Gaps in fixing vehicles correctly, long wait times hinder dealer service

Customer satisfaction survey outlines areas of improvement and challenges for dealership service improvement scores

Troy, Mich.—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 new J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, 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.

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 — see charts below) 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: 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 Boomers 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.