First Horizon Auto Loan and CARFAX: What the Bank Requires in 2026

First Horizon doesn't supply a history report, and its used-car loan rules are strict. Who can apply, what it won't finance, and why a branded title kills the loan.

CheapCarfaxAutocheck Editorial Team

Vehicle History Research Team

First Horizon Bank does not mention a free CARFAX or AutoCheck report anywhere on its auto loan page, and it doesn't say it requires one either. What it does spell out, as of October 17, 2026, is a strict list of what it will finance: dealer purchases only, used cars four years old or newer, loans from $10,000 to $75,000, and no salvaged titles. So if you're borrowing from First Horizon, the history report is your job, and a branded title can sink the loan outright.

I read First Horizon's auto loan page and its online application questionnaire on Saturday evening, October 17, 2026. Neither page lists an interest rate, so I won't guess one here. If a site quotes you a "First Horizon auto rate" with no date on it, treat that number as stale until the bank confirms it.

What First Horizon will and won't finance

The rules on the First Horizon auto loans page are tighter than many buyers expect. The loan runs from $10,000 to $75,000, and the bank finances up to 90% of the value. For a used car, value means the lower of the NADA trade value or the purchase price plus tax, tag and licensing. Terms run 12 to 60 months, and only loans of $50,000 or more can stretch to 72 months, and then only on collateral three years old or newer.

The used-car rule is the big one. First Horizon defines a used auto as previously titled and four years old or less, and the application page words it as no more than four model years old. It won't finance motorcycles, ATVs, kit cars or salvaged titles, and it doesn't allow individual-to-individual sales, so a private-party deal off Marketplace is out. Purchases and no-cash-out refinances are fine. You also need proof of collision and other physical damage coverage, and warranties, extended maintenance contracts and dealer-sold GAP can't be rolled into the loan, though dealer add-ons are allowed if they're spelled out in the sales contract.

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Who can apply

The online application questionnaire says you need to be an existing First Horizon customer, a U.S. citizen, at least 18, and a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Virginia, or of certain New York counties including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester. Dealer purchases need a buyer's order, and a refinance needs the current registration and the VIN. If you aren't already a Digital Banking user, the loan page says to call 800-615-1933.

On the bank itself, I found no announced merger to warn you about right now. First Horizon's third-quarter 2026 results release, out October 15, reported a $94 million net loss to common shareholders, tied mainly to moving about $4.5 billion of lower-yielding mortgages toward a sale. That's a balance-sheet move, and it doesn't change the car loan terms above. Compare that with Comerica, which disappeared into Fifth Third this year; our Comerica auto loan post covers that mess.

Why the history report still matters

Because the bank lends against the car, a hidden title brand is your problem twice. If a dealer sells you a three-year-old SUV that turns out to carry a salvage history, you've overpaid and you may not be able to finance it with First Horizon at all. And because value is capped at the lower of NADA trade value or price, a car with accident damage that drags its value down can leave a gap you have to cover in cash.

Dealers sometimes hand over a free report with the buyer's order, and that's a decent start. Check that it matches the VIN on the car and isn't months old; our post on whether a dealership's free AutoCheck is enough walks through the gaps. Then search the VIN in NMVTIS for salvage and junk brands, since that's the exact thing First Horizon refuses to finance. For how two other Southern banks handle it, see our Regions auto loan and Truist auto loan posts.

CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller with no affiliation to CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or First Horizon. If you're paying for a report yourself in mid October 2026, guest pricing is about $5.50, members pay near $4.50 and the CARFAX-plus-AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, where the same reports usually cost $39.99 to $44.99 direct. Whatever checkout shows is the real price.