U.S. Vehicle Brand Loyalty Climbs to Five-Year High in 2025, According to LexisNexisRisk Solutions
Rhea-AI Summary
LexisNexis Risk Solutions (RELX) reports U.S. vehicle brand loyalty rose to 51.4% in 2025, a five-year high and up 0.4 percentage points year‑over‑year. Toyota led brands at 60.2%, while Tesla slipped to 55.9%. EV repurchaser fuel loyalty fell from 82.7% in September to 58.3% in December, as gas loyalty rebounded to 83%. Average new vehicle prices surpassed $50,000 and incentives declined to 6.7% of transaction price, while EV brand loyalty eased from 76% in 2024 to 73% in 2025.
Positive
- Overall brand loyalty rose to 51.4% (+0.4 pp)
- Toyota led with 60.2% loyalty
- Large Pickup loyalty at 54.8%
- Compact SUV loyalty at 53.0%
Negative
- Average new vehicle price > $50,000
- Incentives fell to 6.7% of transaction price
- EV brand loyalty declined from 76% to 73%
- Tesla loyalty softened to 55.9%
News Market Reaction – RELX
In the Jan 13 session, RELX declined 1.36%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Third annual
Key Takeaways
U.S. vehicle brand loyalty hit a five-year high in 2025, reaching51.4% , rising 0.4 percentage points year-over-year1.- Ten automotive brands surpassed the industry-average vehicle brand loyalty rate of
51.4% in 2025. - Fuel-type loyalty among EV repurchasers in 2025 fell from
82.7% in September to58.3% in December, while gas loyalty rebounded from80% to83% in the same months following the expiration of federal EV tax credits. - Affordability and macroeconomic pressures weighed on drivers, with average new vehicle prices surpassing
$50,000 6.7% 2 of the average transaction price.
Key Observations
"Loyalty is reemerging as a critical competitive metric, with our analysis showing overall
Brand Loyalty
To assess brand-level performance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions analyzed purchased vehicles in 2025, comparing newly purchased vehicles with those already owned in the garage.
- Toyota3 leads brand loyalty: Toyota closed 2025 as the industry loyalty leader, posting a
60.2% loyalty rate. Stronger hybrid retention supported this performance, with loyalty among Toyota hybrid owners increasing by 2.5 percentage points to60.1% . - Tesla4 loyalty softens amid rising EV competition: After ranking first or second in recent years, Tesla slipped to third place in 2025 with a
55.9% loyalty rate. Among EV owners replacing their vehicles with another EV, loyalty to Tesla declined as more consumers explored competing electric options. - Fuel-type dynamics reshape brand retention: While loyalty to gasoline as a fuel type jumped in the latter months of 2025, the long-term message is clear: owners are steadily replacing their gas vehicles with alternative fuel. In 2020, only
3% of those replacing their gas vehicle did so with alternative fuel. In 2025, alternative fuel vehicles accounted for18% of all replacements of gasoline vehicles.5
Influencing Factors
Several macroeconomic and policy-driven factors influenced vehicle purchasing and repurchasing behavior in 2025.
- Affordability pressures persist: Average new vehicle prices crossed
$50,000 6.7% of average transaction price, according to Cox Automotive6. Compact SUVs, one of the largest vehicle segments, faced higher tariffs and reduced incentives, creating affordability challenges that could affect future loyalty. - Key segments remain resilient: Despite rising costs, loyalty increased in two of the largest vehicle segments. Large Pickup (
54.8% ) and Compact SUV (53.0% ) loyalty rates were both up a percentage point year over year, finishing 2025 at their highest levels in years. - EV adoption progresses more slowly than expected: Policy uncertainty, changes in emissions standards and incentive rollbacks contributed to a slower transition to EVs. EV brand loyalty edged down from
76% in 2024 to73% in 2025, underscoring the need for automakers to adapt retention strategies as fuel preferences evolve. - Ownership experience grows in importance: As EVs reduce routine dealer service visits, automakers are being pushed to rethink post-sale engagement and compete more directly on delivering value across the full ownership lifecycle.
Key Observations
"As automakers navigate shifting strategies and market conditions, consumers are feeling real pressure from higher vehicle prices, lower incentives and federal policy changes," said Mike Yakima, director, vehicle intelligence, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "Brands that understand these crosscurrents and deliver value across the entire ownership journey, not just at the point of sale, will be best positioned to sustain and grow loyalty as the industry moves forward."
About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data, sophisticated analytics platforms and technology solutions to provide insights that help businesses across multiple industries and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. Headquartered in metro Atlanta,
CONTACT: Annalysce Baker, 1-678-436-1579, annalysce.baker@lexisnexisrisk.com
1See Figure 1 | ||||
2Cox Automotive: https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights-hub/sept-2025-atp-report/ | ||||
3All automaker brand names, logos and trademarks mentioned in this report are the property of their respective owners. Their inclusion is solely for identification, descriptive, and research purposes. This report does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or sponsorship from the mentioned brands. All market data and analysis are based on independent research and are provided for informational purposes only. | ||||
4All automaker brand names, logos and trademarks mentioned in this report are the property of their respective owners. Their inclusion is solely for identification, descriptive, and research purposes. This report does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or sponsorship from the mentioned brands. All market data and analysis are based on independent research and are provided for informational purposes only. | ||||
5See Figure 2 | ||||
6Cox Automotive: https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights-hub/sept-2025-atp-report/ | ||||
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SOURCE LexisNexis Risk Solutions