Speed, consistency and self-service tools are increasingly shaping which auto finance sources dealers choose to do business with — and a competitive rate, while important, is only part of the equation, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study.

While a competitive rate is the most common single reason dealer finance professionals send business to a finance source (18%), factors such as ease, speed of approvals and sales representative relationships collectively account for 70%, according to the study.

Consistency in decisions is critical: Overall satisfaction nearly quadruples to 967 (on a 1,000-point scale) when dealers experience consistent decisions from a finance source. First-contact resolution is equally critical — satisfaction scores 841 when issues are resolved on the first contact, compared with 599 when a second contact is needed. Nearly 20% of interactions currently require that second contact.

“Dealership finance professionals are telling lenders that the experience matters just as much, if not more, than the financial terms,” writes Patrick Roosenberg, senior director of automotive finance intelligence at JD Power. “They want faster, more consistent decisions, the ability to handle more of the process themselves and issues resolved the first time.”

Nearly three-fourths of dealers (74%) say they want to mostly or fully self-serve, listing restructuring credit applications as the top task they want to manage independently. TD Auto Finance ranks highest among noncaptive national prime finance sources for a seventh consecutive year, while Subaru Motors Finance leads captive mass market and Jaguar Land Rover Financial Group is No. 1 in the captive premium segment.

Last week, Subaru announced plans to replace the Chase Bank- and Toyota Financial Services-backed SMF with a new, full-service captive finance company.

Read the full report at JD Power