J.D. Power Says Subaru Is Now 3rd Best In New Customer Satisfaction Study

How is Subaru doing with customer satisfaction compared with other automakers? Buyers of the Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models score Subaru higher than all but two mainstream car brands. Check out the scores here.

Are Subaru customers happy with their new Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new model buying experiences? Even with the supply chain disruptions causing low inventory of their popular all-wheel-drive vehicles, Subaru customers score their experience higher than all but two mainstream car brands.

The 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released this week shows Subaru now ranks third among mainstream (non-luxury) car brands delivering a positive customer experience. Subaru moved from number nine last year and ranked ahead of its rival brands, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, and Kia.

photo credit: LCM Subaru

The study measures satisfaction with the sales experience among new-vehicle buyers and rejecters (those who shop at a dealership and purchase elsewhere). The study found that overall satisfaction has dipped to 786 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 789 in 2021.

Buick ranks highest in sales satisfaction among mainstream car brands, scoring 825. Dodge (816) ranks second, and Subaru (804) moves to third place.

"Even in the face of a continuing shortage of new-vehicle inventory and general inflationary pressure, dealerships have been able to maintain a consistent level of sales satisfaction," said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power.

How does Subaru keep customers happy in the current new model environment? Buyer satisfaction scores use six factors in order of importance; delivery process, dealer personnel, working out the deal, paperwork completion, dealership facility, and dealership website. Subaru scores higher in all areas than all but two automakers.

Subaru has experienced a massive hit from the global microchip shortage and still has the tightest inventory of new cars of any automaker. While customers find it challenging to find a new Subaru model, the Camden, N.J. automaker moves up six spots in the latest J.D. Power study.

Among mainstream car brands, Buick is number one with a score of 825, followed by Dodge (816), Subaru (804), Chevrolet (803), GMC (802), Jeep (797), RAM (795), Ford (791), Mazda (790), and Nissan (785). The industry average is 782 points.

In another recent study, Reputation, the global leader in reputation experience management, revealed findings from its annual automotive industry report and found Subaru is the number one car brand in keeping customers happy.

The top five mainstream (non-luxury) cars brands in the 2022 Automotive Reputation rankings are number one, Subaru (698 points), followed by Mitsubishi (689), Toyota (679), Nissan (675), and Honda (667).

How is Subaru doing during a challenging year with the ongoing new Forester, Crosstrek, Outback, and other new model inventory shortages? Subaru improved an impressive six spots to number three overall among mainstream car brands. They score higher than Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, and Kia in keeping customers happy.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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Photo credit: Subaru USA