General Automotive Repair acquisitions in California: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 119 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as General Automotive Repair in California, totaling $92.3M. The median loan was $498,500. That is 2.3% of the 5,184 acquisition loans in California.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 119
- Median loan
- $498,500 (middle half $293,550 to $851,250)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (29%, 34 loans)
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 6.8% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 13 (-7% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 119 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as General Automotive Repair in California from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $498,500 and a middle half of $293,550 to $851,250. Live Oak Banking Company made 29% of them. FY2026 had 13 loans, down 7% from FY2025.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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How General Automotive Repair in California compares
| Measure | General Automotive Repair in... | California, all industries | General Automotive Repair, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $498,500 | $600,000 | $562,500 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $293,550 to $851,250 | $296,225 to $1,395,000 | $300,000 to $1,077,400 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.24% | 7.87% | 7.87% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 6.8% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 119 | 5,184 | 1,089 | 48,902 |
The median for General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California is $498,500, below the $600,000 median for all California acquisitions, slightly below the $562,500 median for General Automotive Repair acquisitions nationwide and below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $293,550 to $851,250, 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 8.24%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 6.8%, well above the 4.1% rate for all California acquisitions, well above the 4.4% rate for General Automotive Repair acquisitions nationwide and well above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | General Automotive Repair in... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 30% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 49% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 13% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 8% | 17% |
Most General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California (79%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 49%, 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 29% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California, and the top three lenders together made 42%. 11 of the 42 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, 27 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California were approved. That is 16% fewer than the 32 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $652,900, above the $498,500 median across all years.
General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 10 | $2.8M | $185,250 | |
| FY2019 | 17 | $8.7M | $413,200 | |
| FY2020 | 6 | $3.7M | $477,000 | |
| FY2021 | 11 | $11.7M | $952,000 | |
| FY2022 | 16 | $19.5M | $435,000 | |
| FY2023 | 15 | $6.9M | $360,000 | |
| FY2024 | 17 | $14.5M | $609,400 | |
| FY2025 | 14 | $12.2M | $684,500 | |
| FY2026 | 13 | $12.2M | $652,900 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 44 General Automotive Repair in California acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 3 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 6.8% by loan count and 2.4% by dollars. 22 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 in California is 94% 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.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 34 | 28.6% | $39.3M | |
| 2 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 9 | 7.6% | $1.6M | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 7 | 5.9% | $4.2M | |
| 4 | Plumas Bank | 7 | 5.9% | $3.9M | |
| 5 | Port 51 Lending LLC | 4 | 3.4% | $3.1M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midas | 6 | 5.0% | $2.7M | |
| 2 | Meineke Car Care Center | 3 | 2.5% | $2.4M | |
| 3 | Big O Tires | 1 | 0.8% | $2.4M | |
| 4 | AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care | 1 | 0.8% | $511K | |
| 5 | Precision Tune Auto Care | 1 | 0.8% | $300K |
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for General Automotive Repair acquisitions in California run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $498,500 across 119 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $293,550 and $851,250. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance General Automotive Repair acquisitions in California?
Live Oak Banking Company (34), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (9), U.S. Bank, National Association (7), Plumas Bank (7), Port 51 Lending LLC (4). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do General Automotive Repair acquisition loans fail in California?
6.8% of 44 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021) were charged off, against 3.5% for all SBA acquisition loans. With a sample this size, treat the figure as a direction, not a precise rate.
Are franchised businesses part of General Automotive Repair acquisitions in California?
15 of the 119 loans (13%) involved a franchise brand, most often Midas (6).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a General Automotive Repair business in California?
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 in California was $498,500, and the middle half ran $293,550 to $851,250.
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 27 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a General Automotive Repair business in California?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Banking Company (34), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (9), U.S. Bank, National Association (7), Plumas Bank (7), Port 51 Lending LLC (4). Live Oak Banking Company made 29% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in California. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
Request Engagement AssessmentAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
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Related
- All California acquisitions
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 1% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "General Automotive Repair in California: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/ca/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/state/ca/general-automotive-repair-811111.json.