North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study
Understand the Moments That Define the Rental Car Experience
The JD Power North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study delivers a comprehensive view of customer satisfaction for airport-based rental car companies across North America. Based on feedback from business and leisure travelers, the study evaluates the full rental journey—from reservation through vehicle return—giving brands the insight they need to compete, improve loyalty, and grow profitably.
A Complete View of the Rental Car Experience
The study measures six key customer experience dimensions:
• Reservation process
• Shuttle experience
• Vehicle pick-up
• Rental vehicle
• Return process
• Costs and fees
Includes:
• Airport location benchmarking
• Traveler type segmentation
• Competitive comparisons
• Customer journey insights
How the Rental Car Satisfaction Study Works
• Surveys business and leisure travelers using airport rental car services
• Measures satisfaction across the full rental journey lifecycle
• Benchmarks performance against competitors and industry leaders
• Applies KPI analysis to identify key drivers of satisfaction and loyalty
• Delivers insights to prioritize improvements with measurable ROI impact
Improve Experience, Strengthen Customer Loyalty
• Provides competitive benchmarks across rental brands and industry performance leaders
• Identifies key drivers of satisfaction across the full rental journey experience
• Enables deep analysis through online data tools and reporting platforms
• Delivers executive insights with recommendations and proven best practices
• Includes direct customer feedback to understand renter expectations and behaviors
Increase Loyalty, Improve Revenue Performance
• Improves customer trust through targeted enhancements across key rental touchpoints
• Increases repeat usage by aligning experiences with traveler expectations and needs
• Strengthens brand advocacy through consistent delivery of high-quality service experiences
• Enhances operational efficiency by addressing friction points across the rental journey
• Drives revenue growth through improved satisfaction, retention, and customer loyalty
Key Dates
2026
Fielding Begins: August 2025
First Data Publish: January 21, 2026
Second Data Publish: April 15, 2026
Third Data Publish: July 1, 2026
*Subject to change; updated 07/08/2025
Press Release & Award Information
JD Power issues a national press release highlighting key findings and top-to-bottom rankings from the study. The brand(s) that rank highest in each award-eligible segment and meet predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to enter into a licensing agreement through the JD Power Awards Program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite. Entering into a licensing agreement provides top-ranked brands with the valuable opportunity to market their award-winning performance. As the trusted symbol of excellence, JD Power Awards enhance brand perceptions, drive consumer preference, and differentiate awarded brands in competitive marketplaces.
Profiled Brands
2024 and 2025 Brands
ACE Rent A Car
Advantage Rent A Car
Alamo
Avis
Budget
Dollar
Enterprise
Fox Rent A Car
Hertz
National
Payless
Thrifty
Sixt
Who should use it
Designed for Rental Car and Mobility Leaders
• Rental car company executives and operators
• Customer experience and operations teams
• Fleet and location management teams
• Strategy, insights, and analytics teams
• Marketing and brand leadership teams
PowerSource
Insights Available at a Touch of a Button
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
