Top 10 Worst Car Dealerships by Brand
Buying a new car can often come down to the dealership experience and not all facilities deliver the same level of quality service.
In fact, there’s quite a disparity between the good, the bad and the downright ugly, especially when examining the latest J.D. Power U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study for car dealerships.
The report compiles data from 70,000 owners and lessees of one- to five-year-old vehicles who visited the dealer service department for maintenance or repair work. The overall customer satisfaction is measured by ranking the service advisor, service facility, service initiation, service quality and vehicle pick up.
Find out which brands performed the best here.
As for which car dealerships have the worst service? Check out the list below.
10. Subaru
The mass market brand average for the 2015 U.S. CSI Study was a score of 792 points on a 1000-point scale, and the top 10 worst brands all fell below that average. Subaru ranked 10th with a score of 786 which is a slight improvement over its 2014 score of 776. In the 2014 U.S. CSI Study, Subaru was the fourth worst brand, so it is improving.
9. Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has been struggling in the U.S. and its service isn’t helping the Japanese automaker’s reputation. This year, the company scored 785, a drop of nine points compared to its 2014 ranking, which also had it in ninth place.
8. Mazda
Mazda is turning the corner with more attractive models throughout its entire lineup, but its dealership experience still needs some work. The company scored 779 this year, marking a drop from 791 points in the 2014 U.S. CSI Study. Despite the drop in score, it’s an improvement in ranking since it was the sixth worst brand last year.
7. Scion
The entry-level arm for Toyota has consistently fallen below the average in J.D. Power’s CSI Study and 2015 is no different. With a score of 777, Scion sees a three-point drop compared to 2014, where it was the fifth worst brand.
6. Ford
Last year, Ford was the seventh worst brand in the CSI Study and this year marks a disappointing drop for the American automaker. With a score of 776, Ford saw one of the biggest decreases compared to last year when it scored 791.
5. Chrysler
Although Ford’s drop is noticeably drastic, Chrysler plummeted from being above the average in 2014 with a score of 799 to being the fifth worst brand and a score of 775. Last year, the American automaker was actually the seventh best mass market brand out of 19 automakers and now sees itself towards the bottom of the list.
4. Fiat
In fact, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group as a whole has some work to do with its dealership service experience. Fiat wasn’t ranked in last year’s list but its initial appearance isn’t good. With a score of 762, the Italian automaker specializing in compact cars finds itself with poor dealer service performance.
3. Ram
Last year’s worst brand was Ram, so at the very least the truck division for Chrysler is improving. The company scored 752 in the 2014 U.S. CSI Study and slightly improved with a score of 756 for this year, but it avoided the stigma of being ranked dead last.
2. Dodge
The Dodge brand experienced another drop in the CSI Study, falling from 765 points last year to 749 this year, making it the second worst brand when it comes to service at dealerships. It has some serious work to do if it wants to avoid falling into last place.
1. Jeep
This year’s worst performer is Jeep, netting a score of 740. It’s a noticeable drop compared to last year’s score of 756 which was only beat by Ram’s 752. The Jeep brand this year performed well below the mass market brand average of 792 and is nearly 100 points below Buick’s top score of 836 (among mass market brands).
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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FCA holds five of the top ten. That's terrible. Goes to show you how good their marketing is. They have been selling a sub-par product for fifty years and people still buy. Who's the dumb one
Worst car dealership is South Dade Toyota they inspect my tires during a regular maintenance service and charge me a diagnostic fee c