Infiniti The Biggest Surprise In JD Power's Dealer Satisfaction Survey

The latest J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study ranks Porsche at the top of the industry for dealership service satisfaction. The brand recorded a score of 915 out of 1,000, comfortably above the overall industry average of 868, which itself rose slightly from the previous year.

Among premium automakers, Porsche finished first overall, followed closely by Infiniti, which scored 912, and Lexus, which placed third with 900. Porsche and Infiniti ended up tied at the top of the premium car category, each earning a score of 921. In the premium SUV segment, Infiniti edged ahead with 911, while Porsche followed closely at 910, and Lexus placed third with 897.

Moving to the mass-market category, Mini earned the top spot with a score of 887, narrowly edging Subaru at 886 and Buick in third with 882. Mazda led the mass-market passenger cars segment with 884, ahead of Subaru with 881 and Chevrolet with 873. For mass-market SUVs and minivans, Subaru ranked highest with a score of 887. Nissan followed at 885, while Buick again finished third with 882.

Among pickup trucks, Ford took the top spot with 869, followed by Toyota with 864 and Chevrolet with 853.

The study surveyed 51,228 owners and lessees of vehicles between one and three years old. Responses were collected throughout 2025, covering both routine maintenance and repair visits.

Routine Service Still Takes Time

According to J.D. Power, most dealership visits involve relatively simple tasks such as oil changes, tire rotations, and other routine maintenance.

However, those visits often take longer than similar services performed at independent repair shops. The study found that mass-market customers spend an average of 1.61 hours at a dealership, while premium-brand owners wait about 2.46 hours during service appointments.

Reducing wait times could play an important role in improving satisfaction and keeping customers returning to dealership service departments.

Customers Want More Transparency

The research also highlights the growing demand for visual updates during service visits. Many customers say they would like service centers to provide photos or videos alongside multi-point inspection results.

About 64 percent of surveyed owners said they would prefer receiving that type of documentation. In practice, though, it’s not yet common. Only 26 percent of mass-market customers and 44 percent of premium customers reported receiving photo or video updates during service.

When dealerships do provide those updates—especially early in the repair process—customer satisfaction scores tend to rise noticeably.

Direct-Sales Brands Face Service Challenges

Automakers that sell vehicles directly to consumers are still catching up when it comes to service satisfaction.

Brands such as Tesla and Rivian, which rely heavily on mobile service and company-operated facilities rather than traditional dealership networks, scored below the industry average. Direct-sales brands posted an average satisfaction score of 855, compared with the 868 industry benchmark.

According to J.D. Power, customers who report very high satisfaction scores—950 or higher—are significantly more likely to return for future service and purchase another vehicle from the same brand, highlighting how critical the service experience has become in maintaining long-term customer loyalty.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

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