Yes, there absolutely are. And that should be a relief to anyone who’s gone through the stress, frustration, and discouragement of an auto repossession. Here are a few things to understand about financing a car after you’ve been through a repossession.

First of all, your credit will have be negatively affected by the repo, which means most credit unions and banks aren’t going to want much to do with you. So not only are there dealerships who will lend to you – they’re likely your only option. Before you visit or even contact any dealers, do some homework on the internet to make some decisions about which car is right for you. It’s a mistake to start shopping for cars before you know what you want, what you actually need, and most importantly – what you can afford.

What a tragedy it would be for you to go to some used car lot and have the salesman tell you to buy a huge, gas-guzzling SUV, and then finance you at 25% interest so you can leave with it that day. That would probably leave you just as badly off as you were before, and you’d probably be on the fast track to another repossession. Here are three ideas for making sure you never have to go through the stress of a repossession again:

1. Make a BIG down payment – as much as 50% of the purchase price of the car. There are several benefits to forcing yourself to come up with a big down payment. First of all, your payments will be small and more manageable. Second, saving the money for the down payment will force you to exercise personal financial discipline.

2. Buy something SMALLER. Even if you have three kids, you don’t need an SUV! Even if you have to cart around three or four kids at a time, get a nice used minivan. Guess what? They’re cheaper to drive, cheaper to insure, and cheaper to maintain than a big SUV.

3. Buy from a reputable dealership. Many smaller car lots advertise that they’ll finance anyone, and they will, but it’s not going to be in your best interest to borrow from them. They’re going to require a huge down payment AND charge you 22% to 26% interest on the loan. When your payment becomes unmanageable, they’ll repo the car again and then try to sell it back to you. It’s a vicious cycle.

Your best bet is to work with a dealership attached to a major auto manufacturer. Their goal is to get you into a car that’s reliable and affordable, not put you on the repo merry go round.