Price Transparency Pays Off for Vehicle Manufacturer Websites, JD Power Finds
Porsche and Dodge Each Rank Highest in Respective Segment
As automakers continue to refine their digital retail strategies, it is evident that providing more detailed, accurate vehicle pricing details on their websites is becoming a key to customer satisfaction. According to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation StudySM—Summer, released today, overall satisfaction with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) websites has increased wave over wave by 18 points (on a 1,000-point scale) among mass market brands and 13 points among premium brands. These gains are accompanied by increased shopper purchase consideration after visiting a website—now at 52% among mass market shoppers (+2 percentage points wave over wave) and 54% among premium shoppers (+1 percentage point). Much of this momentum is being driven by improvements in pricing-related content, particularly with researching vehicle pricing information and build and price functionality, which are helping shoppers better understand what they can expect to pay and moving them closer to purchase.
“Automakers are increasingly recognizing that pricing transparency drives consumer confidence,” said Chelsea Pettis, senior analyst of digital solutions at JD Power. “As manufacturers provide more complete pricing information on their websites—including incentives, fees, taxes and more realistic purchase cost estimates—shoppers gain a clearer understanding of what they can expect to pay at the dealership. That clarity has a meaningful impact: shoppers who leave a website with a clear understanding of vehicle pricing are nearly twice as likely to consider purchasing as those who remain uncertain, thereby contributing to higher satisfaction and stronger purchase consideration.”
