Start a Merlin Complete Auto Care Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $262K - $531K

Units as of 2022: 24 14% over 3 years

Merlin Complete Auto Care was founded in North Carolina in 1975. The primary goal of Merlin Complete Auto Care is to offer maintenance services and preemptive auto repair to vehicles so they can last longer. Merlin Complete Auto Care focuses on durable relationships with its customers and their vehicles. The company has been franchising since 1975 and has opened several franchises throughout the United States.

Merlin Complete Auto Care offers its clients what it calls DRIVE FOR 200,000. They say that this is a complete automotive care plan aiming its attention at long-term vehicle maintenance. This maintenance will be performed by Merlin Complete Auto Care specialists. The program may consist of scheduled maintenance, regular inspections, and preemptive replacements.

Why You May Want to Start a Merlin Complete Auto Care Franchise

To own a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise, it is not necessary to have previous experience in the automobile industry. However, franchisees should have good communication and customer service skills. They should also be good leaders as they will be expected to work with their employees at their Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise location.

When opening a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise, the franchisee will receive:

Several dozen hours of on-the-job training.
Many hours of classroom training.
Ongoing support covering field operations, online support, site selection, franchisee intranet platform, meetings, and conventions.
Broad marketing support covering national media, regional advertising, marketing planning, and website development.

What Might Make a Merlin Complete Auto Care Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise could offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that may struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

To be part of the Merlin Complete Auto Care team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Merlin Complete Auto Care Franchise

To open a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise, you should be prepared to hire several employees. Merlin Complete Auto Care is offering exclusive territories, which may give franchisees a better chance at success.

As you decide if opening a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement with Merlin Complete Auto Care, it is crucial that you perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Merlin Complete Auto Care franchising team questions.

Company Overview

About Merlin Complete Auto Care

Industry	Automotive
Related Categories	Automotive Repair & Maintenance Services
Founded	1975
Parent Company	Driven Brands
Leadership	Jonathan Fitzpatrick, CEO
Corporate Address	440 S. Church St., #700 Charlotte, NC 28202
Social	Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1975 (50 years)
# of employees at HQ	4
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	24 (as of 2022)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Merlin Complete Auto Care franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$30,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$262,300 - $531,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$110,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$10,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6.9%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	15 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Merlin Complete Auto Care has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	47 hours
Classroom Training	97 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes