General Automotive Repair acquisitions in Illinois: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 42 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as General Automotive Repair in Illinois, totaling $40.6M. The median loan was $737,500. That is 2.4% of the 1,779 acquisition loans in Illinois.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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How General Automotive Repair in Illinois compares
| Measure | General Automotive Repair in... | Illinois, all industries | General Automotive Repair, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $737,500 | $650,000 | $562,500 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $430,500 to $1,398,750 | $300,000 to $1,551,000 | $300,000 to $1,077,400 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.14% | 7.78% | 7.87% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 14.5 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | n/a | 4.5% | 4.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 42 | 1,779 | 1,089 | 48,902 |
The median for General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois is $737,500, slightly above the $650,000 median for all Illinois acquisitions, above the $562,500 median for General Automotive Repair acquisitions nationwide and slightly above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $430,500 to $1,398,750, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 14.5 years, longer than the national median of 10 years; the average initial rate is 8.14%, above the 7.76% national average.
Too few of these loans are old enough to measure a charge-off rate; the national rate for seasoned acquisition loans is 3.5%.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | General Automotive Repair in... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 17% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 48% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 26% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 10% | 17% |
Most General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois (64%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 48%, 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 31% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois, and the top three lenders together made 48%. 3 of the 20 lenders involved made three or more. Only 3 lenders have repeat experience here. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 18 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois were approved. That is 64% more than the 11 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $808,700, slightly above the $737,500 median across all years.
General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 1 | $688K | $688,000 | |
| FY2019 | 5 | $1.5M | $275,000 | |
| FY2020 | 1 | $2.7M | $2,720,000 | |
| FY2021 | 4 | $4M | $1,009,700 | |
| FY2022 | 2 | $2.4M | $1,220,000 | |
| FY2023 | 5 | $3.7M | $750,000 | |
| FY2024 | 6 | $7.6M | $1,133,500 | |
| FY2025 | 9 | $9.1M | $725,000 | |
| FY2026 | 9 | $8.9M | $877,200 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Fewer than 20 General Automotive Repair in Illinois acquisition loans are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no charge-off rate is shown. The benchmark across all SBA acquisition loans in the FY2018 to FY2021 cohort is 3.5% by count. 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.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 13 | 31.0% | $14.1M | |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 4 | 9.5% | $3.1M | |
| 3 | Citizens Bank | 3 | 7.1% | $3.1M | |
| 4 | Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association | 2 | 4.8% | $5M | |
| 5 | CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Association | 2 | 4.8% | $3.9M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meineke Car Care Center | 4 | 9.5% | $5.4M |
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for General Automotive Repair acquisitions in Illinois run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $737,500 across 42 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $430,500 and $1,398,750. 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 Illinois?
Live Oak Banking Company (13), The Huntington National Bank (4), Citizens Bank (3), Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association (2), CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Association (2). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do General Automotive Repair acquisition loans fail in Illinois?
Fewer than 20 loans in this combination are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no rate is shown. The national benchmark for all SBA acquisition loans is 3.5% (FY2018 to FY2021 cohort).
Are franchised businesses part of General Automotive Repair acquisitions in Illinois?
5 of the 42 loans (12%) involved a franchise brand, most often Meineke Car Care Center (4).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a General Automotive Repair business in Illinois?
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 Illinois was $737,500, and the middle half ran $430,500 to $1,398,750.
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 18 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a General Automotive Repair business in Illinois?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Banking Company (13), The Huntington National Bank (4), Citizens Bank (3), Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association (2), CenTrust Bank, A Division of SmartBiz Bank National Association (2). Live Oak Banking Company made 31% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Illinois. 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.
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 2% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "General Automotive Repair in Illinois: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/il/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/il/general-automotive-repair-811111.json.