosigning-a-car-loan/#cosigner-vs-coborrower)), and if you still owe money on a trade, read about [rolling negative equity into a new loan](https://baronauto1.com/financing/negative-equity-car-loan/#rolling-over) first.

The listed price is not the whole price either. DriveTime’s search pages say vehicle prices “exclude taxes and finance charges and, subject to state law, exclude doc fees up to $599 and other applicable fees.” Ask for the [out-the-door price](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/out-the-door-price/) in writing, and see [what a documentation fee is](https://baronauto1.com/financing/what-are-dealer-fees/#doc-fee).

## The 5-day return, the 30-day warranty and the recall line

DriveTime’s FAQ says each vehicle includes “an AutoCheck® history report, a 30 day/1,500 mile limited warranty, and 5 Day Return Guarantee.” The vehicle listing we read says “If you’re not completely satisfied, you can return the vehicle within 5 days of purchasing!” That is the whole of what the pages we read print about either promise.

**What every DriveTime car comes with, as DriveTime printed it on 6 October 2026**

| Item | DriveTime’s words | What the pages we read do not say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Return | “5 Day Return Guarantee”; return “within 5 days of purchasing” | Any mileage limit, fee, or what happens to the loan, down payment and trade-in on a return |
| Limited warranty | “30-day / 1,500 mile limited warranty” | Which parts are covered, any deductible, who handles claims, and whether it ends at whichever limit comes first |
| History report | “a free history report provided by AutoCheck®” | No gap: ask for the copy before you sign |
| Recalls | “DriveTime is not able to complete recall repairs, so vehicles may be subject to open recalls” | Whether the car you pick has an open recall: you check that yourself |
| Extended coverage | “We also have optional extended vehicle coverage available.” | Price, term, deductible, the company obligated to pay claims, or a sample contract |

Because DriveTime prints the warranty only as “30-day / 1,500 mile,” read it by its end points: it ends at 30 days or at 1,500 miles, and the written warranty should say whether it ends at whichever comes first. Ask for that document and the federal Buyers Guide before you sign, and read the AutoCheck copy with our notes on [a dealer’s free AutoCheck report](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/free-autocheck-report/#dealers).

The recall line matters most. It appears under “Recall Information” on the DriveTime vehicle listing we read, and tells shoppers to “Visit safercar.gov to see whether any vehicle is subject to an unrepaired recall.” Do that with the VIN of the exact car before you sign, using the steps in our guide to [checking a car for open recalls](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/how-to-check-a-car-for-open-recalls/#how). North Carolina’s 2017 settlement, covered below, specifically barred DriveTime from “overstating the extent of its warranty coverage and its pre-sale inspection process.”

**Use the 5 days.** Five days is enough for an independent [pre-purchase inspection](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/used-car-pre-purchase-inspection/) and a recall check, if you book them at once. Trustpilot’s own summary of DriveTime reviews mentions “unexpected mechanical failures and breakdowns shortly after driving off the lot.” Before you drive away, ask in writing what a return involves for your loan, down payment and trade-in, since DriveTime’s pages do not say.

**Figure: Annotated photograph**

Three numbered callouts over the photograph mark the gear knob, its boot and the console, with DriveTime's credit pull, its return window and recall line, and Bridgecrest's payment fees.

DriveTime’s approval footnote, read on 6 October 2026, says the online approval is a soft pull and a hard pull is required before the sale (callout 1); its pages list a 5-day return guarantee, and a vehicle listing says DriveTime is not able to complete recall repairs (callout 2). Bridgecrest’s payment-options page charges $4.95 for debit-card or phone payments where permissible, while AutoPay is free (callout 3). The photograph is illustrative.

## Optional coverage, GAP and the GPS program

DriveTime sells optional products, and SilverRock handles the claims. DriveTime’s [claims page](https://www.drivetime.com/customer-service/claims) sends repair and coverage questions to SilverRock’s self-service site, says “If you have GAP Coverage and experience a total loss, call SilverRock,” and tells customers to contact SilverRock “to report a theft or ask questions about our GPS product.”

None of these products has a published price, term, deductible or sample contract on the pages we read, and SilverRock’s help site is an application that showed our reader no text, so we could not read it. For the contracts Carvana sells, Carvana’s annual report says DriveTime “administers and is the obligor.” DriveTime’s pages do not name the obligor for the coverage it sells, so ask, and get the contract first. Our guides to [extended warranties](https://baronauto1.com/financing/is-an-extended-warranty-worth-it/#cancel) and [GAP insurance](https://baronauto1.com/financing/gap-insurance/) cover how to judge both and how cancellation refunds work.

DriveTime’s own footnote says “optional selection of voluntary protection products” is one of the things that changes your price, payment and term. Optional means you can say no. In the CFPB database, 34 complaints under DriveTime’s name and 155 under Bridgecrest’s carry the sub-issue “Problem with additional products or services purchased with the loan,” and at Bridgecrest 188 complaints carry the sub-issue “Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle.” Our guide explains [starter interrupts and GPS trackers](https://baronauto1.com/financing/buy-here-pay-here/#devices).

## Paying Bridgecrest: the fee table and the cut-off

Bridgecrest prints its fees on its [payment options page](https://www2.bridgecrest.com/payment-options).

**Bridgecrest payment methods and fees, as printed on 6 October 2026**

| How you pay | Fee Bridgecrest prints |
| --- | --- |
| AutoPay | “Zero Fees” |
| One-time payment from a checking or savings account | “Zero Fees” |
| One-time debit card payment | “Additional $4.95* Fee” (“* Where Permissible”) |
| By phone | “$4.95 fee applies, where permissible” |
| In person at Walmart or CheckFreePay | “$1.50 fee applies” (cash or debit card) |
| MoneyGram | “Fees vary” |
| Your bank’s online bill pay, or mail (check or money order) | No fee printed |

By our arithmetic, a borrower who paid by debit card every month for a year would pay $59.40 in fees, and one who paid at Walmart would pay $18. Bridgecrest’s home page pitches AutoPay as the way to “never worry about fees or missing a payment again.” Its cut-off also matters: “To ensure your payment is processed same-day, please submit before 7:59PM Pacific Time.”

Bridgecrest’s Customer Support Center, with its answers on payoffs, skipped payments and titles, is closed to automated readers by the site’s robots.txt, so we did not read it. Get anything that affects your balance in writing: a payoff quote with its good-through date, and when the title will be released. “Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off” is the sub-issue on 172 Bridgecrest complaints. If you refinance, see [the servicer you are not shopping for](https://baronauto1.com/financing/refinance-a-car-loan/#servicer).

## The CFPB’s 2014 consent order, in the Bureau’s words

On 19 November 2014 the CFPB filed a consent order in an administrative proceeding, *In the Matter of DriveTime Automotive Group, Inc. and DT Acceptance Corp.*, File No. 2014-CFPB-0017. Its [press release](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/newsroom/cfpb-takes-first-action-against-buy-here-pay-here-auto-dealer/) called it the Bureau’s “first action against a ‘buy-here, pay-here’ car dealer.” The order required DriveTime to “pay a civil money penalty of $8,000,000 to the Bureau” within 10 days.

The order states the violations in two parts. DriveTime “committed unfair acts and practices” under the Consumer Financial Protection Act by failing to stop calls to workplaces, to references and “to people at wrong numbers after they have asked DriveTime to stop calling.” And it “furnished information to consumer reporting agencies that DriveTime had reasonable cause to believe was inaccurate,” in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Furnisher Rule.

DriveTime signed a stipulation dated 17 November 2014 and consented to the order “without admitting or denying any of the findings of fact or conclusions of law,” except the facts needed for the Bureau’s jurisdiction. What follows are the CFPB’s findings, not facts DriveTime admitted.

The findings describe the business as it was. DriveTime then provided subprime financing at 117 dealership locations in 20 states. The order says its average customer was 26 to 42 years old, had an annual income of $37,000 to $50,000 and a FICO score between 461 and 554. It held 150,830 retail installment contracts at the end of 2013, and 46% of them, about 69,000, were past due. It had at least 290 collection employees and 80 contractors in Barbados placing “tens of thousands of outbound collection calls each weekday.” The order gives examples: “one consumer was called 30 times at work after her DNC request,” and another, called at work 8 times after her request, “was fired because of her receipt of those calls.”

**What the CFPB found in 2014, and what the order required (Consent Order, 2014-CFPB-0017)**

| The Bureau’s finding | What the order required of DriveTime |
| --- | --- |
| Collectors kept calling workplaces after consumers asked them to stop | No workplace contact once a consumer asks, or once DriveTime knows the employer prohibits it |
| Applicants had to list 4 to 8 references, who were called for months after asking to stop | No contact with third parties, references included, after they ask DriveTime to stop |
| Wrong numbers found by skip tracing were called, in some cases “for over a year” | Within 120 days, stop calling any number once anyone asks, or says the consumer cannot be reached there |
| Not a finding: a new customer right the order created | Within 150 days, written notice of how to limit call times; oral requests accepted, and requests by email, fax and letter |
| Repossession dates furnished to credit bureaus made repossessions look more recent than they were | Within 30 days, stop furnishing repossession information unless verified as correct |
| About 22,000 credit disputes a year, handled by 2 employees; some consumers told errors were fixed when they were not | Correct or delete systemic errors, notify affected consumers, arrange free credit reports for 180 days after notice, and audit furnishing every month |

The order allowed one exception: if DriveTime reasonably believed a repossession would be ordered “in the next 72 hours,” it could call a customer’s non-work numbers during legally permitted hours. The order was to “terminate five years from the Effective Date” unless the Bureau brought a later action alleging a violation. The CFPB’s [enforcement page](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/actions/drivetime/) now lists its status as “Expired/Terminated/Dismissed”; by our arithmetic, that point came no earlier than 19 November 2019.

The order also answers a common question. The CFPB quotes the letter DriveTime gave buyers at the point of sale: “we report your payment history with us to credit reporting agencies, such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion,” and “We report all information, positive or negative.” The order says DriveTime furnished information on about 350,000 accounts to all three bureaus. That was 12 years ago. None of the DriveTime pages we read says whether it reports today, though its own advice article tells shoppers to ask, “Do you report payment activity to the credit bureaus?” See [whether these loans reach your credit file](https://baronauto1.com/financing/buy-here-pay-here/#credit).

## North Carolina in 2017, Connecticut in 2024

**North Carolina.** In a release dated 8/16/2017, the state’s Attorney General “announced a settlement with DriveTime Automotive Group, Inc, over allegations that the company misrepresented its pre-sale automobile inspection process and warranty coverage and engaged in aggressive debt collection practices in North Carolina.” The [release](https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-josh-stein-returns-nearly-2480-2c000/) says “Eligible customers will receive refunds totaling $79,933.70.” The settlement “prohibits DriveTime from overstating the extent of its warranty coverage and its pre-sale inspection process,” and bars DriveTime and DT Acceptance from contacting consumers at work when asked not to, and from “communicating with anyone other than the consumer or authorized parties.” The release prints no docket number and does not say whether DriveTime admitted anything.

**Connecticut.** On 6 June 2024 Connecticut’s Banking Commissioner issued a [consent order](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/dob/enforcement/consumer-credit/2024-cc-orders/bridgecrest-credit-company-llc-dba-bridgecrest---consent-order.pdf) against Bridgecrest Credit Company, LLC, which Bridgecrest had signed the day before. The Commissioner alleged that “from at least October 1, 2022 to June 23, 2023, Bridgecrest engaged in the business of a sales finance company in Connecticut without a license,” by receiving payments from Connecticut buyers under retail installment contracts “made via the internet.” The order says Bridgecrest “has never been licensed” as a sales finance company in Connecticut and applied on 30 August 2023, an application then pending. Bridgecrest agreed, “without admitting or denying any allegation,” to pay a $10,000 civil penalty and $800 in back licensing fees, $10,800 in all by our arithmetic. The order notes that the law allows a civil penalty of up to $100,000 per violation. This is a licensing matter; the order makes no finding about how borrowers were treated.

**What we did not use.** A title search of the CFPB’s enforcement actions on 6 October 2026 found none naming Bridgecrest, Carvana or SilverRock; that is a search, not a clearance. A private Fifth Circuit case about one person’s credit report, and law-firm pages recruiting borrowers for arbitration, are left out.

## What the CFPB complaint database shows

The [CFPB complaint database](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/) publishes what consumers file without verifying it, and a bigger lender draws more complaints simply by having more borrowers. Since 30 September 2026 the CFPB no longer publishes complaint narratives, so only counts by product, issue, date and company response are used here. Bridgecrest’s file includes Carvana borrowers, so it is not DriveTime’s alone.

**CFPB complaints naming DriveTime and Bridgecrest, pulled 6 October 2026 (all years)**

| Company as filed | First complaint | Total | Vehicle loan or lease | Credit reporting | Debt collection | Closed with monetary relief |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DriveTime | 2012 | 1,123 | 302 | 419 | 133 | 3 |
| Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation | 2016 | 7,720 | 3,141 | 3,043 | 1,399 | 2 |

Bridgecrest’s file has grown fast. It drew 1,157 complaints in 2024, 2,215 in 2025 and 1,785 in 2026 through 26 September. Its vehicle-loan complaints went from 434 to 872 between 2024 and 2025, a rise of 101% by our arithmetic, while the whole “Vehicle loan or lease” category grew 55%, from 13,360 to 20,769. Bridgecrest’s share of that category rose from 3.2% to 4.2%, again by our arithmetic. The data cannot separate Carvana’s growth from anything about servicing.

The labels show what borrowers complain about. Among Bridgecrest’s vehicle-loan complaints, the top issues are “Managing the loan or lease” (981), “Repossession” (796), “Struggling to pay your loan” (380) and “Problems at the end of the loan or lease” (352). The commonest sub-issues are “Billing problem” (501), “Loan balance remaining after the vehicle is repossessed and sold” (271) and “Denied request to lower payments” (198). In Bridgecrest’s credit-reporting complaints, “Incorrect information on your report” appears 1,665 times. Our [repossession guide](https://baronauto1.com/financing/car-repossession/#the-sale) explains the balance left after a sale.

Complaints filed under DriveTime’s own name are more about the sale. The top vehicle-loan sub-issues there are add-on products (34), “Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing” (32), the balance after repossession (26), “Problem with fees charged” (23) and “Fraudulent loan” (21). DriveTime drew 165 complaints in 2025 and 86 in 2026 through 17 September.

Both companies close nearly everything the same way. Bridgecrest closed 7,509 of its 7,720 complaints “with explanation” and 2 “with monetary relief”; DriveTime closed 1,084 of 1,123 with explanation and 3 with monetary relief. That is 97% in both cases, by our arithmetic. Our [Credit Acceptance](https://baronauto1.com/financing/credit-acceptance-review/) and [Westlake Financial](https://baronauto1.com/financing/westlake-financial-review/) reviews read other lenders’ files the same way.

## DriveTime reviews: the dealer and the servicer score differently

DriveTime reviews look very different depending on whether people are reviewing the dealer or the company that collects the loan.

**DriveTime and Bridgecrest on Trustpilot and BBB, read 6 October 2026**

| Measure | DriveTime | Bridgecrest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trustpilot TrustScore | 4.5 from 29,478 reviews | 1.3 from 236 reviews |
| Five-star and one-star shares | 77% five-star; 2,806 one-star (9.5%) | 6 five-star; 222 one-star (94%) |
| Reviews in the last 12 months | 2,884 | 126 |
| Replies to negative reviews | “Replied to 95% of negative reviews” (275 of 289) | “Hasn’t replied to negative reviews” (0 of 120) |
| Source of the 20 latest reviews | 13 through Trustpilot’s invitation system, marked Verified | All 20 unprompted |
| BBB rating | A+, accredited since 2012 | A+, accredited since 2016 |
| BBB complaints, last 3 years | 763 (610 “Service or Repair Issues”) | 1,399 (477 service or repair, 460 billing) |

The gap is partly about who gets asked. Trustpilot shows DriveTime using its paid features and inviting customers to review, and 13 of DriveTime’s 20 most recent reviews came through Trustpilot’s invitation system. Bridgecrest has not recently invited anyone, and all 20 of its latest reviews are unprompted. A company that does not invite hears mostly from people with a reason to write. Neither score measures the whole customer base. DriveTime’s own site prints “4.5 out of 5” and “29478 total reviews on TrustPilot,” which matched Trustpilot on the same day.

Trustpilot’s AI-written summary of Bridgecrest reviews says customers complain of “unexpected payment issues, hidden fees” and high interest rates. At BBB, 610 of DriveTime’s 763 complaints (80%) are filed as “Service or Repair Issues,” while Bridgecrest’s split almost evenly between service and billing. BBB itself asks readers to “consider the company’s size and volume of transactions.”

## Where DriveTime’s own pages disagree, and what to do before you sign

DriveTime’s pages do not always agree. None of this is a finding against the company; it is a reason to get specifics in writing.

**Places where DriveTime’s and Bridgecrest’s own pages disagree, read 6 October 2026**

| One page says | Another says |
| --- | --- |
| “we’ve approved over 3 million people so far” (approval FAQ) | “more than 4 million drivers get approved since 2002” (Houston page) |
| “The terms you see are 100% personalized to you and your credit, including required down payment” (home page) | Some cars “may require a larger down payment than the one you are quoted”; price, rate, term and payment frequency “may vary” (FAQ, Houston footnote) |
| Financing “without third-party banks or outside lenders” (Houston page) | Payments go to Bridgecrest, a separately licensed servicer on DriveTime’s affiliates list |
| “the date of the most recent revisions will appear on this page” (both companies’ Terms of Use) | Neither page printed a revision date |

One more term deserves a decision. DriveTime’s Terms of Use say disputes go to “binding arbitration using the American Arbitration Association,” that “You are giving up your right to a trial by jury or class action,” and that DriveTime “will not object if you wish to use small claims court.” You can reject it if DriveTime receives a signed “Rejection Notice” within 30 days of the day you enter into the contract; check whether your contract carries the same clause.

- **Bring an outside rate.** Get a pre-approval from a bank or credit union before the visit, since DriveTime shows its rate only at the desk.
- **Get every term in writing for the car you choose.** Price, down payment, interest rate, term, payment frequency and total of payments, after the hard pull, not from the online approval.
- **Ask for the out-the-door price.** Prices exclude taxes, finance charges and doc fees up to $599, subject to state law.
- **Price each optional product separately.** Ask who the obligor is, get the contract, and decline anything you do not want.
- **Check recalls yourself.** DriveTime says it cannot complete recall repairs; run the VIN before signing.
- **Use the 5-day return window.** Book an independent inspection, and ask in writing what a return means for your loan, down payment and trade-in.
- **Read the warranty document.** Ask for the written 30-day/1,500-mile limited warranty and how claims are made.
- **Decide on arbitration.** If you want to keep court options, send the rejection notice within 30 days.
- **Pay Bridgecrest the free way.** AutoPay or a bank account costs nothing; debit card and phone payments cost $4.95 where permitted.

## Common questions

### Is DriveTime legit?

Yes, in the sense that it is a long-established dealer and lender. BBB lists a business start date in 1996, an A+ rating and accreditation since 2012, and DriveTime says it has 146 dealerships. It also has a regulatory record: the CFPB’s 2014 consent order with an $8,000,000 penalty and North Carolina’s 2017 settlement. Whether it suits you depends on terms DriveTime does not publish.

### Is DriveTime a buy here pay here dealer?

By its own description, yes. DriveTime’s Houston page calls DriveTime “a Buy Here Pay Here auto dealer” offering in-house financing, and the CFPB used the same term in 2014. The loans are serviced by its affiliate Bridgecrest.

### Why am I paying Bridgecrest instead of DriveTime?

Bridgecrest is DriveTime’s affiliate for loan servicing. DriveTime’s payment page sends borrowers to bridgecrest.com, and Bridgecrest Credit Company, LLC describes itself as “a licensed servicer of retail installment contracts.” Bridgecrest also services loans for Carvana buyers.

### Does DriveTime report to the credit bureaus?

According to the CFPB’s 2014 order, DriveTime told buyers “we report your payment history with us to credit reporting agencies, such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion,” and furnished data on about 350,000 accounts. None of DriveTime’s current pages we read addresses it, so ask before you sign. Inaccurate reporting was one of the problems the CFPB found.

### Can you return a car to DriveTime?

DriveTime says every car has a “5 Day Return Guarantee” and that “you can return the vehicle within 5 days of purchasing.” The pages we read give no mileage limit or other conditions, so get the return terms in writing at signing.

### What credit score do you need for DriveTime?

DriveTime publishes no minimum. It says it uses a “proprietary credit scoring model,” claims a 99% approval rate and says bankruptcy “will not always” prevent approval. In 2014 the CFPB described DriveTime’s average customer as having a FICO score between 461 and 554. Approval is not a good rate; see [the credit score you need to buy a car](https://baronauto1.com/financing/credit-score-to-buy-a-car/).

## Sources and further reading

- [CFPB auto loan resources](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/auto-loans/)
- [CFPB consumer complaint database](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/)
- [FTC Used Car Rule](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/dealers-guide-used-car-rule)
- [FTC vehicle repossession](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/vehicle-repossession)
- [NHTSA recall lookup](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls)

Recall, complaint and safety-rating figures on this page were retrieved from the federal databases above on August 19, 2026. Federal data changes — re-check any VIN before you rely on it.

---

*This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership.*

Canonical source: https://baronauto1.com/financing/drivetime-review/