Electric vehicles are to be blamed for the first decline in vehicle-service satisfaction among consumers in nearly 30 years.

A J.D. Power study shows a two-point year-over-year decline in its U.S. Customer Service Index Study to 846 on a 1,000-point scale, the first decline in the study in 28 years.

J.D. Power points to increasing battery electric vehicle ownership as the source of the decrease. It said customer satisfaction in the servicing of BEVs was 42 points lower than among owners of vehicles with internal combustion engines. It said a leading factor is that recall rates are more than double for BEVs compared to gas-powered models. It also cited service staff knowledge, saying that BEV owners gave an 8.01 rating on a 10-point scale for that aspect, compared to 8.59 for ICE vehicle owners.

“As the electric vehicle segment grows, service is going to be a ‘make or break’ part of the ownership experience,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power, in a press release on the study, which is in its 43^rd year.

"The industry has been hyper-focused on launches and now these customers are bringing their electric vehicles in for maintenance and repairs. As training programs for service advisors and technicians evolve, EV service quality and customer experience must address both the vehicle and the unique customer needs. The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles—but we’re not seeing the benefits yet.”

DIG DEEPER: More highlights from J.D. Power Study