Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Jiffy Lube, Take 5, Strickland Brothers Recognized in Franchise 500
Accolades continue to roll in for the quick lube industry’s leading brands. The following four operators were among the honorees in Entrepreneur’s 46th annual Franchise 500 rankings, which were released in January:
- Valvoline Instant Oil Change (No. 24)
- Jiffy Lube (84)
- Take 5 Oil Change (101)
- Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change (349)
Published annually since 1980, the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 ranks companies with at least 10 franchise units that are looking to expand in the United States and Canada. Franchisors were scored on 150 data points across key factors that include: cost and fees, size and growth, support, and brand strength.
Coming in at No. 24 overall, Valvoline Instant Oil Change was the highest ranked company across the broader automotive category. More than half of the company’s preventive auto maintenance service centers are operated by franchisees, according to a Valvoline news release. The company announced in December 2024 that it plans to expand its franchisee network to 250 new stores annually.
American Petroleum Institute Announces New Gasoline Engine Oil Standards
Formal approval has been granted for ILSAC GF-7A and GF-7B motor oils used in gasoline powered engines, the American Petroleum Institute announced in a recent press release.
The oils are the most recent of firmer performance specifications the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee is now requiring.
A new generation of gasoline engine oil standards, ILSAC GF-7 is designed to accommodate fuel economy and emissions reduction goals for model 2026 vehicles and beyond. As engine technology advances, the standards aim to meet changing EPA requirements through improved engine protection, fuel efficiency, and emission performance.
Launching alongside ILSAC GF-7 will be API’s latest engine oil performance standard, API SQ, which contains ultra-low-viscosity grades including SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12. All three of these gasoline engine oil standards will be licensed under API’s Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System as of March 31, 2025.
Additionally, API has noted that API SQ Resource Conserving will meet all ILSAC requirements, while API SQ without Resource Conserving is meant for oils not included in ILSAC OEM recommendations.
Licensed oils meeting the ILSAC GF-7A standard will be permitted to display API’s “Starburst” certification mark, and are able to be used where GF-6A or earlier gasoline engine oil standards are recommended.
Oils meeting the ILSAC GF-7B standard will be able to display API’s “Shield” certification mark, ensuring that only SAE 0W-16 oils are used where recommended.
Georgia Auto Technician: Lifetime Fluids are a Myth Reducing Transmission Lifespan
An automotive service technician with a huge TikTok following recently shared his thoughts on the existence of lifetime fluids in vehicles, reports MotorBiscuit.
Royalty Auto Service, a shop with two locations in Southeast Georgia, shared with its over 855,000 followers a 2013 Toyota Avalon that a customer brought in, after a dealership refused to work on its transmission, citing the presence of lifetime fluids.
“What do I think of that?” said a tech at the shop. “I think it is ‘lifetime fluid.’ I think engine oil is lifetime fluid—just leave it in there ‘till the engine blows up,” he joked.
The real question, the tech continued, is what can be done to extend the lifespan of a vehicle’s transmission. Though viewers of the shop’s TikTok have insisted that it’s incorrect to flush a transmission, Royalty Auto has been doing it for decades. The shop contends that servicing the fluid is crucial to making a transmission last longer, but that service providers just need to ensure they’re using the correct fluid for the transmission being worked on.
Additionally, the Toyota Avalon being worked on had just 103,000 miles. But for a vehicle with far higher mileage—reaching 200,000 or higher—that contains old fluid that’s already damaged the transmission, more will need to be done than a flush. At that point, the old oil would be too big of an issue for a flush to be performed.
Stonebriar Auto Services Expands Partnership With Revmo AI to Field Calls
Jiffy Lube franchisee Stonebriar Auto Services LLC is expanding its partnership with Revmo AI to more stores, according to a recent press release.
Beginning in October 2024, Stonebriar began using Revmo’s services to automate the process of answering phone calls and other incoming inquiries.
According to Revmo, the company has answered more than 50,000 inbound phone calls for Stonebriar, and claims it’s led to 23 new customers per month per location, as well as $6,000 in attributed top-line revenue related to customers completing service within 10 days of their call.
Ford Owners File Another Class Action Over EcoBoost Engines
A lawsuit surrounding Ford’s EcoBoost engines that was recently revived has now been followed up with a separate class action over another alleged issue with the engines.
According to CarBuzz, the suit covers Ford Bronco, Edge, Explorer, F-150, and Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus vehicles produced between May 1-Oct. 31, 2021, equipped with either the 2.7-liter or 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
Specifically, the lawsuit centers on intake valves that are allegedly faulty, and accuses Ford of not providing an adequate solution, and that those who purchased the vehicles were overcharged.
Last year, Ford issued a recall for these vehicles over the issue, and had dealers replace the EcoBoost engines with new assemblies containing intake valves with adequate hardness specifications. The automaker also provided recalled vehicles with an extended warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Despite this, the suit is arguing that Ford’s remedy was insufficient in fully replacing the defective parts. Additionally, plaintiffs Matthew Barkus and Dan Silberman have claimed they wouldn’t have purchased either of their vehicles, had they been aware of the problem; though both have yet to experience an issue with the intake valves themselves.
NAPA Launches 'Tools of the Trade' Resource Website
NAPA has launched a website with resources for aspiring or entry-level automotive technicians to familiarize themselves with aspects of the industry, according to a news release.
The Tools of the Trade website is the newest initiative from NAPA to help address the technician shortage and prepare techs for a fulfilling career. It was created to address the lack of information online for technicians, with much current information being paywalled, outdated, or hyper localized, the organization shared.
Resources provided by the newly-launched hub includes testimonials from automotive professionals, training and educational opportunities, roles currently available in a user’s area, scholarship opportunities, and career paths within NAPA.
Driven Brands Partners with New Creative Agency to Expand Take 5 Oil Change Marketing
Driven Brands has taken a slightly new direction with its advertising for not only Take 5 Oil Change, but all its brands, with several additions to its agency roster, reports AdAge.
Dagger, a marketing agency based in Atlanta, has been made the creative agency of record for Take 5 Oil and Take 5 Car Wash, as well as a roster agency for the rest of Driven Brands’ portfolio.
Other agencies will be joining Driven Brands’ roster as well, including Tombras and Mythic, the latter of which has previously worked on the Take 5 brand, as well as Maaco and Carstar.
Take 5 Oil Change VP of Marketing Mike DeTrana said the company’s recent search for outside agencies was motivated by the desire for a roster of agencies that could accommodate all of Driven Brands’ portfolio. It was a process that took around four months.
