Related: Enterprise Ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power Satisfaction Survey
J.D. Power: Satisfaction Surges to New High
Now in its 20th year, the 2015 J.D. Power North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study reports that overall rental car satisfaction reached its highest index score under current methodology. Enterprise Holdings’ brands took the top three spots: Enterprise, National and Alamo.

Chart from the J.D. Power 2015 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. Courtesy of J.D. Power.

Chart from the J.D. Power 2015 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. Courtesy of J.D. Power.
Enterprise Rent-A Car ranks highest in satisfaction among rental car companies for the second consecutive year, with a score of 831, a 26-point improvement from 2014, according to the J.D. Power 2015 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. Enterprise claims the top spot for the second consecutive year.
Enterprise Holdings’ other two brands rounded out the top 3: National ranks second with a score of 818, followed by Alamo with a score of 807. This reflected 21- and 31-point improvements, respectively, from 2014. After Alamo, Avis takes 4th place with a score of 795, followed by Hertz (794), Budget (785), Dollar (768) and Thrifty (733).
After plateauing in 2014, overall rental car satisfaction has reached its highest index score (798) since J.D. Power began its current methodology in 2006, according to the company. Last year, the overall satisfaction was at 774. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.
The 2015 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study is based on responses gathered from September 2014 through August 2015 from 12,101 business and leisure/personal customers who rented a vehicle at an airport location from August 2014 through August 2015.
Now in its 20th year, the study measures overall customer satisfaction with rental cars at airport locations by examining six factors (listed in order of importance): cost & fees; pick-up process; return process; rental car; shuttle bus/van; and reservation process.
In this year’s study, the greatest gains in satisfaction are realized in the shuttle bus/van (+37 points), cost & fees (+29) and pick-up process (+26) factors.
The study finds that 14% of customers have a problem during their rental car experience, up 1 percentage point from 2014. The most frequent problems are with the vehicle functionality, such as a dead battery or poor alignment, vehicle upkeep, pick-up process, staff service and billing, according to the study. Overall satisfaction drops 93 points to 717 when customers experience a problem — compared with 810 when they don’t experience any problems.
For business travel, customer satisfaction is 802, a 30-point improvement from 2014, while leisure/personal customer satisfaction is 796, up 22 points. This marked the first time under the current methodology business customer satisfaction surpasses that of leisure customers, according to the study.
Millennials are driving a surge in rental car customer satisfaction. Millennials have the highest level of satisfaction among the generational groups for both business travel (834) and leisure/personal travel (809). And they are the second largest group of renters overall (34%), behind Boomers (40%), and the second largest proportion of business travelers (39%), behind Gen X (43%), according to the study.
“Conventional wisdom says that millennials are perpetually dissatisfied, but that clearly is not the case,” said Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. “Younger consumers are often more difficult to please, but as they get older—whether it’s because of maturity, experience, more income or all three — their satisfaction across many studies improves. We definitely see differences in the satisfaction of Gen Y consumers now that many are in their mid- to late 20s and 30s, compared with when they were in their late teens and early 20s.”
In addition to being the most satisfied generation in the study, millennial customers are the most likely to share their experiences via the Internet. Millennials who are delighted with their rental car experience (providing a rating of 10 on a 10-point scale) make an average of 5.83 positive recommendations. Yet when they’re disappointed (5 or lower), they make an average of only 1.46 negative comments about their experience, according to J.D. Power.
For more information on J.D. Power travel studies, visit www.jdpower.com/industry/travel.
More Rental Operations

Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers
The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.
Read More →
Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service
Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.
Read More →
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
