What to do when a Bridgecrest account holder dies

No. An auto loan is a debt, not an asset, so there is no payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. When the borrower dies, the obligation becomes part of the estate. The estate resolves it by paying off the balance, refinancing, selling the vehicle, or surrendering it. Only the vehicle itself — not the loan — passes to an heir, and only after the lien is satisfied and the title is released.

Bridgecrest asks for the death certificate for the deceased borrower and the account number. To establish authority over the estate, it may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (certified court-issued documents showing legal authority) or, for a small estate, a small estate affidavit used when the estate's total assets fall under the dollar limit set by state statute. Bridgecrest does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form, so the estate representative sends a written notice with these documents or reports the death by phone.

The debt is not automatically forgiven. If the vehicle is surrendered or repossessed and later sold, any shortfall between the sale price and the balance owed (the deficiency) is a claim against the estate. Whether that deficiency is pursued or waived is decided by the loan owner — DriveTime, Carvana, or a third-party holder — and administered by Bridgecrest. A surviving co-borrower remains fully responsible for the debt. An authorized-user or reference relationship, by contrast, does not make someone liable for the loan.

It depends on whether the borrower purchased Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) or a similar voluntary product at the time of financing. GAP is meant to cover the difference between what the primary auto insurance pays and the amount still owed if the vehicle is a total loss; it does not pay off a loan simply because the borrower died. Check the original financing documents for a GAP addendum or ask Bridgecrest whether the account carries it before assuming any coverage applies.

Call Bridgecrest Customer Service at 1-800-967-8526, Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST, Friday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST, and Saturday 8:00 AM to Noon PST, and request the exact payoff amount before sending funds. Written notice and documents can be mailed to Bridgecrest Customer Service, P.O. Box 53087, Phoenix, AZ 85072, or emailed to customerservice@bridgecrest.com. Include the Bridgecrest account number so the death certificate and any estate documents are matched to the account.