Satisfaction with Dealer Service Remains High but Owners Face Long Appointment Wait Times and Communication Shortfalls, J.D. Power Finds

March 13, 2025 at 08:00 AM EDT

Porsche Ranks Highest among Premium Brands; Subaru Ranks Highest among Mass Market Brands

Customer satisfaction with the dealer service experience remains strong for a second consecutive year, yet long wait times for appointments, communication shortfalls and gaps in fixing vehicles correctly limit the industry’s progress. According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study,^SM released today, dealers continue to battle with ongoing capacity challenges as the average number of days that customers must wait for an appointment is longer than was tracked from 2018 to 2022, and only nominally better than 2023 and 2024. Addressing this—and other opportunities—could improve service satisfaction and increase loyalty to dealerships.

“While it’s no surprise that customers gravitate to operations that serve them well, the study clearly shows that good service leads to loyal customers,” said John Tenerovich, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “This phenomenon proves true across all service types—oil changes, repair, tires and brakes. While complimentary maintenance programs drive strong retention, the level of intent to return for actual customer-paid service depends on the service experience delivered by the dealer.”

The study finds that customer satisfaction with the service of electrified vehicles—both battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles—continues to trail satisfaction among owners of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by a wide margin. Satisfaction (on a 1,000-point scale) among mass market BEV owners is 51 points lower than among owners of mass market ICE vehicles, and satisfaction among premium BEV owners is 57 points below that of premium ICE vehicle owners. The ongoing lack of well-trained EV technicians and frontline personnel is a key factor in the shortfall.

Following are some other key findings of the 2025 study:

Fixed right first time: Surprisingly, 12% of repairs are not completed correctly on the first visit. The most common issues indicated by customers are that the work performed did not correct the problem (30%) and necessary parts were not available (28%). Among customers whose repairs were not completed correctly on the first visit, only 50% say they returned or planned to return to the dealership, while 5% resolved the issue by visiting an aftermarket service facility.

Satisfaction improves when maintenance items combined with recalls: In an era when many customers are pressed for time, the opportunity to combine recall work with maintenance work results in improved satisfaction. For example, satisfaction among owners of mass market vehicles averages 829 for a recall service, but when the recall service is combined with an oil change, satisfaction improves to 858.

Communication helps deliver satisfying service experience: Among the 10 most influential key performance indicators measured in the study, four are communication-related: completely focusing on customer needs; keeping the customer informed of service status; service advisor immediately meeting with customer upon arrival; and contacting the customer after service to ensure satisfaction. Greeting customers immediately upon arrival occurs least often and is only completed half the time.

Trust in service personnel and overall service varies by generation: Owners of both premium and mass market vehicles have high levels of trust in their dealer's service expertise, but it varies significantly by generation. While Boomers¹ express a great deal of trust in dealer service, younger generations have progressively less trust in dealers, particularly among Gen Z. Among Boomers, the overall level of trust in their dealership is 6.24 (on a 7-point scale), followed by Gen X (5.95), Gen Y (5.89) and Gen Z (5.77).

Highest-Ranking Brands and Segments

Porsche ranks highest in satisfaction with dealer service among premium brands with a score of 912. Lexus (900) ranks second and Cadillac (888) ranks third.

Subaru ranks highest in satisfaction with dealer service among mass market brands with a score of 896. MINI (888) ranks second and Honda (881) ranks third.

Subaru (886) ranks highest in the mass market car segment, followed by Honda (879) and MINI (879).

Subaru ranks highest among mass market SUVs/minivans with a score of 897. Honda (884) ranks second and Buick (878) ranks third.

Porsche ranks highest in the premium car segment with a score of 906, followed by Lexus (891) and BMW (887).

Porsche ranks highest in the premium SUV segment with a score of 917. Lexus (902) ranks second and Cadillac (891) ranks third.

Chevrolet ranks highest in the truck segment with a score of 877. GMC (876) ranks second and Nissan (873) ranks third.

See the rank chart for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2025020.

The U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study is now in its 45^th year and has been redesigned for 2025. Along with traditional Voice of the Customer survey data, the study index now includes, for the first time, repair data drawn from individual in-dealership repairs. This repair information, secured from individual dealership service transactions, allows the study to offer an unprecedented level of granularity of both service quality and customer retention.

The study measures satisfaction with service at franchised dealer and aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles. It also provides a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing automotive brands sold in the United States, which is based on the combined scores of five measures comprising vehicle owner service experience data and actual repair data. These measures are (in order of importance): service quality; service advisor; vehicle pick-up; service facility; and service initiation. In 2023, model segment rankings were added to the study to differentiate between the service needs for cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans.

The 2025 study is based on responses from 55,210 verified registered owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles. J.D. Power goes to great lengths to ensure that survey respondents are true owners of the brand for which they are surveyed. The study was fielded from July through December 2024.

For more information about the U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/us-customer-service-index-csi-study.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance.

J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: https://www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

¹ J.D. Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1965-1976); Gen Y (1977-1994); and Gen Z (1995-2007).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250313701929/en/

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Media Relations Contacts

Geno Effler, J.D. Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com

Shane Smith; East Coast; 424-903-3665; ssmith@pacificcommunicationsgroup.com

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Satisfaction with Dealer Service Remains High but Owners Face Long Appointment Wait Times and Communication Shortfalls, J.D. Power Finds

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