Auto Service Visits and Cost Rise as Canadians Keep Vehicles Longer Amid Economic Uncertainty, J.D. Power Finds

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty fueled by trade tensions, inflationary pressure and rising new-vehicle prices, owners in Canada are opting to hold on to their aging vehicles longer. This trend is resulting in a growing number of trips to auto service shops for maintenance and repairs. According to the J.D. Power 2025 Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study,^SM released today, the average number of annual dealership service visits for vehicles aged 4 to 12 years has increased to 1.8—up from 1.5 in 2022—marking the highest level recorded in the past four years. The average annual number of visits to aftermarket facilities also rose to 1.5 trips per annum up from 1.3 in 2024.

The study finds that repair visits to the auto service shops are on the rise at both dealerships and aftermarket shops with the former experiencing a six-percentage-point increase year over year (46% of visits) and the latter rising by three percentage points (27%).

“The auto service market in Canada is experiencing unprecedented growth, with revenue estimated at $18.8 billion, thanks to a combination of macroeconomic factors that are leading to stagnation in new light‑vehicle sales and driving up maintenance and repair costs,” says J.D. Ney, automotive practice lead at J.D. Power Canada. “This presents a unique opportunity for dealerships to offset softer new‑vehicle sales and for aftermarket facilities to capture a larger share of the revenue stream in a market where used‑vehicle owners are more price‑conscious.”

The average per-visit cost at the dealership continues to rise year over year, reaching $539 (up from $465 in 2024), and is nearly 80% higher than in the aftermarket segment ($302). While this is partially driven by type of work variances, two-thirds (65%) of vehicle owners who chose an aftermarket facility cited the high cost of dealership service as the top reason for their decision.

Following are some key findings of the 2025 study:

• Dealerships take bigger piece of the revenue pie: With the average cost per visit at dealerships rising, they continue to account for 62% of the auto service market's total revenue. The aftermarket segment captures the remaining 38%, led by independent shops and aftermarket chains (19% each).

• Dealers are more trusted for complex repairs: Vehicle owners express a higher level of trust in dealerships to perform complex repairs on aging vehicles compared to aftermarket shops. Among owners who have taken their vehicle in for service, trust in dealerships for complex maintenance and repair is higher—scoring 5.94 and 5.76 respectively on a 7-point scale—than trust in aftermarket providers (5.68 and 5.64, respectively).

• Market share remains stable: Dealerships continue to capture nearly half (48%) of all auto service and repair visits, followed by independent shops (26%) and quick lube locations (11%). Of the three, only quick lube locations saw a decline in market share, down 1 percentage point from 2024.

Study Rankings

Mercedes-Benz Dealerships ranks highest in the dealership segment, with a score of 859 (on a 1,000-point scale). Mitsubishi Dealerships (835) ranks second and Lexus Dealerships (832) ranks third.

Great Canadian Oil Change (830) ranks highest among aftermarket service facilities. Jiffy Lube (803) ranks second.

See the rank chart for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2025110.

The Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study measures service usage and satisfaction among owners of vehicles that are 4 to 12 years old and analyzes the customer experience in both warranty and non-warranty service visits. Overall satisfaction is based on five factors (in order of importance): service quality (32%); vehicle pick-up (20%); service facility (17%); service initiation (16%); and service advisor (15%). This year’s study is based on responses from 9,999 owners and was fielded between the months of March and June 2025.

For more information about the Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study, visit https://canada.jdpower.com/automotive/canada-customer-service-index-long-term-study.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modelling capabilities to understand consumer behaviour, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit https://canada.jdpower.com/.

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