industry
powerEV Owners Go Back to the Dealer: J.D. Power's 2026 Canada Service Survey, in Numbers
J.D. Power's 2026 Canada Customer Service Index shows average repair costs at a record $443 per visit — $566 at dealers versus $323 at aftermarket shops. But EV and PHEV owners defy the value math: only 34% of ZEV service visits go to independent shops, versus 51% for gas cars, and 42% of ZEV owners trust dealers for complex repairs.
Getting a vehicle serviced in Canada has never cost more, and where you take it has never mattered more. The average repair visit now runs $443 across all providers, according to the J.D. Power 2026 Canada Customer Service Index Long-Term study — but the split underneath is stark: $566 at dealerships, an all-time high, versus $323 at aftermarket chains and independent shops.
The study, reported by Driving.ca, covers vehicles four to 12 years old and ranks satisfaction across five factors: service quality, vehicle pick-up, the facility, service initiation, and the service advisor. Its findings sketch the service landscape Canadian EV owners will navigate as their cars age out of warranty.
The cost gap, tracked since 2020
| Provider | 2025 | 2026 | Change since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealerships | $539 | $566 | +51% (from $375) |
| Aftermarket / independents | — (+7% YoY) | $323 | +34% |
| All providers | $415 | $443 | — |
All figures are from the J.D. Power 2026 Canada Customer Service Index Long-Term as reported by Driving.ca.
Where EV owners diverge from gas owners
The study's most consequential finding for this audience is behavioural. Powertrain changes where Canadians take their cars:
- 51% of internal-combustion service visits in the study's age range went to aftermarket shops — but only 34% of zero-emission vehicle (EV and PHEV) visits did.
- 36% of ICE owners trust dealerships for complex repairs; among ZEV owners that rises to 42%.
- Owners service 1.8 times a year at dealers and 1.5 times in the aftermarket, unchanged from 2025.
In other words, EV owners pay the dealer premium knowingly. High-voltage systems, battery diagnostics and software-heavy repairs concentrate trust at the OEM channel even at a $243-per-visit average premium — a signal that matters as the fleet ages and J.D. Power projects ZEVs at 43% of Canadian new-vehicle sales by 2035 and over 60% by 2040, what the firm calls "a particular challenge to the Canadian automotive aftermarket."
Where independents still win
Aftermarket shops outscored dealers on three of five satisfaction behaviours: customer-focused service advice (91% vs 89%), fixing it right the first time (94% vs 91%), and fast vehicle pick-up (69% vs 52%). Among chains, NAPA AutoPro led at 849 points, followed by Great Canadian Oil Change, Kal Tire and Jiffy Lube, with Costco at 805 just above the 804 industry average; Midas, Canadian Tire and Mr. Lube fell below. Lexus and Mercedes-Benz tied for top dealer satisfaction, Mercedes holding the spot a second straight year.
For Canadian EV owners out of warranty, the practical read: the dealer premium is real and growing, but so far the market is voting that high-voltage work stays with the OEM — and the survey suggests independents who want that business will need EV-specific capability, not just lower prices.
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CBC Windsor reports NextStar Energy's $5 billion battery plant remains at about 1,300 full-time employees, short of the 2,500 jobs required within a year of project completion under its federal funding agreement. The LG-owned plant has pivoted toward energy-storage batteries amid the EV slowdown, and lobbied Ottawa this year to amend its funding terms.
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