Solar Loan Problems — What Homeowners Report and What You Can Do (2026)

Millions of American homeowners have financed solar installations through lenders like GoodLeap, Mosaic, Sunlight Financial, and Dividend Finance. These solar-specific loan products have made solar accessible to homeowners who couldn't pay cash — but they've also become the vehicle for one of the most widespread forms of solar consumer fraud: the undisclosed dealer fee. Here's what you need to know about solar loan problems and what you can do about them.

The Dealer Fee Problem: How It Works

Here's how solar dealer fees work in practice. A solar sales rep quotes you a system price of $35,000. You agree. When the financing documents are prepared — typically through GoodLeap or Mosaic — the loan is structured for $52,000. The $17,000 difference is a dealer fee that the solar company collects from the lender as additional profit on the transaction. It is added to your loan principal, which you'll pay interest on for the loan's entire term. For a 25-year loan at 6.99%, a $15,000 undisclosed dealer fee costs you approximately $28,000 in total payments.

Many homeowners never discover this until they request a payoff quote, refinance their home, or look closely at their loan documents. The system cost and loan amount are often presented on separate documents, making the discrepancy easy to miss. Solar companies and their lenders have structured this deliberately to obscure the fee.

Which Solar Lenders Are Most Involved?

GoodLeap is the largest solar-specific lender in the country and is involved in the majority of dealer fee complaints. GoodLeap complaints involving dealer fees span nearly every state where solar is sold. Mosaic Solar Loans (now part of a broader consumer lending platform) has also accumulated significant dealer fee complaints. Sunlight Financial and Dividend Finance are smaller but follow similar patterns.

The solar installers most commonly associated with large dealer fees include Freedom Forever, Sunrun, Momentum Solar, and many regional installers. In some cases, dealer fees reach 40-50% of the stated system cost.

Other Common Solar Loan Problems

Beyond dealer fees, solar loan complaints involve: APR misrepresentation (quoting a nominal rate while obscuring the effective APR with fees); the tax credit trap (sales reps telling homeowners they "have to" use their federal tax credit to pay down the loan or the rate jumps, without clearly disclosing this in writing); balloon payment provisions that aren't clearly explained; and loan terms that are longer than the expected system life. See the complete guide on solar loan balloon payment traps.

Your Legal Remedies for Solar Loan Problems

Undisclosed dealer fees may violate the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), which requires clear disclosure of all financing costs. State consumer protection laws — including the California DFPI's regulations, the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, and similar statutes — also have provisions applicable to solar loan disclosures. The CFPB has been investigating solar lending practices and has issued guidance on dealer fee disclosure requirements.

File a CFPB complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint — CFPB complaints about GoodLeap and Mosaic have produced responses in many cases. Also file with your state AG and with state financial regulators. Learn more about GoodLeap dealer fees explained and your specific options.

What to Do Next

If your solar loan balance is higher than the system cost you were quoted, get your loan documents reviewed immediately. A free review at breakyoursolarcontract.com will identify whether your dealer fee situation constitutes a disclosure violation and what your options are.