Porsche is the number one ranking brand when it comes to the dealer service experience in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study. The annual CSI study measures consumer satisfaction with the dealer experience. J.D. Power says it's been redesigned this year to include repair data drawn from individual in-dealership repairs.
Overall, researchers say customer satisfaction remains high for a second straight year - despite longer appointment wait times and communication shortfalls. Researchers say 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. J.D.Power suggests that 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.”
When it comes to servicing electrified vehicles - both battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles - customer satisfaction continues to trail satisfaction among owners of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by a wide margin. Especially when it comes to the premium segments. On a 1,000-point scale:
- Satisfaction among mass market BEV owners is 51 points lower than among owners of mass market ICE vehicles
- Satisfaction among premium BEV segment is 57 points below that of premium ICE vehicle owners.
J.D. Power says an 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: J.D. Powers says 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 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
Premium Brands
- Porsche (912)
- Lexus (900)
- Cadillac (888)
Porsche had this to say about its first place ranking:
“Many years of hard work and a relentless commitment to putting our customers first has gone into this achievement,” says Timo Resch, President, and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.“We are truly grateful to our customers for bestowing this honor on our network of individually owned and operated Porsche Centers throughout the United States. Such exceptional results are a testament to our unwavering focus, strategic investment and cooperative spirit.”
Mass Market brands
- Subara (896)
- MINI (888)
- Honda (881)
Subaru had this to say about its top ranking:
“This incredible achievement is a testament to the collaborative culture across the organization – from Subaru Corporation to headquarters to field staff to our retailers – we are dedicated to listening to our customers and providing extraordinary service. As part of our mission to instill H.E.A.R.T, honesty, empathy, appreciation, respect, and trust, into our retailer experience, and guided by our Subaru Love Promise, this recognition reinforces our core belief that being More Than a Car Company and More Than a Car Dealer is essential to cultivating a positive car ownership experience.” - Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc.
Mass Market Car segment
- Subaru (886)
- Honda (879)
- MINI (879)
Mass Market SUV/Minivan segment
- Subaru (897)
- Honda (884)
- Buick (878)
Premium Car Segment
- Porsche 906
- Lexus (891)
- BMW (887)
Premium SUV Segment
- Porsche (917)
- Lexus (902)
- Cadillac (891)
Truck Segment
- Chevrolet (877)
- GMC (876)
- Nissan (873)
About the Study
The 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study was redesigned for its 45th year. 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. J.D. Power says the 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. Rankings are based on the combined scores of five measures comprising vehicle owner service experience data and actual repair data: service quality; service advisor; vehicle pick-up; service facility; and service initiation.
The 2025 study, fielded from July through December 2024, is based on responses from 55,210 verified registered owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles.
Visit J.D. Power here for the complete rankings list.
