A combination of stabilized pricing, increased vehicle availability and improved staffing have helped drive higher customer satisfaction with the car rental industry, according to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. On a 1,000-point satisfaction scale, according to the report, overall satisfaction increased 14 points. The report did add that with the outcome of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike still uncertain, rental car vehicle supply may again become an issue.

Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail, said the post-pandemic period has been tough for North American rental car companies and their customers, but now that things have stabilized, customer satisfaction has started to increase significantly. Given the tight correlation between vehicle availability, price and customer satisfaction, said Taylor, it’s going to be important to keep an eye on the UAW strike as a potential supply chain issue that could negatively affect customer satisfaction during the course of the next year.

Enterprise ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction for a third consecutive year, with a score of 866. National (865) ranked second, and Alamo (862) ranked third. Overall customer satisfaction for the industry is 843, up from 829 in 2022.

The study was based on responses gathered from 8,632 business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport location during the past year. The study was fielded from August 2022 through August 2023.