EV Drivers Face Growing Delays, Repeat Appointments for Repairs

• 28% of EV repairs were completed same day in 2024, down from 40% the year before.

• 71% of Tesla owners resolved service issues in one visit, versus 65% of non-Tesla owners.

• 31% of EV drivers reported longer service times than for gasoline-powered vehicles.

---

Wait times for electric vehicle service appointments increased in 2024, and a larger share of owners needed multiple visits to fully resolve repair issues, according to CDK Global’s 2025 EV Ownership Study. Could these findings further hinder already stagnant EV sales in North America?

The study found that only 28% of EV owners had their vehicle serviced and returned the same day in 2024, a decrease from 40% in 2023. Another 29% waited until the following day for repairs to be completed, while 14% reported three-day turnaround times, up from 9% the year prior.

CDK surveyed EV drivers between December 2024 and January 2025. Among respondents, 85% said they had visited a dealership service department at least once in the first year of ownership.

Tesla owners were more likely to have issues resolved in a single visit, with 71% reporting one-stop service, compared to 65% of non-Tesla owners. Among those needing multiple appointments, 52% of non-Tesla drivers said it took two visits to resolve the problem, and 21% required four or five visits.

The study also found that 31% of EV owners believed their electric vehicle took longer to service than a gasoline-powered vehicle. That perception was more common among non-Tesla owners (34%) than Tesla drivers (23%).

Use of mobile and pickup services showed modest increases. Nineteen percent of respondents used mobile service in 2024, up from 14% in 2023. Nine percent said their vehicle was picked up by a dealership, compared with 6% the year before. However, 83% still brought their vehicle to the dealership in person.

While maintenance for EVs is generally less frequent, according to CDK, only 13% of owners reported paying for their service. Sixteen percent said the visit was for a recall.

When asked about service costs, 53% of non-Tesla owners said their EV was less expensive to maintain than a gasoline vehicle. Among Tesla owners, 41% reported the same.

“EV owners are waiting longer to have their cars serviced and it’s taking multiple visits to have their issue resolved,” said David Thomas, CDK’s director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst. “The fact that these numbers are getting worse is not a good sign as more non-Tesla EVs are on the road than ever before.”

Source: Automotive News