Study finds General Motors and Tesla have the most loyal customers

Tesla ends Ford's 12-year streak

These car buyers keep coming back for more.

General Motors and Tesla topped the S&P Global S&P Global Mobility report on customer loyalty for 2022.

GM had the best combined performance for a manufacturer that sells multiple brands, while Tesla ranked number one among specific brands for the first time. Ford held the position for the last 12 years.

"The past three years have been a challenge for the automotive industry," said Joe LaFeir, President, Automotive Insights, S&P Global Mobility.

chevy corvette and tesla model 3

General Motors and Tesla have the highest customer loyalty among brands.  (GM/Tesla)

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"As customers are returning back to market post pandemic and inventory levels have slowly improved from last year's lows, retaining loyal customers has been more challenging than ever before."

The shortages and other issues helped push industry average down from 54.6% to 50.2%, according to the review of over 11.7 million sales from January through December 2022.

GM models led five individual categories. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)

GM had a 65.4% retention rate and also led five individual vehicle categories, including small utility vehicle with the Chevrolet Equinox and luxury sports car with the Chevrolet Corvette.

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"We continue doing what we do best: delivering industry-leading quality and earning customers for life," GM CEO Mary Barra wrote on LinkedIn.

"For the eighth consecutive year, General Motors received S&P Global Mobility's Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer award – a result of smart investments, strong execution and great teamwork. As we rapidly expand our #EV lineup this year, I’m excited to continue leading core segments and offering a portfolio that amazes our existing and new customers."

teslas

The Tesla Model had the highest owner retention of any small luxury car. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Along with hanging on to 67.2% of its customers, Tesla also had the highest conquest sales and led the small car and utility segments with the Model 3 and Model Y.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not yet commented on the study.