Auto Select Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Auto Select is an automotive franchise providing auto repair, diagnostics, and maintenance. Franchisees run the service centers, managing technicians, service, and customer flow.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Auto Select franchise requires a total initial investment of $110K – $160K, including a $3K franchise fee. The 2009 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2009 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $110K – $160K
- 16th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 0 outlets
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- N/A
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Automotive avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $110K – $160K including a $3K franchise fee.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 20/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Auto Select, Inc.
- CEO title
- Owner and President
- Michael J. Molitor, Sr.
- Incorporated in
- WI
- HQ
- 614 Lances Circle, Hatley, WI 54440
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael J. Molitor, Sr.
- Headquarters
- WI
- Founded
- 2000
- FDD year
- 2009
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 86% below the typical automotive franchise.
Source: FDD 2009 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $3K | $3K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses During Training | $2K | $2K | |
| Real Estate Rent + Security Deposit or Mortgage Purchase | $3K | $5K | |
| Opening Inventory | $20K | $30K | |
| Equipment, Signs, Small Tools and Freight | $80K | $120K | |
| Computer System | $2K | $3K | |
| Administrative Supplies | $1K | $1K | |
| Insurance | $900 | $1K | |
| Pre-paid Expenses | $1K | $2K | |
| Working Capital | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $117K | $176K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $110K – $160K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $3K – $3K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of $700 or 5% of Gross Receipts (weekly)
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Inventory (initial) | $20K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2009 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Auto Select did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Auto Select unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
89%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2009 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% — below the Automotive average of 9.3%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Automotive averages
How Auto Select Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- N/A
- Opened
- N/A
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
No multi-year history disclosed and no opening/closing activity in the last reporting year.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Auto Select presents HIGH RISK due to franchisor going concern status, active litigation, undisclosed financials, unknown unit economics, and lack of territorial protection — suggesting a financially distressed and legally vulnerable system.
Litigation (Item 3)
XP Investments, LLC, Alphonse Marciulionis, Jr. and Maria Marciulionis v. Auto Select, Inc. and Michael J. Molitor, Sr.; Marathon County Case No. 19 CV 417
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
No person previously identified has been involved as a debtor in proceedings under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 20 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE — indicates financial distress or operational instability at corporate level
- 02HIGHActive litigation involving franchisor (Michael J. Molitor, Sr.) and parent entity raises governance and legal risk concerns
- 03MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed — inability to assess unit-level profitability or ROI on $110k-$160k investment
- 04MINORUnknown unit count and growth trajectory — suggests shrinking or stagnant system with poor transparency
- 05MINORNo protected territory — franchisees face direct competition from other franchisees and corporate encroachment
- 06MINORRoyalty structure (greater of $700/month or 5%) creates high fixed costs on low-margin service business
- 07MINORMinimal franchise fee ($2,500) relative to total investment may indicate franchisor capital constraints or desperation
- 08MED10-year term is long-duration commitment with no disclosed break-even timeline or exit strategy
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2009 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 90 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Wisconsin |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | WI |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
XP Investments, LLC, Alphonse Marciulionis, Jr. and Maria Marciulionis v. Auto Select, Inc. and Michael J. Molitor, Sr.; Marathon County Case No. 19 CV 417
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Auto Select · FDD (2009) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Auto Select franchise?
The total investment to open a Auto Select franchise ranges from $110K – $160K, with an initial franchise fee of $3K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Auto Select franchise owners earn?
Auto Select does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Auto Select FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Auto Select FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Auto Select's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Auto Select (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
Is Auto Select a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Auto Select as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 20 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Auto Select, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.