General Automotive Repair acquisitions in Tennessee: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 12 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as General Automotive Repair in Tennessee, totaling $10.2M. The median loan was $752,850. That is 1.9% of the 624 acquisition loans in Tennessee.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 12
- Median loan
- $752,850 (middle half $419,000 to $1,330,500)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Bank (17%, 2 loans)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 3
SBA lenders approved 12 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as General Automotive Repair in Tennessee from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $752,850 and a middle half of $419,000 to $1,330,500. Live Oak Bank made 17% of them. FY2026 had 3 loans.
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How General Automotive Repair in Tennessee compares
| Measure | General Automotive Repair in... | Tennessee, all industries | General Automotive Repair, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $752,850 | $807,000 | $562,500 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $419,000 to $1,330,500 | $350,000 to $1,701,750 | $300,000 to $1,077,400 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.64% | 7.90% | 7.87% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 12.5 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | n/a | 2.8% | 4.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 12 | 624 | 1,089 | 48,902 |
The median for General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee is $752,850, slightly below the $807,000 median for all Tennessee acquisitions, above the $562,500 median for General Automotive Repair acquisitions nationwide and above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $419,000 to $1,330,500, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 12.5 years, longer than the national median of 10 years; the average initial rate is 7.64%, in line with 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 | 25% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 33% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 42% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 0% | 17% |
Most General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee (58%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $1M to under $2M at 42%, against 19% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Bank made 17% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee, and the top three lenders together made 50%. 0 of the 9 lenders involved made three or more. Only 0 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, 6 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee were approved. Fewer than 10 loans were approved in FY2023 and FY2024, so no change is computed. The median was $590,200, below the $752,850 median across all years.
General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 2 | $812K | $406,000 | |
| FY2019 | 0 | $0 | - | |
| FY2020 | 0 | $0 | - | |
| FY2021 | 2 | $2.1M | $1,045,650 | |
| FY2022 | 1 | $1.3M | $1,250,000 | |
| FY2023 | 1 | $1.6M | $1,600,000 | |
| FY2024 | 0 | $0 | - | |
| FY2025 | 3 | $1.2M | $492,000 | |
| FY2026 | 3 | $3.3M | $1,500,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Fewer than 20 General Automotive Repair in Tennessee 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 Bank | 2 | 16.7% | $3.1M | |
| 2 | Pinnacle Bank | 2 | 16.7% | $812K | |
| 3 | Huntington Bank | 2 | 16.7% | $512K | |
| 4 | T Bank | 1 | 8.3% | $1.6M | |
| 5 | Celtic Bank | 1 | 8.3% | $1.3M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Precision Tune Auto Care | 3 | 25.0% | $1.2M | |
| 2 | Midas | 1 | 8.3% | $1.3M | |
| 3 | Honest1 Auto Care | 1 | 8.3% | $200K |
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for General Automotive Repair acquisitions in Tennessee run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $752,850 across 12 loans (FY2018 to FY2026). 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 Tennessee?
Live Oak Bank (2), Pinnacle Bank (2), Huntington Bank (2), T Bank (1), Celtic Bank (1).
How often do General Automotive Repair acquisition loans fail in Tennessee?
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 Tennessee?
6 of the 12 loans (50%) involved a franchise brand, most often Precision Tune Auto Care (3).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a General Automotive Repair business in Tennessee?
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 Tennessee was $752,850, and the middle half ran $419,000 to $1,330,500.
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 6 General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a General Automotive Repair business in Tennessee?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Bank (2), Pinnacle Bank (2), Huntington Bank (2), T Bank (1), Celtic Bank (1). Live Oak Bank made 17% of General Automotive Repair acquisition loans in Tennessee. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 8% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "General Automotive Repair in Tennessee: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/tn/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/tn/general-automotive-repair-811111.json.