A car dealership didnt file the paperwork on time on our trade-in. It ruined our credit. Is it possible to clear it up?

How did failling to file "paperwork" on time ruin your credit? Are you referring to processing the loan payoff on your trade-in? The dealership didn't payoff the old lien in time, and the bank assessed you late fees or reported you as late pay on your credit report? If that's the case, contact the lender in writing and dispute the report since the dealership should have processed the payoff in time.

There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that unfortunately, this is something the bank does not have to correct - if the car dealer, who you technically designated as your agent for purposes of paying off this loan, failed to pay it timely, then it is an accurate credit reporting that you can not force the bank to remove. The good news is that you are not without recourse. If the car dealer's failure to pay the loan on time impacted your credit, you would be damaged and would entitled to bring an action against the dealership. It is possible that the dealer has a relationship with the bank such that they can get the bank to agree to remove the derogatory reporting. If they are a reputable dealership, they will at least try. If they can not, you should consult an attorney who specializes in consumer credit matters to assist you. Good luck.

I want to drive home what the others have said. Without more specifics, we are guessing as to the actual issue.