Affordability Plays Larger Role in Aftermarket Auto Service, but Convenience Still Drives Business, JD Power Finds

Goodyear Auto Service, Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers, and Meineke Car Care Centers Rank Highest in Respective Segment

• Convenience remains primary driver of aftermarket service choice
• Aftermarket providers still combating customer perceptions of less expertise
• Defaulting to text message communication is best for service advisors

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cost and affordability are playing an increasingly important role in the aftermarket service experience, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study,^SM released today, as customers hold onto their vehicles longer and maintenance needs shift toward more complex repairs. Year-over-year changes in customer satisfaction across the three segments examined in the index are mixed, with improvement in quick oil change (+4 points on a 1,000-point scale) but declines in tire replacement (-3) and full-service maintenance and repair (-7).

Index results show that aftermarket providers are perceived as more convenient than dealers, particularly in speed of service. Even among same-day dealer visits, fewer than one in five (17%) dealer service customers have work completed within an hour,¹ compared with 52% of tire replacement customers and 49% of full-service maintenance and repair customers at aftermarket providers. This speed advantage reinforces why customers continue to choose aftermarket providers primarily for convenience and prior positive experiences. At the same time, a growing share of customers also cite lower costs as a factor, pointing to rising price sensitivity and underscoring the need for aftermarket providers to continue emphasizing both speed and value.

“Affordability is playing an increasingly important role in the aftermarket service experience, but delivering on the fundamentals remains critical,” said Lisa Nguyen, manager of OEM Solutions at JD Power. “Index data shows that aftermarket providers are largely executing where it matters most, with the majority of impactful key performance indicators (KPIs) completed more than 70% of the time and the top two—the service advisor being completely focused on customer needs and providing helpful guidance—exceeding 90% completion rates across segments. At the same time, there are clear opportunities to improve. Areas like facility cleanliness and comfort continue to lag, and more consistent customer engagement through immediate greetings and post-service follow-up can further elevate the experience and differentiate providers.”

Following are some key findings of the 2026 index:

• Aftermarket providers still combat a perception of less expertise than dealer service: Despite consistently strong performance in fixing issues correctly the first time, with segment averages above 95% over the past five years and annual outperformance versus dealer service on this metric, aftermarket providers still face a clear perception gap. Customers continue to trust them less than dealers, particularly in their perceived ability to maintain peak vehicle performance and handle complex repairs. In the full-service maintenance and repair segment, trust scores in these areas average 6.07 and 5.89 (on a 7-point scale), compared with 6.31² and 6.20 among dealer customers.
• Advisor communication and responsiveness can make or break satisfaction: Two service advisor measures were added to the ASI this year, with aftermarket providers performing well on both: the advisor being completely focused on customer needs (the most impactful index KPI) and clearly communicating when the vehicle will be ready before service begins. For example, among tire replacement customers, satisfaction is 861 when customers feel the advisor is fully focused on their needs but drops sharply to 566 when they believe this is not the case. Aftermarket providers also slightly outperform dealers in setting service timelines up front, with dealers achieving this just 80% of the time³.
• Usage of and preference for text message communication continues to rise: Across all three segments, more customers report communicating with their service advisor via text message compared with last year, with texting now more common than phone calls in the tire and oil change segments. More than half of customers across all segments now prefer texts for service updates, and aligning with that preference meaningfully impacts satisfaction. Among customers who prefer texts and receive them, satisfaction is 854 but dips to 840 when they receive a phone call instead. Text messaging also enables advisors to share photo and video multi-point inspection results, more than doubling the likelihood that customers will approve recommended work, yet the industry shows no meaningful improvement in providing this documentation.

Index Rankings

Goodyear Auto Service ranks highest in the full-service maintenance and repair segment with a score of 846. Tuffy Tire and Auto Service Centers (843) ranks second and Christian Brothers Automotive (834) ranks third.

Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers ranks highest in the quick oil change segment for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 854. Take 5 (833) ranks second and Jiffy Lube and Valvoline Instant Oil Change (823) rank third, in a tie.

Meineke Car Care Centers ranks highest in the tire replacement segment with a score of 856. Pep Boys (850) ranks second and Discount Tire (847) ranks third.

To view the official release and complete visual rank charts, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2026032.

The U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study, now in its seventh year, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket. Performance in three segments—full-service maintenance and repair; quick oil change; and tire replacement—is based on the combined scores for seven factors that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. These factors are (in alphabetical order): ease of scheduling/getting vehicle in for service; fairness of charges; service advisor courtesy; service advisor performance; service facility; time to complete service; and quality of work. Franchise dealers and aftermarket service providers can use ASI to identify where to close gaps to capture more service customers and increase their revenue share in a growing market of aging vehicles and higher service spending.

The 2026 study is based on responses from 10,572 vehicle owners. Survey data collection was conducted online from January through March 2026. Survey respondents were initially selected from online consumer panels. Respondents who indicated in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM that they had taken their vehicle to an aftermarket provider were asked ASI questions within that survey experience. The data they provided is included in this year’s ASI study.

For more information about the U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/automotive/us-aftermarket-service-index-asi-study.

About JD Power

JD Power is a proven leader in business-critical data and intelligence to drive auto-related decisions with confidence and clarity. By leveraging unmatched proprietary data, advanced analytics and deep industry expertise, JD Power fuels original equipment manufacturers, retailers, lenders, insurers and partners to enhance their performance.

Since 1968, JD Power has delivered incisive guidance and intelligence about customer interactions with brands and products. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com.

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^1 JD Power 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM

^2 JD Power 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM

^3 JD Power 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM