F&I Customer Satisfaction Bounces Back in 2026 CDK Report
Customer satisfaction with the F&I experience has rebounded even as wait times to see an F&I manager have grown longer, according to CDK’s 2026 State of F&I at the Dealership report.
Ninety percent of surveyed U.S. car buyers say they were satisfied with the time spent with their F&I manager — up from 79% in 2025 — and 82% say they spent more time with their F&I manager than any other dealership worker.
Two-thirds (67%) of customers had to wait to meet with F&I, and nearly half (46%) waited more than 20 minutes, both increases from last year. However, 84% were handed a questionnaire to complete by hand or tablet while they waited.
Just 6% of shoppers say they felt overwhelmed by the F&I experience, down sharply from 22% in CDK’s 2025 F&I Shopper Study.
“This year, with affordability as a pressing concern, the F&I office shined,” analysts write, noting that satisfaction correlated closely with clarity: 95% of buyers who say they received clear communication from the F&I manager were satisfied, compared with 44% of those who say the opposite.
