Dealer Service Bills Up 51% Since 2020 as Aftermarket Shops Gain Ground

• Average dealership service visit hits a record $566, up 51% since 2020.

• Aftermarket shops beat dealers on fast vehicle pick-up, 69% to 52%.

• EV owners give aftermarket shops 34% of their service visits

Owners of four- to 12-year-old vehicles in Canada now pay an average of $566 per service visit at a dealership, the highest figure on record, according to a new study from JD Power. That amount is up 5% from $539 last year and 51% from $375 in 2020.

Across all service facility types, the average spend per visit rose to $443 from $415 in 2025. At aftermarket facilities, the average reached $323, up 7% from a year ago and 34% higher than $241 in 2020.

$566 at the Dealer, $323 at the Shop

Side by side, a dealership visit now costs about 75% more than an aftermarket visit.

Visit frequency hasn’t moved. Dealership customers still come in 1.8 times per year on average, and aftermarket customers 1.5 times. Multiply those averages out and dealership customers spend roughly $1,020 a year on service, compared with about $485 for aftermarket customers.

Dealers Handle 49% of Visits but Collect 63% of Revenue

Dealerships captured 49% of service visits in 2026, up from 48% a year ago. Aftermarket chains took 28%. With higher charges per visit and typically more complex work, dealerships account for 63% of total service revenue.

Independent shops are the odd case in the data: their visit share fell to 23% from 26% in 2025, while average spend per visit climbed to $363 from $311.

JD Power expects total service revenue to stay relatively flat, since the pool of vehicles on the road isn’t growing.

“Higher service costs are creating more revenue per visit, but they are not necessarily creating a larger service market,” said J.D. Ney, managing director, JD Power Canada.

Aftermarket Shops Lead on Fast Pick-Up, 69% to 52%

Here’s where the service-bay picture gets more interesting for owners. Aftermarket facilities deliver three of the study’s most influential satisfaction drivers more consistently than dealerships:

• Fast vehicle pick-up process: 69% vs. 52%
• Work completed right the first time: 94% vs. 91%
• Customer-focused service advice: 91% vs. 89%

Pick-up alone counts for 20% of the overall satisfaction score. Year over year, overall satisfaction rose 13 points at independent facilities and six points at aftermarket chains. Dealerships gained one point.

Past experience keeps customers coming back to the dealer. Nearly half (47%) of dealership customers cite prior experience with the service department as a reason for their latest visit, followed by location (28%) and prior experience with the sales department (23%).

EV Owners Give Aftermarket Shops 34% of Their Visits

The longer-term shift depends on what’s parked in the driveway. The aftermarket services 51% of combustion-engine vehicles in the studied age range, but only 34% of service occasions and 28% of service revenue for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

Among owners of combustion-engine vehicles, 36% say they trust dealerships with complex repairs. Among ZEV owners, that share rises to 42%.

JD Power forecasts battery-electric or zero-emission vehicles will make up 43% of new vehicle sales in Canada by 2035 and more than 60% by 2040, a trend the study flags as a particular challenge for the aftermarket.

Mercedes-Benz and Lexus Tie for Top Dealer Score at 841

Mercedes-Benz ranks highest among dealerships for a second consecutive year. NAPA AUTOPRO’s 849 is the top score in either segment, on a 1,000-point scale.

The study is based on responses from 10,262 owners collected between March and June 2026, covering warranty and non-warranty visits.