Whom do you trust?

For consumers about to spend a large amount of money to purchase a vehicle, it’s a vital one. Which, in turn, makes it just as important for car dealers.

The answer, according to the latest research from Deloitte, is the dealership at which the consumer goes for vehicle service.

Deloitte’s 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study found more American consumers have the most trust in the dealership that regularly services their vehicle than any other industry touchpoint, cited by 25% of those surveyed.

That’s more than the dealership that sold them the vehicle (21%), the car’s manufacturer (21%) and the finance provider (11%), which Deloitte’s report said illustrates “the influence of ongoing service interactions in shaping long-term customer relationships.”

Given that trust factor, the survey of more than 28,000 consumers from 27 countries, including 1,000 in the U.S., conducted in October and November, provided good news for dealers, with 57% of the U.S. vehicle owners surveyed indicating their most recent service experience was at a dealership. Independent and aftermarket facilities claimed a 31% share, while 11% of the respondents did the work themselves.

Those decisions were based on the quality of the work and — the magic word — trust. Quality was cited as the No. 1 reason given by U.S. consumers for selecting a service provider at 20%, followed closely by trust at 19%, ahead of convenience (15%), cost (14%) and warranty coverage (13%).

When it comes to the service experience, transparency is key. It was the top choice as the most important aspect of dealing with a service provider, selected by 24% of those surveyed in the U.S. over cost/price (20%). Deloitte said underscores consumers’ strong desire for “clear, fair and well-explained servicing outcomes.”

Those show expectations around quality, clarity and communication, Deloitte said in a news release, suggest service experiences play an increasingly meaningful role in how consumers view their ownership journey.

Deloitte vice chair and U.S. automotive sector leader Lisa Walker said the role of vehicle service and the “post-purchase journey” in shaping trust “will be important to strengthening loyalty and sustaining engagement in a market where traditional growth levers are becoming harder to pull.”

The full study is available for download here.