Canadians are choosing to keep their cars longer amid a backdrop of economic uncertainty and rising new-vehicle prices, fuelling a surge in maintenance and repair visits, according to a new study. But dealers are increasing their share in the market.
The J.D. Power 2025 Canada Customer Service Index — Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study showed the average number of annual dealership service visits for vehicles aged four to 12 years climbed to 1.8 this year, up from 1.5 in 2022, the highest level in four years. Aftermarket facilities also saw an increase, with visits rising to 1.5 per year from 1.3 in 2024.
Repair work is driving much of the growth. Dealerships accounted for 46 per cent of repair visits, up six percentage points year-over-year, while aftermarket shops rose three points to 27 per cent.
As has been highlighted previously, dealers are seeing an opportunity and boosting their attempts to draw in traditional aftermarket business. J.D. Ney, automotive practice lead at J.D. Power Canada said the Canadian auto service market “is experiencing unprecedented growth,” as revenue in the sector hit an estimated $18.8 billion. Dealers are noticing.
“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,” he said in a statement.
The study, based on responses nearly 10,000 owners of vehicles aged four to 12 years, was conducted between March and June 2025. It measures satisfaction across five factors: Service quality, vehicle pick-up, service facility, service initiation and service advisor.
Costs keep climbing
The average cost per dealership visit jumped to $539 from $465 in 2024, nearly 80 per cent higher than the aftermarket average of $302 (up from $273 last year). Two-thirds of owners who chose an aftermarket shop cited high dealership costs as the main reason.
Dealerships still dominate revenue, capturing 62 per cent of the market (up a percentage point from last year), compared to 38 per cent for the aftermarket (down a percentage point from last year). Independent shops and aftermarket chains each hold 19 per cent.
Trust and market share
Owners continue to trust dealerships more for complex repairs, scoring them 5.94 out of 7 for maintenance and 5.76 for repairs, compared to 5.68 and 5.64 for aftermarket providers.
Market share remains stable overall: dealerships handle 48 per cent of visits, independents 26 per cent, and quick lube locations 11 per cent—the latter down one point from 2024.
Top performers
Mercedes-Benz dealerships ranked highest among dealerships with a score of 859 on a 1,000-point scale, followed by Mitsubishi (835) and Lexus (832).
Great Canadian Oil Change led the aftermarket segment with 830 points, ahead of Jiffy Lube at 803.
Image credit: Depositphotos.com
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