Canadian vehicle service costs averaged $443 per visit in 2026, up from $415 in 2025, with dealerships charging a record $566 per visit while aftermarket facilities averaged $323, according to a J.D. Power study.
- Average vehicle service cost in Canada reached $443 per visit in 2026, up 7% from $415 in 2025
- Dealership service prices hit a record $566 per visit, up 5% from $539 in 2025 and 51% since 2020
- Aftermarket facilities charged $323 per visit, up 7% annually and 34% since 2020
- Dealerships collected 63% of service revenue despite handling only 49% of all service visits
- Aftermarket shops achieved 94% first-time correct completion rate versus 91% at dealerships
Vehicle repair prices aren't the only thing rising in Canada. A new report from J.D. Power shows Canadians are paying more for routine servicing.
Canadian drivers have paid an average of $443 per vehicle service visit in 2026, up from $415 last year, according to a J.D. Power study released on 2026-09-10.
The study covers maintenance and repairs for vehicles between four and 12 years old. Average spending at dealerships reached a record $566 per visit. That was up 5% from $539 in 2025 and 51% from $375 in 2020.
Aftermarket facilities charged an average of $323 per visit, up 7% from $302 last year and 34% from $241 in 2020.
The frequency of service visits did not change. Vehicle owners averaged 1.8 dealership visits and 1.5 aftermarket visits during the year.
Dealerships handled 49% of all visits but collected 63% of service revenue. Aftermarket chains accounted for 28% of visits, while independent shops’ share fell from 26% in 2025 to 23% this year.
Spending at independent shops nevertheless increased from $311 to $363 per visit.
“Higher service costs are creating more revenue per visit, but they are not necessarily creating a larger service market,” said J.D. Ney, managing director of J.D. Power Canada.
Aftermarket facilities performed better on several measures of customer service. Some 94% of aftermarket customers said the work was completed correctly the first time, compared with 91% of dealership customers.
Aftermarket facilities were also more likely to provide customer-focused advice and complete the vehicle pickup process quickly.
Dealerships maintained an advantage with electric vehicles. Among owners of internal combustion engine vehicles, 36% said they trusted dealerships with complicated repairs. That figure rose to 42% among zero-emission vehicle owners.
The aftermarket handled 51% of service visits involving internal combustion engine vehicles in the age group studied. Its share fell to 34% of zero-emission vehicle service visits and 28% of the associated revenue.
The study was based on responses from 10,262 Canadian vehicle owners collected between March and June.
The findings arrived as other automotive reports recorded higher Canadian new-vehicle sales, lower used values and little movement in electric-vehicle market share.
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants estimated that Canadians purchased 168,000 new light vehicles in August. Sales increased 5.4% from August 2025, marking a third consecutive month of annual growth.
Canada’s seasonally adjusted annual selling rate reached 1.86 million vehicles.
The U.S. moved in the opposite direction. Early Cox Automotive figures placed August sales at 1.38 million vehicles, down approximately 5.8% annually. However, the annualized selling rate reached 16.8 million, its highest level of 2026. The annual comparison was affected by one fewer selling day and the Labor Day sales period falling in September this year.
Britain registered 94,236 new cars, up 13.7% from August 2025. Australia recorded 108,760 new vehicles, an increase of 4.9%.
The figures are not identical measures. The Canadian and American totals cover light vehicles, including pickups. The British number covers passenger cars, while Australia includes utility vehicles and light commercial models.
Canadian used-vehicle values continued to fall.
The Canadian Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index declined from 127.9 in July to 127.5 in August. The index was 7.6% below its August 2025 level.
Weekly depreciation slowed sharply near the end of the month. Canadian wholesale values fell just 0.05% during the week ending 2026-09-05, compared with an average decline of 0.24% during the same week between 2017 and 2019.
The average advertised price on Canadian dealership lots was approximately $38,500, based on about 160,000 listings.
American wholesale values fell 0.9% during August but remained 0.4% above last year, according to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index. U.S. retail supply fell to 44 days as used sales increased.
British used-car transactions increased 0.7% annually to just over 2 million during the second quarter. Australian used and demonstrator sales rose 1.3% from July to 243,514 in August. Australian listings fell 3.5%, while the average vehicle took 51.5 days to sell.
Statistics Canada separately recorded 547,673 new-vehicle registrations during the second quarter. Zero-emission vehicles accounted for 58,811 registrations, or 10.7% of the market. Their share was nearly unchanged from 10.8% in the first quarter.
Battery-electric vehicles held 7.4% of the Canadian market. Plug-in hybrids accounted for another 3.3%.
For comparison, battery-electric vehicles represented approximately 5.8% of U.S. second-quarter sales. Their August share reached 29.8% in Britain and approximately 24.9% in Australia.
