Westlake Village, California - A new U.S. study by J.D. Power and Associates has found that customer satisfaction with dealer service has increased slightly among vehicle owners, compared with 2007. The survey suggests that the increase is due in part to a continuing increase in the proportion of maintenance-related service visits, versus repair-related visits.

The study, now in its 12th year, measures customer satisfaction with owners who visit a dealer service department for maintenance or repair work during the fourth or fifth years of ownership, which typically represents the period after the warranty expires. Satisfaction is based on service initiation, service advisor, service quality, user-friendly service, service delivery, and in-service experience.

Overall satisfaction averages 866 on a 1,000-point scale, up three points since 2007. Among the 34 dealer brands included, 68 per cent have improved since the previous year.

“Improvements in automotive product quality have resulted in the reduced need for repairs over time, which ultimately helps improve customer satisfaction with service, since customers are able to avoid unexpected and potentially inconvenient service visits,” said Tom Gauer, senior director of automotive retail research. “In addition, dealers have also improved their efforts to provide knowledgeable and courteous staff, and a comfortable service experience.”

Acura, Cadillac, Jaguar, Lexus and Saturn performed particularly well among dealer service customers, while brands that performed particularly well among non-dealer service facilities included Goodyear Tire and Valvoline Instant Oil Change.