Cars and Drivers

American Car Brand With the Worst Service

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: November 9, 2023 6:40 am

Last Updated: November 9, 2023 6:41 am

Car owners are surveyed about whether they like their cars when they are new, how much they like them when they are older, whether they like the engines, and how safe they are. A new J.D. Power satisfaction survey shows whether people like their car dealers.

J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study looked at whether buyers paid the manufacturer’s suggested retail price; whether buyers liked the prices and salesperson expertise; and whether salespeople readily answered key questions. It also included the delivery process, working out the deal, paperwork completion and dealership facility.

The car dealer satisfaction survey was based on questionnaires given to 37,234 buyers who purchased or leased their new vehicle from March through May 2023.

Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said “The improved level of vehicle inventory and the easing of upward pressure on prices are the driving factors in sending sales satisfaction back in a positive direction.” Supply chain issues, which had driven up prices and availability, are in the past. (These 11 cars are still mostly made in America.)

The scores were divided into two categories: luxury cars and mass market cars. On a scale of 10 to 100, the average score for luxury cars was 815. The average score in the mass market category was 790.

At the top of the luxury list was Porsche with a score of 840. Buick topped the mass market side at 790.

At the bottom of the luxury list was Genesis with a score of 756. And at 766, it was Kia on the mass market list. Genesis and Kia are both built by the same South Korean manufacturer.

Mass Market Ratings

These are the ratings of all mass market cars in the J.D. Power satisfaction survey:

• Buick (824)
• GMC (821)
• Chevrolet (812)
• Mitsubishi (812)
• Subaru (808)
• Jeep (805)
• Dodge (802)
• Mini (802)
• Nissan (799)
• Ford (794)
• Mazda (793)
• Ram (792)
• Volkswagen (772)
• Hyundai (779)
• Chrysler (773)
• Toyota (773)
• Honda (771)
• Kia (766)