Jaguar, Buick Top J.D. Power Customer Service Study

Service and repair trips are an annoying reality for any vehicle owner, but Jaguar and Buick customers say their dealers dull the pain best. The brands topped all luxury and non-luxury brands, respectively, in J.D. Power and Associates’ latest service satisfaction report.

Related: Toyota, GM Top J.D. Power Dependability Study; Fiat Chrysler Rounds Out Bottom

The firm’s 2015 U.S. Customer Service Index study, released March 18, measured satisfaction for service visits among drivers with 1- to 5-year-old cars.

Among luxury brands, Jaguar topped the pyramid at 877 out of 1,000 points, but its Land Rover sibling trailed with 823 points. It’s a finish that parallels the two brands’ disparate rankings in J.D. Power’s 90-day Initial Quality Study, where Jaguar and Land Rover have landed in the top and bottom halves, respectively, in recent years.

On the mass-market front, Buick, Mini and Volkswagen had top scores in customer satisfaction. But all three brands have a semi-premium cachet, with average transaction prices for core models that are higher than those of most competing cars. That aura applies to the dealer experience, too, apparently.

Among full-line brands, Chevrolet scored the highest with 807 points. Customers rated GM’s four brands well overall; besides Chevrolet and Buick, GMC and Cadillac both landed in the top half of their respective categories.

At the other end was Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Five of the automaker’s six brands (Alfa Romeo wasn’t included) ranked at the bottom for all non-luxury brands. Last-place Jeep had 740 points, followed by Dodge, Ram, Fiat and Chrysler. It’s unclear whether owners scored the brands poorly due to bad dealer service or simply the fact that FCA cars have been the most problematic. The automaker ranked low in J.D. Power’s recent Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies.

Recalls accounted for 16 percent of all dealer service visits in the 2015 survey. That’s not surprising, given the survey took place in late 2014 — the tail end of a record year for recalls. In last year’s Customer Service Index, recalls accounted for only 10 percent of visits.

Still, overall satisfaction for recall-related visits rose 12 points overall, to 789 points from 777 a year ago. But the sheer volume of visits may have played a part in overall satisfaction scores, which fell to 800 points versus last year’s 804.

Repair visits (not recall work) still generate the most frustration, with an average 781 satisfaction score among affected customers. Whatever the reason for the service, about a third of respondents told J.D. Power that their dealer ended up recommending additional work, but only about half of that group agreed to it. They paid an average of $277 apiece when all was said and done, versus $171 for those who said no.