Despite setting an annual recall record last year, Ford Motor Co.'s customer service satisfaction improved seven rankings, according to JD Power's annual study.

Mini topped the list of mass-market brands in the 2026 U.S. Customer Service Index that measured satisfaction among service at franchised dealer and aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work among more than 51,000 owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles. Porsche was the strongest performer among luxury brands.

Ford's 14-point rise was the largest among the Detroit Three's mass-market brands, increasing it from below the industry average last year. It secured a No. 4 place, up from No. 11, behind Buick at No. 3, the top Detroit finisher.

Jennifer Boyer, executive director of customer success and parts operations at Ford's customer service division, attributed the improvement to the rollout of new technologies like Uptime Assist that allows the Dearborn automaker to monitor the status of vehicles in service at dealerships. The automaker also emphasized mobile service with more than 4,400 of those vehicles across its more than 2,800 dealers that allow a technician to come to the customer to work on the vehicle for maintenance and other repairs as well as remote pickup and delivery where a dealer employee comes to the customer to take and drop off the vehicle for service.

"We've had continued emphasis on supporting our dealers with specialized technical support," Boyer said, "and also continuing to support them with their with technician growth and building the technicians capabilities."

Introduced last year, Uptime Assist allows Ford to keep an eye on repair times through its dealer management system. Using that information, Ford can connect with a retail partner about technical expertise or speeding up getting a needed part.

"Our goal is to continue to reduce the duration of the repair within the network, bringing that visibility that proactive mindset has really drove the change that we're seeing," Boyer said, "and we'll continue to see this is not something that's a one-and-done for us. It's a continued focus on uptime."

Meanwhile, mobile service and pickup and delivery, accounted for 3.8 million of Ford's service jobs last year, saving consumers time.

Ford has no shortage opportunities for customers to evaluate its service. Dealers frequently say service departments are busy. Warranty repair costs have weighed on quarterly financial results, and Ford in 2025 issued more recalls than any other automaker ever has in a single calendar year.

"Every one of those visits is an opportunity to create an experience that is positive for the customer," Boyer said.

Higher dealer service satisfactions correlates with stronger customer retention and increased revenue, according to JD Power. When overall satisfaction is 950 or higher, 86% of mass market and 88% of premium customers say they “definitely will” return to the dealer for paid service. Higher satisfaction also increases the likelihood customers will purchase another vehicle from the same brand again.

"Dealers can ... more readily add value, for example, by returning the vehicle cleaner than when it arrived and completing a thorough multi-point inspection with digital documentation," Stewart Stropp, vice president of customer success at JD Power, said in a statement. "CSI results show those efforts yield higher satisfaction and, in turn, boost retention. Another opportunity is to more consistently deliver on top key performance indicators (KPIs) like keeping customers informed of service status and explaining the work performed. These elements, among others, meaningfully lift satisfaction."

JD Power emphasized dealers prioritizing completing oil changes and tire rotations faster than aftermarket businesses and offering photo and video documentation of repairs could help improve customer satisfaction. Illuminated by some Tesla Inc. owners last years opting to distance from the EV brand in a backlash to CEO Elon Musk's involvement in the Trump administration, mobile service also became an important element to keeping happy customers switching from direct-to-consumer brands.

Mini had 887 on the 1,000-point scale, beating Subaru. Buick had 882, up four points. Ford was at 875. At No. 8, Chevrolet scored 868, down 7 points. Dodge followed at 867, up 10. The industry average 865, up three points. GMC fell 11 to No. 12 with 862. Jeep followed with 852, down 10. Chrysler and Ram were last of 18 brands at 858, down 17 points, and 226, down 2, respectively,

For premium brands, Porsche topped with 915 points. Cadillac increased 3 points to No. 891 at No. 5, tied with Lincoln, up 18 points. The luxury average was 889, up 11 points. Alfa Romeo at No. 14 with 850 points and Maserati, last of 15 brands with 790, were down 15 and 33, respectively.

Ford topped the index for trucks. Subaru was best for SUVs and minivans. Infiniti and Porsche tied at the top for premium cars. Infiniti also led for premium SUVs.

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