General Automotive Repair: SBA business acquisition loan data
1,089 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2018 financed the purchase of an existing business classified as General Automotive Repair (NAICS 811111), totaling $875M. Median loan $562,500, 13% lower than the all-acquisition median. Annual volume rose 44% from FY2024 to FY2026.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 1,089
- Median loan
- $562,500 (middle half $300,000 to $1,077,400)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (16%, 178 loans)
- Top state
- California
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 4.4% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 171 (+8% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 1,089 7(a) loans to buy businesses in the General Automotive Repair industry from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $562,500 and a middle half of $300,000 to $1,077,400. Live Oak Banking Company made 16% of them. FY2026 had 171 loans, up 8% from FY2025.
Financing one? Read the guide: How to get an SBA loan to buy an auto repair shop
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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Reading this industry's numbers
- Deal size. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital. A loan request far above $1,077,400 would be in the top quarter of SBA acquisition loans in this industry.
- Share of all acquisitions. This industry is 2.2% of all SBA-financed business purchases, ranking #6 of 300 industries tracked.
- Geography. California leads with 119 loans; the top five states account for 35% of the industry's acquisitions.
- Jobs. Lenders reported 8,495 jobs supported across these loans, about 7.8 per acquisition, a rough proxy for the size of business changing hands.
How the General Automotive Repair industry compares
| Measure | General Automotive Repair | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $562,500 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $300,000 to $1,077,400 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.87% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 4.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 1,089 | 48,902 |
The median for General Automotive Repair acquisition loans is $562,500, slightly below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $300,000 to $1,077,400, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 7.87%, in line with the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 4.4%, above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | General Automotive Repair | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 29% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 44% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 20% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 7% | 17% |
Most General Automotive Repair acquisition loans (73%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 44%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Banking Company made 16% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 25%. 94 of the 333 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 330 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans were approved. That is 40% more than the 236 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $725,000, above the $562,500 median across all years.
General Automotive Repair acquisitions by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 73 | $39.9M | $462,000 | |
| FY2019 | 114 | $62.8M | $410,000 | |
| FY2020 | 99 | $62.9M | $459,000 | |
| FY2021 | 122 | $92.2M | $600,000 | |
| FY2022 | 115 | $98.6M | $560,000 | |
| FY2023 | 117 | $87.9M | $570,200 | |
| FY2024 | 119 | $107M | $659,100 | |
| FY2025 | 159 | $153M | $688,400 | |
| FY2026 | 171 | $171M | $765,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 408 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 18 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 4.4% by loan count and 1.8% by dollars. 191 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, the charge-off rate across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort is 3.5%, so General Automotive Repair is 25% higher than the acquisition-loan average. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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Top states
| # | State | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 119 | 10.9% | $92.3M | |
| 2 | Texas | 112 | 10.3% | $112M | |
| 3 | Florida | 65 | 6.0% | $62.9M | |
| 4 | Minnesota | 47 | 4.3% | $22.9M | |
| 5 | Illinois | 42 | 3.9% | $40.6M | |
| 6 | Colorado | 41 | 3.8% | $34.4M | |
| 7 | Arizona | 39 | 3.6% | $42.7M | |
| 8 | Washington | 38 | 3.5% | $42.6M | |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.5% | $30.8M | |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 35 | 3.2% | $27.6M |
Most active lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 178 | 16.3% | $197M | |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 62 | 5.7% | $41.5M | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 27 | 2.5% | $18.7M | |
| 4 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 17 | 1.6% | $5M | |
| 5 | Midwest Regional Bank | 15 | 1.4% | $10.6M | |
| 6 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 15 | 1.4% | $9.5M | |
| 7 | Plumas Bank | 14 | 1.3% | $8.4M | |
| 8 | BayFirst National Bank | 14 | 1.3% | $5.7M | |
| 9 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 13 | 1.2% | $14.1M | |
| 10 | Byline Bank | 12 | 1.1% | $8M |
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Franchise brands in General Automotive Repair
13% of acquisition loans in this industry involved a franchised unit. Brands with the most SBA-financed resales:
| # | Brand | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midas | 35 | 24.6% | $24.3M | |
| 2 | Meineke Car Care Center | 26 | 18.3% | $22.2M | |
| 3 | AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care | 16 | 11.3% | $16.1M | |
| 4 | Christian Brothers Automotive | 11 | 7.7% | $9.6M | |
| 5 | Tuffy Tire & Auto Service | 7 | 4.9% | $5.3M | |
| 6 | NAPA AutoCare | 7 | 4.9% | $5M | |
| 7 | Precision Tune Auto Care | 6 | 4.2% | $3.1M | |
| 8 | Honest1 Auto Care | 5 | 3.5% | $2.4M | |
| 9 | Big O Tires | 4 | 2.8% | $4.1M | |
| 10 | Grease Monkey | 3 | 2.1% | $1.8M | |
| 11 | Carstar | 2 | 1.4% | $1.5M | |
| 12 | Maaco | 1 | 0.7% | $1.1M | |
| 13 | Tire Pros | 1 | 0.7% | $756K | |
| 14 | Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change | 1 | 0.7% | $660K |
Questions buyers ask
How much is a typical SBA loan to buy a business in General Automotive Repair?
Median $562,500 across 1,089 acquisition loans (FY2018 to FY2026); the middle half ran $300,000 to $1,077,400. That is 13% lower than the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions.
Which lenders finance the most General Automotive Repair acquisitions?
Live Oak Banking Company (178), The Huntington National Bank (62), U.S. Bank, National Association (27), Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (17), Midwest Regional Bank (15).
Are businesses in General Automotive Repair often franchised?
Sometimes. 13% of SBA acquisition loans in this industry financed a franchised unit. Top brands: Midas, Meineke Car Care Center, AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care, Christian Brothers Automotive, Tuffy Tire & Auto Service.
How risky are SBA loans for buying a business in General Automotive Repair?
Of 408 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), 4.4% charged off, 25% higher than the 3.5% benchmark for all SBA acquisition loans.
What loan terms are common for General Automotive Repair acquisitions?
Median term 10 years, average initial rate 7.87% at approval (blended across years and fixed/variable structures). Terms longer than 10 years usually indicate real estate was included in the purchase.
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a business in the General Automotive Repair industry?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for General Automotive Repair acquisition loans was $562,500, and the middle half ran $300,000 to $1,077,400.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 330 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a business in the General Automotive Repair industry?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Banking Company (178), The Huntington National Bank (62), U.S. Bank, National Association (27), Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (17), Midwest Regional Bank (15). Live Oak Banking Company made 16% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
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Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "General Automotive Repair: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/industry/general-automotive-repair-811111 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/industry/general-automotive-repair-811111.json.