Customer satisfaction in vehicle service dropped year-over-year for the first time in nearly three decades from the growing number of all-electric vehicles on the roads, according to J.D. Power's 2023 U.S. Customer Service Index.
Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus topped the list for luxury brands in the study of more than 64,000 owners of 2020-22 vehicles. Mitsubishi was No. 1 for mass-market makes. Of Detroit's three automakers, only General Motors Co. brands ranked above the overall industry averages.
Service satisfaction fell two points to 846 of 1,000, the first decline for the study in 28 years. The results from EV owners were 42 points lower than among owners of internal combustion engine vehicles, despite EVs often requiring less maintenance without the need for oil changes. Recall rates for EVs are more than double their gas- and diesel-powered counterparts, according to J.D. Power, and EV customers expressed less satisfaction in the knowledge of service advisers.
"As the electric vehicle segment grows, service is going to be a 'make or break' part of the ownership experience," Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said in a statement. "As training programs for service advisors and technicians evolve, EV service quality and customer experience must address both the vehicle and the unique customer needs. The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles — but we're not seeing the benefits yet."
Customers also are waiting longer for appointments: Because of labor shortages, parts constraints and unavailability of loaner vehicles, wait times increased to 5.6 days for premium vehicles and 4.8 days for mass-market vehicles, up from 1.9 and 1.3 days, respectively.
For the 14 luxury brands, Lexus scored 900 points, followed by Porsche with 880 and Cadillac with 879. Below the segment average of 864 was Alfa Romeo at No. 7 with 860 points, though it had largest improvement, up 59 points. Lincoln was No. 12 with a score of 835. Cadillac also tied with Porsche behind Lexus for premium SUVs.
Of the 18 mass-market brands, Mitsubishi had 884 points, followed by Mazda with 870 and Buick with 867 points. Chevrolet and GMC were Nos. 6 and 7 with 853. Below the 842 segment average were Ford at No. 13 with 832, Dodge at No. 14 with 830, Ram at No. 15 with 823, Jeep at No. 16 with 821 and Chrysler in last with 803.
Nissan was the top brand for satisfaction among truck owners. Chevrolet and GMC followed as second and third. Buick was third among mass-market market SUVs and minivans behind Mitsubishi and Mazda.
