SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ARIZONA
Carstar franchise in Arizona: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Carstar in Arizona have taken 5 SBA loans since 1991 (average $1,141,520)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 6.1% is the better guide.
Loans in AZ
5
Resolved
3
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
6.1%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = AZ. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor of 30 loans.
Businesses in this industry
2,078
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
27.4
national 30.2
Versus the country
-9%
thinner
Every business in Carstar's industry operating in Arizona — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in AZ | Local charge-off | Units in AZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron (Gas Station) | 27 | 22.2% | — |
| Exxon | 22 | thin | — |
| Maaco Auto Painting Center | 22 | 0.0% | — |
| Christian Brothers Automotive | 13 | thin | — |
| Cottman Transmission | 13 | 38.5% | — |
| Meineke | 13 | 0.0% | — |
| Midas Muffler Shop | 11 | thin | — |
| Arco (Gas Station) | 10 | thin | — |
| Grease Monkey | 10 | thin | — |
| Aamco Transmissions | 9 | thin | — |
| Texaco Service Station | 9 | thin | — |
| Shell Service Station | 8 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Carstar compares to the systems a buyer in Arizona would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Carstar's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →