Luxury brands

For the first time, the service satisfaction study has separated luxury brands from mass-market brands.

The objective of the classification is to address the differences in customer expectations regarding after-sales service.

Overall customer satisfaction with after-sales service among luxury brands averaged 849, while mass-market brands averaged 811.

Audi ranked highest in the luxury segment with a score of 880, BMW ranked second, and Cadillac, third.

Among mass-market brands, Dongfeng Peugeot ranked highest at 882, performing particularly well in service advisory, service initiation and vehicle pick-up.

Following Dongfeng Peugeot in the rankings are Guangqi Honda, which trailed by a point behind, and Dongfeng Citroen.

The JD Power service satisfaction study, now in its 13th year, measures satisfaction among vehicle owners - after between 12 and 24 months of ownership - when visiting an authorized dealer's service department for maintenance or repair.

The time period - 12 to 24 months - represents a substantial portion of the vehicle warranty period.

The study examines five factors - service quality, service facilities, vehicle pick-up, service advisor, and service initiation.

The study is also based on street intercepts and face-to-face interviews with 15,370 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between February 2011 and May 2012, and examines 71 passenger vehicle brands.

The study was fielded between February and May 2013 in 43 major cities in China.