Car Owners of Electric Vehicles Endure Increasing Wait Times, Need Multiple Schedules for Mechanic Visits Due to Repairs
Electric vehicle (EV) owners are experiencing longer wait times and multiple visits for service appointments, according to CDK Global's 2025 EV Ownership Study. This deteriorating service experience could potentially impact the sales growth of EVs in North America.
Longer service wait times have risen notably, with same-day repairs dropping from 40% in 2023 to 28% in 2024. More owners are facing delays of three or more days, increasing from 9% to 14% within the year.
A significant portion of non-Tesla EV owners (21%) require four or five visits to resolve issues, compared to 65% who experience one-and-done service. This increasing frustration due to frequent repeat appointments could negatively influence prospective buyers' perceptions of EV ownership convenience, potentially tempering demand growth.
Although EV maintenance costs may be lower than those for gas vehicles for many non-Tesla owners, the inconvenience associated with long waits and multiple repair visits could outweigh the cost benefits for some consumers.
Given that consumer adoption decisions are influenced not only by purchase price and operating cost but also by service experience and reliability perceptions, these growing service challenges could slow sales growth if not addressed promptly by manufacturers and service providers.
The study found that 85% of EV drivers visited a dealership service department at least once in the first year of ownership. Among Tesla owners, 41% report the same. Nineteen percent of service visits were for recalls, with the Volkswagen ID.4 having a recall count of 21 as of the study period.
Interestingly, only 13% of EV owners reported paying for their service. This could suggest that the service issues are more a matter of inconvenience than cost for many owners.
David Thomas, CDK's director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst, stated that EV owners are waiting longer for service and it's taking multiple visits to resolve issues. Use of mobile service increased from 14% in 2023 to 19% in 2024, indicating a growing trend towards more flexible service options.
Despite these challenges, 53% of non-Tesla owners believe their EV is less expensive to maintain than a gasoline vehicle. Non-Tesla owners are more likely to hold this belief (34%) compared to Tesla drivers (23%).
In summary, while rising EV satisfaction exists, the deteriorating service experience highlighted by increasing wait times and repeat visits appears to pose a tangible risk to North American EV sales growth unless improvements are made in after-sales support and service infrastructure.
- The prolonged service wait times in the automotive industry have significantly risen, with same-day repairs dropping from 40% to 28%.
- A substantial number of non-Tesla electric-vehicle (EV) owners are required to make four or five visits to resolve issues, compared to a smaller percentage who experience a one-and-done service.
- The inconvenience associated with long waits and multiple repair visits could outweigh the cost benefits of lower EV maintenance costs for some consumers.
- Despite the challenges faced in EV service, a majority of non-Tesla owners still believe their EV is less expensive to maintain compared to gasoline vehicles.
