Equipment Financing Denial Data: What Public Sources Show

There is no defensible auto-shop denial rate in the public benchmark

The available public source does not support an auto-repair-equipment denial rate. The Federal Reserve Banks' 2026 Report on Employer Firms covers 6,525 employer firms across industries and financing products. It is a convenience sample rather than a random industry study. Its results can provide national small-business context, but they cannot be relabeled as an auto-shop approval or denial probability.

What the survey can support

The report can support transparent questions about documentation, existing obligations, collateral, business performance, and the amount requested. It cannot predict one application. It also cannot show whether a lift, diagnostic system, tire-service machine, or used asset will qualify under a particular provider's policies.

Avoid false precision

Do not combine search impressions, lead counts, survey responses, and financing decisions. They measure different populations and events. A query impression records visibility in search; it does not identify a borrower or outcome. A lead submission is not an approval. A national survey response is not a decision on an auto-shop equipment request.

Use a documented review instead

Reconcile business records, list all current obligations, document the equipment and seller, separate fixed assets from operating costs, and explain the repayment source using current shop activity. Compare complete contracts and run a downside case for slower utilization or delayed installation.

For the published figures and chart methodology, use Equipment Financing Approval Trends. For preparation steps, use How to Qualify for Auto Repair Equipment Financing.