We just launched our 2024/2025 reports. The 2025 Brand Reputation Scorecard and the 2024 Voice of the Customer Report are now live.

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RANK

2025: Sales Up, Reviews Down

Vehicle sales are off to a strong start in 2025, with five weeks of consecutive growth surpassing 2024 levels. Yet, the median monthly review volume has dropped 16% YoY.

Even service, a key driver of reviews, is up—Cox Xtime reports a 1% YoY increase in completed appointments.

Customer volume and reviews typically trend together. And yet, review activity lags.

Ratings are also slipping, with the median falling from 4.57 stars in 2024 to 4.41 stars in early 2025. A rebound from 4.4 in January to 4.71 in February, however, offers hope.

And get this - exactly zero OEMs have exceeded their 2024 review averages:

• Lincoln leads with only a 3.2% decline.
• Ford follows, only down 7.7%.
• Volkswagen continues to struggle after a disappointing 2024, with review volume plunging 33%.

Find Your Dealership's Review Trends:

• Click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the Reputation Index
• Search for your dealership
• Column A shows your 2025 median monthly Google review volume
• Compare it to 2024 in the next column

See if your dealership is defying gravity in 2025. Is your review volume increasing?

EXPLORE

Why Are BEV Owners Frustrated?

JD Power’s 2025 CSI study confirms a growing problem—EV service satisfaction scores 51 points lower than ICE service.

Widewail’s data highlights knowledge gaps as the top BEV complaint. They appear 76% more often in negative reviews than for ICE vehicles.

Negative BEV sentiment is rising from 2023-2024:

• Staff issues: +23%
• Communication problems: +16% (cited in 52% of negative BEV reviews)

There is a silver lining: professionalism mentions are up 30% YoY, appearing in 11% of positive BEV reviews.

We cover more EV customer data here.

VISUALIZE

First-Time Fixes Matter - A Lot

JD Power reports that 12% of repairs aren't fixed right the first time.

The consequence?

Half of these customers never return, opting for independent shops instead.

Is this getting worse, or is it fairly consistent? Widewail’s data shows repair mentions stayed flat from 2023 to 2024, indicating no major shift in customer perception.