Franchise Failure Rates

SBA 7(a) loan outcomes · FY2010–FY2019 cohort · Statuses as of June 30, 2026 · Last updated August 17, 2026

1-800-RADIATOR Franchise Failure Rate: 10.0% SBA Loan Defaults (2010–2019 Federal Data)

10.0%
charge-off rate on 20 SBA 7(a) loans to 1-800-RADIATOR franchisees, FY2010–2019
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 — 1-800-RADIATOR against its industry and all franchises
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: 1-800-RADIATOR 10.0%; Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers 8.2%; All franchises 10.2%1-800-RADIATOR 10.0%; Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers 8.2%; All franchises 10.2%0%2%4%6%8%10%1-800-RADIATOR10.0%Motor Vehicle Suppliesand New Parts Merchant8.2%All franchises10.2%
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: 1-800-RADIATOR 10.0%; Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers 8.2%; All franchises 10.2%1-800-RADIATOR 10.0%; Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers 8.2%; All franchises 10.2%0%2%4%6%8%10%1-800-RADIATOR10.0%Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers8.2%All franchises10.2%

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.

About 1 in 10 1-800-RADIATOR SBA borrowers failed to repay — above the Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers average of 8.2%.

Between 2010 and 2019, 20 1-800-RADIATOR franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 2 defaulted — a 10.0% charge-off rate, 1.2x the Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers average of 8.2%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

What is the 1-800-RADIATOR franchise failure rate on SBA loans?

1-800-RADIATOR is a Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to 1-800-RADIATOR franchisees: 20 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 2 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.

How does 1-800-RADIATOR compare with other Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers franchises?

The table sets 1-800-RADIATOR's charge-off rate beside its Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.

1-800-RADIATOR versus benchmarks, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset.
Measure1-800-RADIATORMotor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant WholesalersAll franchisesAll SBA borrowers
Default (charge-off) rate10.0%8.2%10.2%8.0%
Loans in sample20———
Defaults2———
Average loan size$359,225———
Charge-off rate by approval year — share of each fiscal year's 1-800-RADIATOR SBA 7(a) loans that later defaulted (FY2010–FY2019); years with fewer than 10 loans are outlined, not filled
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 3 loans; FY2012 33% of 6 loans; FY2013 0% of 2 loans; FY2014 0% of 2 loans; FY2016 0% of 6 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 3 loans; FY2012 33% of 6 loans; FY2013 0% of 2 loans; FY2014 0% of 2 loans; FY2016 0% of 6 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loans0%5%10%0%2010n=333%2012n=60%2013n=20%2014n=20%2016n=60%2017n=1
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 3 loans; FY2012 33% of 6 loans; FY2013 0% of 2 loans; FY2014 0% of 2 loans; FY2016 0% of 6 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 3 loans; FY2012 33% of 6 loans; FY2013 0% of 2 loans; FY2014 0% of 2 loans; FY2016 0% of 6 loans; FY2017 0% of 1 loans0%5%10%0%’10n=333%’12n=60%’13n=20%’14n=20%’16n=60%’17n=1

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.

Show the numbers behind this chart
Fiscal yearLoansCharged offRate
FY2010300.0%
FY20126233.3%
FY2013200.0%
FY2014200.0%
FY2016600.0%
FY2017100.0%

How to read this

A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.

How reliable is this number?

1-800-RADIATOR's figure rests on 20 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019 — a matured cohort, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 20 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 5.0 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every 1-800-RADIATOR figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.

Based on 20 resolved loans — directional, not precise.

Frequently asked

What is 1-800-RADIATOR's franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Between 2010 and 2019, 20 1-800-RADIATOR franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 2 defaulted — a 10.0% charge-off rate, 1.2x the Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers average of 8.2%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Is 1-800-RADIATOR a safe franchise investment?
Between 2010–2019, 1-800-RADIATOR franchisees defaulted on SBA loans at 10.0% versus a 8.2% industry average. This data is one input for due diligence; it is not investment advice.

Cite this page

Franchise Default Rates (2026). 1-800-RADIATOR franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 10.0% (2 of 20 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/1-800-radiator/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)