J.D. Power is sharing the results of its new study into how satisfied new and used auto loan customers are with their financing. The study comes at a time when affordability has become a major factor for automotive loan customers. J.D. Power cites monthly auto finance payments of a record high $758 in October and loan terms that routinely stretch upwards of 84 months.
According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Automotive Financing Satisfaction Study, nearly one-third of auto finance customers are categorized as financially vulnerable, and as you might guess, satisfaction with lender financing is heavily dependent on how financially healthy the loan recipient is.
“Auto loan customers are having very different experiences based on their relative levels of financial health," said Patrick Roosenberg, senior director of automotive finance intelligence at J.D. Power. "While financially healthy borrowers are experiencing historically high levels of overall customer satisfaction, those in the vulnerable, stressed and overextended categories are significantly less satisfied with the lending experience. As lenders continue to fine-tune their offerings for different customer segments, they really need to focus on proactive communication and targeted services that address a variety of borrower needs."
Following are some key findings of the J.D. Power 2025 study:
- Gaps in customer satisfaction based on financial health: Researchers say the average overall satisfaction score for financially healthy automotive loan customers is 743 (on a 1,000-point scale). That score falls 150 points to 593 among financially vulnerable customers. Financially vulnerable customers also experience significantly lower levels of trust and brand advocacy.
- Education and onboarding at the dealership is critical: According to the study, financially healthy customers are considerably more likely to receive orientation information about their loan at the dealership while purchasing their vehicle. Fully 42% of financially healthy customers received orientation at the dealer, while just 25% of financially vulnerable customers received the same level of service. Slightly more than half (51%) of financially vulnerable customers received orientation information only after leaving the dealership.
- Bill payment pain points: Financially vulnerable customers are significantly more likely than financially healthy customers to pay their bills via their lender’s website or mobile app, while financially healthy customers are more likely to pay via ACH. Financially vulnerable customers are also significantly more likely to experience problems with their bill payment method.
Study Rankings
So who ranks the best among consumers?
Premium Brands
Among premium brands, there's a three-way tie for first, each with a score of 735:
- BMW Financial Services - 1st place tie
- Lincoln Automotive Financial Services - 1st place tie
- Mercedes-Benz Financial Services - 1st place tie
Lexus Financial Services and Audi Financial Services round out the top 5.
Mass Market Brands
- Ford Credit ranks highest with a score of 714.
- Chase Auto (705) ranks second.
- Bank of America (695) ranks third.
Chase Auto and Bank of America edged out Southeast Toyota Finance and Toyota Financial Services to make this year's top 3 list.
Capitol One Auto Finance and Honda Financial Services round out the top five.
See the complete rankings here.
About the Study
The U.S. Automotive Financing Satisfaction Study was formerly known as the U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study. It measures overall auto financing customer satisfaction across eight core dimensions (in order of importance): level of trust with provider; loan/lease offering met needs; experience managing my loan/lease; keeps me informed about my loan/lease; experience obtaining loan/lease; makes it easy to do business with; digital channels; and people. The 2025 study was fielded from September 2024 through September 2025 and is based on responses from 13,150 customers who financed a new or used vehicle through a loan or lease within the past three years.
