Car Brand With The Worst Dealers

By Melly Alazraki Updated Jun 26, 12:04PM EDT · Published Feb 15, 12:10PM EST

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On June 21st, Canada made plans to introduce tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles. This move will align Canada with its southern neighbor, since the Biden administration announced a tariff on Chinese-made EVs last month. These restrictions are due to concern that cheap Chinese cars will out compete American-made vehicles. Such major policy decisions reveal how integral America’s automotive industry is to its economy, with the U.S. car industry supporting roughly 4.5% of all U.S. jobs. These statistics offer insight into why Americans want to know which brands offer the best buying experience.

The consumer research company J.D. Power released its 2023 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) study, which indicates that overall customer satisfaction during vehicle purchase has increased. The study surveyed 37,234 car buyers who purchased/leased a vehicle during the period from March-May of 2023. On a 1,000-point scale, satisfaction went up from 786 in 2022 to 793 in 2023. The study credits this uptick to the “growing new-vehicle inventory on dealers’ lots and accompanying moderating prices.”

By reviewing the aforementioned J.D. Power study, 24/7 Wall St. found the car brands with the worst dealers in America. The study measures buyer satisfaction with the sales experience across six factors: staff, website, paperwork, deal offered, delivery, and physical facility. Rejector satisfaction (relating to those who bought cars elsewhere) was calculated based on price, facility, inventory selection, negotiation, and salesperson. The rankings are out of 1,000 and include all car brands mentioned by J.D. Power. We listed them from highest satisfaction to lowest satisfaction.

The car brand that scored the highest in buyer satisfaction is Porsche. The luxury brand scored 840, up nine points from 2022. This highest scoring brand may come in first due to its self-reported attention to detail, which the automaker prides itself on.

Alternatively, the brand with the least satisfaction is Genesis. Though it saw an increase of 11 points in the last year, it still only garners a score of 756. Genesis is lowest scoring, despite its categorization as a Premium brand. Its parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, also oversees Mass Market brand Kia, the second lowest scoring brand on our list. Other low scoring Mass Market car brands are Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler, which all tie for 3rd lowest score.

Why We Are Covering This

American car sales are down, mostly due to the economy and high interest rates. But America still remains a car-infatuated culture. Only a few micronations beat out the U.S. for the number of cars per capita. In fact, America is home to 908 vehicles per 1,000 people. If you’re looking to purchase a vehicle, knowing which car brands offer the highest customer service experience may prove beneficial.

32. Porsche

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 840 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 831 out of 1,000 — #2 out of 32
Parent company: Volkswagen Group

31. Infiniti

Infiniti by Nguyu00e1u00bbu0085n Hou00c3u00a0ng Kha

Infiniti (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Nguyu00e1u00bbu0085n Hou00c3u00a0ng Kha

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 832 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 811 out of 1,000 — #7(tied) out of 32
Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

29 (tied). Alfa Romeo

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 824 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 833 out of 1,000 — #1 out of 32
Parent company: Stellantis

29 (tied). Buick

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 824 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 825 out of 1,000 — #3 out of 32
Parent company: General Motors

28. GMC

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 821 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 802 out of 1,000 — #15 out of 32
Parent company: General Motors

26 (tied). Lincoln

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 820 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 810 out of 1,000 — #9(tied) out of 32
Parent company: Ford Motor Co.

26 (tied). Volvo

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 820 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 788 out of 1,000 — #22 out of 32
Parent company: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group

25. Jaguar

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 818 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 811 out of 1,000 — #7(tied) out of 32
Parent company: Tata Motors

24. Cadillac

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 817 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 812 out of 1,000 — #6 out of 32
Parent company: General Motors

23. Mercedes-Benz

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 816 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 810 out of 1,000 — #9(tied) out of 32
Parent company: Daimler AG

22. Land Rover

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 815 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 805 out of 1,000 — #12 out of 32
Parent company: Tata Motors

21. Acura

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 814 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 794 out of 1,000 — #18 out of 32
Parent company: Honda Motor Company

20. BMW

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 813 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 808 out of 1,000 — #11 out of 32
Parent company: BMW Group

18 (tied). Chevrolet

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 812 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 803 out of 1,000 — #14 out of 32
Parent company: General Motors

18 (tied). Mitsubishi

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 812 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: N/A out of 1,000 — #N/A out of 32
Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

16 (tied). Lexus

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 808 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 819 out of 1,000 — #4 out of 32
Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.

16 (tied). Subaru

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 808 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 804 out of 1,000 — #13 out of 32
Parent company: Subaru Corp.

15. Audi

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 807 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 792 out of 1,000 — #19 out of 32
Parent company: Volkswagen Group

14. Jeep

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 805 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 797 out of 1,000 — #16 out of 32
Parent company: Stellantis

12 (tied). Dodge

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 802 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 816 out of 1,000 — #5 out of 32
Parent company: Stellantis

12 (tied). MINI

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 802 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: N/A out of 1,000 — #N/A out of 32
Parent company: BMW Group

11. Nissan

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 799 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 785 out of 1,000 — #23 out of 32
Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

10. Ford

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 794 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 791 out of 1,000 — #20 out of 32
Parent company: Ford Motor Co.

9. Mazda

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 793 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 790 out of 1,000 — #21 out of 32
Parent company: Mazda Motor Corp.

7 (tied). Ram

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 792 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 795 out of 1,000 — #17 out of 32
Parent company: Stellantis

7 (tied). Volkswagen

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 792 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 778 out of 1,000 — #25 out of 32
Parent company: Volkswagen AG.

6. Hyundai

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 779 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 758 out of 1,000 — #28 out of 32
Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group

3 (tied). Chrysler

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 773 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 783 out of 1,000 — #24 out of 32
Parent company: Stellantis

3 (tied). Honda

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 773 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 773 out of 1,000 — #26 out of 32
Parent company: Honda Motor Co.

3 (tied). Toyota

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 773 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 762 out of 1,000 — #27 out of 32
Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.

2. Kia

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 766 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Mass market — segment average score: 790
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 754 out of 1,000 — #29 out of 32
Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group

1. Genesis

Sales satisfaction index score, 2023: 756 out of 1,000
Brand segment: Premium — segment average score: 813
Sales satisfaction index score, 2022: 745 out of 1,000 — #30 out of 32
Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group

About the Author Melly Alazraki →

Melly Alazraki worked in the finance world, on both the buy and sell sides, before turning to writing about it. Her work has been featured in Daily Finance, Aol.com, MSN Money, The Motley Fool, BloggingStock, and 24/7 Wall St.

Melly initially wrote about general stock market and economics news before becoming a specialist, covering the pharmaceutical beat for Daily Finance. Several of her articles have been cited in papers published in Cornell University Press, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and others.

Since joining 24/7 Wall St., Melly helped develop the site's data journalism side, focusing on economic, population trends, housing, and other topics.

Graduating with an honors commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, Melly uses her knowledge of economics, business, and experience to write data-supported pieces that aim to provide value and insight to readers.