Survey: Drivers Have Become Less Satisfied With Dealer Service

Sometimes, absolutely everyone is wrong about something. Case in point – everyone complains about the service experience at car dealerships. But, shockingly, Americans grew more satisfied with the experience of dealer service departments for 28 straight years until this past year. Yes, “until.” It’s over, according to a new report.

J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Customer Service Index Study is out for 2023. It shows that Americans grew less satisfied with the average experience in the service department of a car dealership last year. That may comport with your expectations – everyone complains about the service department. But, incredibly, it’s the first decline in the survey’s overall score in almost three decades.

Related: Car Maintenance Guide – Everything You Need to Know

J.D. Power analysts blame electric vehicles (EVs).

A New Technology Means Growing Pains

“Automakers recall EVs at more than twice the rate of internal combustion vehicles,” analysts note. J.D. Power describes the EV service experience as “bumpy” as both managers and technicians learn how to take care of an entirely new technology.

“The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles,” says Chris Sutton, J.D. Power vice president of automotive retail. “But we’re not seeing it yet.”

The study asked more than 64,000 drivers who bought or leased a new vehicle in the last three years to gauge their satisfaction with service appointments.

EV or Not, Everybody’s Waiting Longer for Parts

Owners particularly disliked bringing in a car for a recall-related repair. Those appointments scored 23 points lower on a 1,000-point scale than routine maintenance or appointments to fix a problem the owner had noticed.

Related: KBB Service and Repair Guide

Global supply chain problems worsened the service experience for everyone, not just EV owners. When compared to last year’s study, J.D. Power says wait times for service visits climbed by 1.9 days for premium brands and 1.3 days for mass-market brands. Luxury car owners waited an average of 5.6 days from calling to schedule service. Mainstream car owners waited 4.8 days.

Among luxury car brands, Lexus owners rated their service experience highest. Genesis dealers gave owners the least satisfying experience, according to the report.

Among mainstream car brands, Mitsubishi was the most pleasant to work with. Chrysler came in last.

Satisfaction With Service By Brand

Luxury Automakers

Mainstream Automakers