How much is a Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care franchise? $192,199 – $230,499 to open, per its disclosure filings
$192,199 – $230,499
Opening a Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care franchise takes $192,199 – $230,499 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $37,500. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 8% on sales. To qualify, Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care asks for $50,000 in liquid cash and a $100,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $37,500 | $37,500 | $37,500 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $192,199 | $230,499 | $192,199 to $230,499 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $192,199 | $230,499 | $192,199 to $230,499 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 8% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 15 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $192,199 – $230,499 range is derived from Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 8% on sales, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care's disclosed cost sits against the Auto & Travel category:
- Minimum startup cost of $192,199 — about in line with the Auto & Travel median of $177,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $37,500 — about in line with the Auto & Travel median of $33,740.
Category medians are computed from the Auto & Travel brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Auto & Travel franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care franchise fee?
$37,500, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care charge?
A royalty of 8% on sales, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care franchise?
Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care's filings ask for $50,000 in liquid cash and a $100,000 minimum net worth (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.