Quick Verdict · who it fits
Valvoline Instant Oil Change fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature automotive concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$192K - $3.5M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$30K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 2–3% ad
Item 19 median rev
$1.89M company-operated centers
System size (Item 20)
1,071 +117
Agreement term
15 yrs
Years in business
38+ yrs
Company-owned units
976
Model Valvoline Instant Oil Change's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Financing available•No exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed
Data extracted from the 2025 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 6% + ad fund 2–3% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,890,000
$100k$3.5M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (2–3%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
2,039
Total units open
164
Units opened last year
117 franchised, 97 company-owned; net of reacquired/sold units
2 franchised units terminated
Units closed last year
162 units
Net unit growth
from 1,875 at start of FY2025 to 2,039 at end
What our analysis flagged across the 2025 filing.
4
Risks to review
5
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Valvoline Instant Oil Change ranks against 60 Automotive peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
48th pct · of 60 peers
Franchise fee
32nd pct · of 60 peers
System size
96th pct · of 60 peers
Automotive industry averages
Avg investment
$319K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$34K
Avg system size
196
Franchises analyzed
60
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valvoline Instant Oil Change | Disclosed | $30K | $192K - $3.5M | 6% | 1,071 |
| Prime Car WashSimilar price | Disclosed | $50K | $1.9M - $3.7M | — | 3 |
| Jiffy LubeBiggest system | None | $18K | — | 4% | 2,083 |
| Systemforward AmericaTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $118K - $191K | 7% | 309 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Mavis never acquired Big O Tires. It bought NTB and Tire Kingdom from TBC in 2023 and closed on Midas in June 2025. Big O is still a wholly-owned TBC subsidiary, and its FDD issued June 30, 2025 reports a $2,824,712.79 average across 457 stores.
Brand Analysis
Byrider franchise costs run $947,000 to $1,577,500 per the 2026 FDD, and most of that money never touches the building. It funds the loans you make to your own customers. Here's the full breakdown, including real Item 19 earnings by quartile.
Brand Analysis
Big O Tires runs 461 franchised stores and zero company-owned, charges a 3.5% to 5.0% royalty matrix, and does disclose Item 19: an average of $2,824,712.79 across 457 stores. It is a TBC brand, not a Mavis one. Here is what the FDD supports.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change requires a $30,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $192,375–$3,483,550, per the most recent FDD on file.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchises are sold by Valvoline Instant Oil Change Franchising, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Valvoline Instant Oil Change discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,894,490. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% of AGR and an advertising fund contribution of 2.0% to 3.0% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Valvoline Instant Oil Change has 1,071 total locations, with 117 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
No. Valvoline Instant Oil Change does not grant exclusive territory rights under Item 12. The franchisor retains the right to operate or grant additional units inside or adjacent to your trade area.
Per the FDD, Valvoline Instant Oil Change discloses an initial agreement term of 15 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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