Mitsubishi Scores Higher In Customer Service Study Than Jaguar, Honda, Toyota

A new study of customer satisfaction after service or maintenance visits puts Mitsubishi on the podium among all mainstream automakers.

In its latest 2021 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi third overall among all mass-market automotive brands in America. The CSI measures owner satisfaction with service at a franchised dealer or independent service facility for maintenance or repair work done on one- to three-year-old vehicles. It also provides a numerical index ranking of the best-performing brands. The ranking is based on the combined scores of five different measures that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. The areas that the J.D. Power study measures include (in order of importance) service quality (29%); service facility (19%); service initiation (18%); service advisor (18%); and vehicle pick-up (16%).

“When one- to three-year-old vehicles required service in 2020, dealers captured an even greater share of service visits, which is the highest level in at least five years,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “Dealerships made the most out of a disruptively bad situation."

Mitsubishi always ranked well, but in the past year moved up to its podium finish. “While there is so much exciting product news to celebrate at Mitsubishi Motors, the J.D. Power 2021 CSI Study results demonstrate that we have continued to stay focused on what really matters – customer service,” said MMNA Chief Operating Officer Mark Chaffin. "Proof of our performance can be seen in our maintaining the top-ranking, Asian mass-market, or non-premium, brand position for the third year in a row. This was only achieved with the enthusiasm and dedication of our dealer body and service-aftersales teams. Their continued support is the essential component in the brand's continued growth in the U.S. market."

Four key findings of the study include the following:
- Battery-electric vehicle owners are less satisfied than owners of conventional models.
- Remote or online payment options boost satisfaction.
- Using express service increases satisfaction.

Lexus had the industry's highest score and Ram the lowest. You can view the full study here.

John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. Following his engineering program, John also completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin