Car dealer ratings: Lexus, Mini tops in service, J.D. Power finds
Drivers give the service departments of the Lexus and Mini brands the highest ratings in the latest J.D. Power and Associates customer service index study.
Lexus was the top luxury brand. The Toyota Motor Corp. unit scored 861 points out of a possible 1,000 on the J.D. Power scale and stood out in three of the five measures: service initiation, service facility and service quality.
The rest of the top five in the luxury segment were Cadillac (852); Jaguar (849); Acura (838) and Porsche (836).
With 796 points, Land Rovers scored the worst among luxury brands. The remaining bottom five were Volvo (811); Lincoln (817); BMW (823) and Infiniti (824.)
Mini was the top mass-market brand with a score of 809. It performed well in four of the five measures: service quality, service advisor, service facility and vehicle pickup. Also among the top five were Buick (805), GMC (803), Chevrolet (801) and Hyundai (791).
The bottom five were: Dodge (739 points), Suzuki (740), Smart (740), Jeep (741) and Scion (752).
Overall, satisfaction with dealer service improved by 19 points in 2012 compared with 2011.
“Steady improvements in vehicle quality, longer intervals between recommended service visits and a higher mix of maintenance service events have had a positive effect on overall dealer service satisfaction,” said Chris Sutton, senior director at J.D. Power and Associates.
Manufacturers and dealers are working to improve their interactions with customers because they understand that substandard service will hurt their chances of a future vehicle sale or repeat service business, Sutton said.
The study examines satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a service department for maintenance or repair work. The rankings are based on dealer service performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership, which typically represents the majority of the vehicle warranty period.
Five measures are examined to determine overall customer satisfaction with dealer service, listed in order of importance): service quality, service initiation, service advisor, service facility and vehicle pickup.
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