50+ Car Survey Questions: For Buyers, Dealerships, Service Teams, and EV Owners
"Car survey" covers five very different jobs: figuring out what someone will buy next, scoring how a dealership handled the sale, scoring how the service bay handled the oil change, tracking how the vehicle holds up at 60,000 miles, and tracking how EV owners actually live with their cars. Each one needs a different question set. The "what do you drive, are you happy with it" form most teams send catches almost none of this.
This page ships 50+ questions across all five use cases, with answer scales already written in, plus a playable Formester car survey template you can edit and send in 90 seconds, and an AI survey generator for the surveys that don't fit any standard template. 40% of customers walk away from a company after a single bad service experience, so the cost of asking the wrong questions, or asking nothing, is concrete.
What is a Car Survey?
A car survey is a questionnaire designed to gather customer feedback about their vehicles, preferences, and overall customer experience.
These surveys can explore everything from the type of car someone owns to satisfaction and loyalty levels.
For instance, you might ask questions about fuel efficiency, financing options, or car reliability. The survey results give important information.
They help you see how customers feel about your products and services. This understanding lets you improve service quality and increase customer satisfaction.
What a car survey actually measures (and when to use which type)
A car survey is any questionnaire aimed at one of five jobs in the automotive funnel:
Market research / buying intent. What people in the market are looking at, what they'll pay, what would make them switch brands. Sent before the purchase.
Dealership CSAT (sales). How the sales floor handled the deal: greeting, test drive, F&I paperwork, delivery. Sent within 7 days of pickup.
Service satisfaction. How the service bay handled a maintenance visit or repair: wait time, technician communication, price transparency, work quality. Sent within 48 hours of service.
Vehicle reliability / ownership. How the car is performing over months and years: defects, recall handling, dealer support during ownership. Sent at 6 / 12 / 24 month intervals.
EV / hybrid owner experience. Battery life, charging access, software updates, range anxiety, comparison to the ICE vehicle they replaced. Sent at 30 / 90 / 365 days.
Each type below ships with a question bank and an answer scale. Pick the survey type that matches what you're trying to learn, copy the questions, paste them into the Formester template, and send.
Car survey questions, grouped by survey type
Bolded question, italic answer scale. Copy any block into the Formester template and you have a working survey in 90 seconds.
Twelve questions to drop into a buying-intent survey:
- Are you planning to buy or lease a vehicle in the next 12 months? Yes within 3 months / Yes within 6 months / Yes within 12 months / No.
- New or used? New / Certified pre-owned / Used, private seller / Used, dealership.
- What is your budget range? Under $20K / $20K to $30K / $30K to $45K / $45K to $65K / Over $65K.
- Which body style are you considering? (select all) Sedan / SUV or crossover / Truck / Hatchback / Coupe / Minivan / Electric or hybrid.
- Rank these in order of importance. Fuel economy or range, safety ratings, tech and infotainment, brand reputation, resale value, monthly payment, cargo space.
- Which fuel type are you most likely to choose? Gasoline / Diesel / Hybrid / Plug-in hybrid / Full EV / Undecided.
- How will you finance the purchase? Cash / Dealer loan / Bank or credit-union loan / Lease / Manufacturer financing.
- How long do you typically keep a vehicle? Under 3 years / 3 to 5 / 6 to 10 / 10+.
- Which brand are you considering first? Toyota / Honda / Ford / Chevrolet / Tesla / Hyundai / Kia / BMW / Other (specify).
- Where do you primarily research vehicles? (select all) Manufacturer sites / Edmunds, KBB, CarGurus / YouTube reviews / Reddit or forums / Dealership in-person / Friends and family.
- What would make you walk away from a dealership during the buying process? High-pressure tactics / Hidden fees on OTD price / Inventory mismatch / Long F&I wait / Other (open text).
- On a 0 to 10 scale, how likely are you to recommend the brand you currently drive? NPS for the current brand.
Ten questions for the post-sale dealership survey:
- How did you first contact us? Walk-in / Phone / Website chat or form / Email / Referral.
- How would you rate the greeting and initial reception at the dealership? 1 to 5 scale.
- How knowledgeable was your sales consultant about the vehicle you were considering? 1 to 5 scale.
- Did you feel pressured during the sales process? Not at all / Slightly / Moderately / Heavily.
- How transparent was the pricing, including all fees on the OTD? 1 to 5 scale.
- How long did the F&I paperwork take? Under 30 min / 30 to 60 min / 1 to 2 hours / Over 2 hours.
- How would you rate the vehicle delivery (walkthrough of features, paperwork, plate handover)? 1 to 5 scale.
- Did we deliver the vehicle in the condition promised? Yes / No / Partially, with comment.
- On a 0 to 10 scale, how likely are you to recommend this dealership to a friend or colleague? Standard NPS.
- What single change would have made your experience better? Open text.
Ten questions for the post-service satisfaction survey:
- What type of service did you have? Routine maintenance / Warranty work / Recall repair / Collision / Diagnostic / Other.
- Was the wait time accurate to what we quoted? Faster than quoted / As quoted / 15 to 30 min longer / Over 30 min longer.
- Did your service advisor explain the work clearly before starting? 1 to 5 scale.
- Was the cost of the work explained before any charges were added? Yes / No / Partially.
- Were any additional repairs recommended, and if so, how were they explained? Open text.
- How would you rate the cleanliness of the waiting area or loaner? 1 to 5 scale.
- Was the work completed correctly the first time? Yes / No.
- How would you rate the value for what you paid? 1 to 5 scale.
- How likely are you to bring this vehicle back to our service department for the next visit? 0 to 10 scale.
- One thing we could improve on your next visit? Open text.
Eight questions for the reliability tracker:
- How many miles are currently on the vehicle? Open numeric.
- Have you experienced any of the following issues? (select all) Engine or transmission / Electrical (lights, infotainment, battery) / HVAC / Interior wear or rattles / Brakes or suspension / None.
- How many unplanned service visits in the last 12 months? 0 / 1 / 2 / 3+.
- For unplanned visits, was the issue resolved on the first visit? Yes / No / Still ongoing.
- How would you rate the overall build quality of the vehicle? 1 to 5 scale.
- How would you rate fuel economy compared to the EPA estimate or manufacturer claim? Better / As expected / Worse.
- How likely are you to buy the same model again? 0 to 10 scale.
- What would change your mind on this brand for your next purchase? Open text.
Eight questions for the EV or hybrid owner survey:
- What type of electrified vehicle do you own? Full battery EV / Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) / Conventional hybrid.
- Where do you charge most often? Home (Level 1, 120V) / Home (Level 2, 240V) / Public Level 2 / Public DC fast charger / Workplace.
- How often does range anxiety affect a trip you would otherwise take? Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always.
- Did the vehicle’s actual range match what was advertised? Exceeds claim / Matches claim / 10 to 20% under / More than 20% under.
- How would you rate the over-the-air software update experience? 1 to 5 scale, or N/A.
- How often do you use one-pedal driving or regenerative braking? Daily / Sometimes / Tried once, turned it off / Vehicle does not have this feature.
- Did the dealer or OEM adequately explain charging setup at delivery? Yes / Partially / No.
- Compared to your previous internal-combustion vehicle, your EV is: Much better / Slightly better / About the same / Slightly worse / Much worse.
Benefits of Using a Car Survey
1. Understand Customer Needs Learn what matters most to your customers such as fuel efficiency or advanced technology.
2. Improve Customer Service Identify pain points in the customer journey and improve the quality of service to boost satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Predict Market Trends Spot trends like the growing interest in electric vehicles or changing financing options to stay competitive.
4. Make Informed Decisions Use survey results to make smart choices about pricing, new features, or future car models.
5. Save Time and Resources With clear, actionable data, you’ll avoid wasting time on ineffective strategies.
Three metrics every car survey should track (CSAT, NPS, CES)
Every car survey, regardless of which of the five types above you're running, should produce at least one of these three numbers. Without them, you have anecdotes; with them, you can compare month to month.
- CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score). Question: "How satisfied were you with [the experience]?" on a 1–5 scale. Calculate the percentage that picked 4 or 5. Used for service visits, dealership sales, delivery. See the customer satisfaction survey guide for scoring detail.
- NPS (Net Promoter Score). Question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" on a 0–10 scale. Promoters (9–10) minus Detractors (0–6) = NPS. Industry benchmark for automotive sits around +40 for franchise dealers and +60 for premium / luxury (J.D. Power 2024 CSI). See how to make an NPS survey for setup.
- CES (Customer Effort Score). Question: "How easy was it to [complete the task]?" on a 1–5 scale. Strongest predictor of repeat business; weaker on absolute satisfaction. Best used on F&I paperwork, service check-in, online booking.
A typical post-sale dealership survey carries one CSAT question, one NPS question, and one CES question, plus 5-8 diagnostic questions for the specific stage you're scoring. More than that and the response rate drops.
How to Create a Car Survey with Formester in 30 seconds
Option A: use the ready-made template (fastest)
- Open the Car Ownership and Preferences Survey template and click "Use Template."
- Pick the questions from the five sections above that match the survey type you're running. Paste them in. Delete the defaults you don't need.
- Turn on conditional logic where it helps. If a respondent picks "Full battery EV" in question 1 of the buying section, route them past gasoline-related questions and into the EV-specific block.
- Hit Share. You get a public link, a QR code, and an embed snippet for your dealership website, post-sale email, or service follow-up SMS.
- Watch responses land. Filter by submission date, export to CSV, or pipe into Google Sheets via the integration.
Option B: generate a custom survey with AI
- Open the Formester AI Survey Generator. Paste a topic ("post-service satisfaction for a luxury dealership"), upload a PDF (your existing question bank), or paste a URL.
- The model writes a 10–25 question draft with answer scales. Review, edit, drop anything off-brand.
- Share via link, QR, or embed. Same dashboard as Option A.
Both paths give you live response analytics, including CSAT and NPS calculations if you tag the score questions correctly. The analytics view handles the math; you don't.
Conclusion
Car surveys are the ultimate tool for understanding your customers and improving their overall satisfaction. By asking the right questions in customer satisfaction surveys, you can learn about the customer journey. This helps you understand the long-term needs of your audience.
Ready to get started? Create your car survey today and learn how valuable feedback can grow your car business!
Car survey FAQ
CSAT, NPS, CES, and the practical decisions behind a survey that gets sent and read.
What is the difference between a car survey and a dealership survey?
How many questions should a car survey have?
What is a good NPS for a car dealership?
When should I send a post-sale dealership survey?
How do I phrase rating-scale questions so the answers are usable?
More from Formester for automotive and CX surveys
Templates, guides, and tools that pair with this page.
