According to dealers, you may have a hard time getting a car loan these days, unless of course you are Bill Gates.

It isn’t the high fuel prices that are discouraging people from buying vehicles, carmakers say, it’s consumers’ inability to get car loans that is causing them to leave showrooms without making a purchase.

Credit is tight, and many banks have to tread water because they already carry too many mortgages that are high-risk.  This is causing them to shy away from additional auto loans.  And when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on Monday, troubles with credit puffed up.

Gas costing $4 per gallon did change the types of cars that consumers buy.  People are looking for small, fuel-efficient cars with a good auto warranty.  However, the credit crunch has changed people’s ability to make a car purchase.  When motorists do get approved for a loan, it’s often for less money than they hoped for.