Ford has enjoyed the highest owner loyalty in the automotive industry for 12 consecutive years — no more. Tesla has stolen the owner loyalty crown.
Inventory Shortages Reduced Owner Loyalty
The numbers come from S&P Global Mobility’s annual Automotive Loyalty Awards study. In its 27th year, study authors say, the survey saw more change than usual.
“Industry-wide inventory shortages prompted many consumers to shop other brands if their previously chosen brand had insufficient stock. From pre-pandemic 2019, overall industry average loyalty has decreased from 54.6% to 50.2% in 2022,” study authors explain.
The study tracked 11.7 million buyers who bought a new vehicle of the same make, model, or manufacturer as the last one they purchased. It considered data from calendar year 2022.
Tesla took home the Owner Loyalty to Make title.
Analysts had begun to question whether Tesla would retain its vaunted fan base after a controversial 2022 in which CEO Elon Muck made headlines buying Twitter. S&P’s survey reflects all of 2022, so any impact from the furor might not be fully reflected.
But the company has seen a rally in its stock value and sales figures after a recent round of high-profile price cuts.
Ford’s long dominance came mainly on the strength of its F-Series pickup – America’s best-selling vehicle for more than 40 years. But the big truck wasn’t enough to hold off the rise of Tesla, which controls more than 60% of the growing electric vehicle market.
GM and Subaru Claim Wins, Too
General Motors won the Owner Loyalty to Manufacturer title for the eighth consecutive year. GM operates the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands in the U.S. No single GM brand could compete with Tesla for owner loyalty, but plenty of buyers moved from buying a product from one of GM’s brands to another.
“Consistent demand for GM’s sport-utility and pickup offerings, in addition to rising Inventory levels, led to strong loyalty gains for the manufacturer throughout 2022,” study authors explained.
Subaru won for Owner Loyalty to Dealer, meaning many buyers returned to the same Subaru dealership where they’d bought a car last time.
Owner Loyalty Awards by Segment
| SEGMENT MODEL LOYALTY AWARDS | WINNER |
| Small Utility | Chevrolet Equinox |
| Mid-Size Utility | Subaru Outback |
| Full-Size Utility | Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Mid-Size Pickup | Honda Ridgeline* |
| Light-Duty Pickup | Ford F-Series |
| Heavy-Duty Pickup | Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 |
| Van | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter |
| Sports Car | Dodge Challenger* |
| Small Car | Chevrolet Bolt* |
| Large Car | Nissan Altima |
| Luxury Small Utility | Tesla Model Y |
| Luxury Mid-Size Utility | Lincoln Nautilus |
| Luxury Full-Size Utility | Land Rover Range Rover |
| Luxury Sports Car | Chevrolet Corvette* |
| Luxury Small Car | Tesla Model 3 |
| Luxury Mid-Size Car | Lexus ES* |
| Luxury Full-Size Car | Mercedes-Benz S-Class* |
* Repeat winners from 2021
