Ford Dealers Rank Below Average In 2024 Service Study

March 14, 2024 10:13 am

Over the past couple of years, Ford dealers have ranked below average on J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, which is designed to measure customer satisfaction with service at franchised dealer or aftermarket service facilities after they have had maintenance or repair work performed on their one- to three-year-old vehicles. After moving up from the 14^th spot in 2021 with a score of 838 out of 1,000 possible points in 2021 to 12^th place in 2022 with a score of 833, Ford dealers moved down to 13^th place among all mass market automakers with a score of 832 last year. Now that the 2024 version of the CSI study has been released, it reveals that Ford dealers remained below the mass market average yet again.

This year, Ford dealers ranked 13^th among 18 mass market brands with a score of 835 – which places it behind the segment average of 848, as well as all of its rivals, save for Dodge, Chrysler, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Ram. It’s a disappointing result for certain, but again, one that has perpetuated for several years now. However, Ford did at least gain three points year-over-year, which somewhat mimics the movement of the overall market, which improved by five points versus 2023. The main problem – according to J.D. Power – remains ongoing parts and labor shortages that are impacting repair times.

“It’s encouraging to see an improvement in service satisfaction but, unfortunately, the capacity and wait time issues have gotten progressively worse since the pandemic and show no immediate signs of easing up,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “Excluding Tesla owners, the service experience for BEV owners is underwhelming. As sales of BEVs continue to grow and the industry moves out of the early-adopter phase, the typical owner will not be as willing to tolerate a less-than-stellar service and ownership experience. On the manufacturer side, a higher rate of BEV recalls is also contributing to an inconsistent experience. This is an area that automakers and dealers need to address now to help make the transition to electrification as pain-free as possible for owners in the future.”

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By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.