Special Report

Car Brand With The Worst Dealers

Melly Alazraki

Published: February 15, 2024 12:10 pm

The pandemic caused several disruptions to the car industry. Car parts shortages, especially semiconductor chips used in cars, have hit the industry, resulting in lower vehicle production and . Consumers felt it as dealers had fewer cars on the lot to offer, delivery of cars took months, and prices shot up — often far above the manufacturer suggested retail price. To the relief of many, conditions have improved significantly in 2023, and with it the customer sales experience.

In fact, according to consumer research company J.D. Power’s 2023 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, the overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase experience increased from 786 out of 1,000 in 2022 to 793 in 2023. This was the result of “growing new-vehicle inventory on dealers’ lots and accompanying moderating prices,” the study explains. But of course, not all car dealers are the same.

To find the car brand with the worst dealers in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the J.D. Power Study, which measures satisfaction with the sales experience among customers who ended up buying a car at a dealership as well as among those who decided to buy somewhere else (rejecters). Satisfaction was determined based on such factors as salesperson and dealer staff, paperwork, delivery, and inventory among others. We listed all car brands measured by J.D. Power, ranked from highest sales satisfaction score — out of 1,000 — to lowest. Each car brand’s parent company came from Consumer Reports or the brand’s website.

Interestingly, based on the study, owners of internal combustion engine vehicles continue to be more satisfied with the purchase experience than electric vehicle owners. And probably helping satisfaction overall, the study found that a smaller percentage of customers paid above MSRP prices, far different from the pandemic years.

Specially, among the premium brands, sales satisfaction scores range from 756 to 840, with Porsche scoring the highest and Genesis lowest. The segment average is 813. Among the mass-market brands, sales satisfaction scores range from 766 to 824, with Buick scoring the highest and Kia the lowest. The segment average is 790. (Also see: America’s Least Reliable New Cars.)

More about the J.D. Power study: Sales satisfaction is based on six factors: delivery process; dealer personnel; working out the deal; paperwork completion; dealership facility; and dealership website. Rejecter satisfaction is based on five factors: salesperson; price; facility; variety of inventory; and negotiation. For the study, J.D Power surveyed 37,234 buyers who purchased or leased their new vehicle from March through May 2023.

32. Porsche

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• 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 (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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

Source: Luca Piccini Basile / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images

• 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

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• 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

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: tomeng / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Wolterk / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: mualphachi / Flickr

• 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

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• 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

Source: rafalkrakow / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: chameleonseye / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: tomeng / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

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• 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

Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

Source: josefkubes / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

Source: tomeng / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: dogayusufdokdok / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

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• 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

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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