I'm guessing that you relied on something you were told on the phone back when, without getting anything in writing and the loan went into default automatically when you missed those payments.
No way to tell. All I can suggest is that you call the lender's collection department now and see what you can arrange. Make sure you get the person's full name, position, and confirmation in writing whatever you agree to.
Go to www.annualcreditreport.com and pull any one of the three credit reports and see what your lender has reported.

