CONCERNS about new agency agreements have seen dealer ratings of OEMs drop over worry about future direction.
According to a report in Auto Retail Agenda, the latest NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey saw retailers marking down those OEMs going down the agency model.
Asked what did they think of the future retail direction of the brand, scores have dropped from 6.7 12 months ago to 6.3 where agency is on the agenda.
The main exception was Mercedes-Benz, which not only scored well for future direction but also moved up the overall ratings from sixth to fourth in the last six months.
Stellantis brands, on the other hand, filled seven of the bottom eight brands, with Fiat performing poorest with a rating of 3.4. Lexus was the highest rated OEM with 9.4.
Despite agency worries, most ratings remained stable reported the NFDA.
How do you rate your manufacturer overall?
1 Lexus
2 Mercedes-Benz
3 Kia
4 BMW
5 Toyota
6= Suzuki & MINI
Source: NFDA
Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
