Car survey questions about the car people drive and the next one
A car survey asks owners about the car they drive now and the one they will buy next: what it is, what went wrong this year, how it feels to own, and what comes after it. Start with the 12-question owner core, then add sets for the next purchase, running costs, electric cars or a recent sale.
- 37questions
- 12in the owner core
- 5 minfor the core
- 5optional sets
By Michael Hodge, BSc Psychology Updated September 2026
Brand, dealer, club or class: pick your row
One set of questions serves a brand, a dealer, a car club and a class project. Find your row, then switch on the sets it names in the question list.
| You are | Send these sets | When |
|---|---|---|
| A car brand or marketing team | Owner core, Choosing the next car | Once a year, to your owner list |
| A dealer after a sale | Owner core, If you bought in the last year | In the first week after handover |
| A seller of electric or hybrid cars | Owner core, Electric and hybrid | Before a launch or test-drive day |
| A car club or social page | A single question, run as a live poll | Whenever you want a quick read |
| A student studying car buying | Owner core, Choosing the next car, About you | Once, to a planned sample |
Asking about a service or repair visit instead? That visit has its own auto repair shop survey. For the people who drive for your business, use the driver satisfaction survey for fleets.
Owner core, next car, running costs, EV and buying sets
Every question in the owner core is already ticked. Add any set with its button, or pick single questions as you read. Each row shows the choices owners get and what their answers reveal, and your selection opens as a survey, prints, or copies into Google Forms or Word.
Owner core12 questions
Four facts about the car, a 12-month problem checklist, five statements about owning it, when it will be replaced and the one thing the owner would change. Sent alone, they already make a full owner survey.
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What type of car do you drive most?
Sedan or hatchbackSUV or crossoverPickup truckMinivan or vanSports car or coupeBody style splits owners into groups with different needs. Read every other answer by this one.
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How did you get this car?
Bought newBought usedLeasedCompany carFrom familyNew, used, leased or handed down: each group expects different things from the same car. The recent-purchase set asks who sold it.
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What powers it?
GasolineDieselHybridPlug-in hybridFully electricFuel type changes what running costs and reliability mean, and it is the base for every electric car question.
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How long have you had it?
Under 1 year1 to 2 years3 to 5 years6 to 10 yearsOver 10 yearsA car owned for three months and one owned for eight years are not the same test. Use it to split the problem results.
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Which of these gave you trouble in the past 12 months?
Engine or motorTransmissionBattery or chargingBrakesElectricalScreen, audio or appsHeating or airBody, paint or trimNone of theseTick all that applyThe reliability question, asked as facts rather than a rating. Owners who tick None of these count too.1
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My car is comfortable on my usual trips.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeComfort on the trips the owner actually takes, not on a test drive. A low score points at seats, noise or ride.
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Running my car costs about what I expected.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeFuel or charging, insurance and repairs together. Read it next to the running costs set to see which one hurts.
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My car feels safe to drive.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeHow safe the car feels to the person who drives it every day. Read a low score next to the open answers.
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The screen and controls are easy to use.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeScreens and buttons are where owners meet the car every day. This shows whether they find them easy.
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I would buy the same make and model again.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeLoyalty in one line. Owners who disagree usually explain why in the last question.
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When do you expect to replace this car?
Within a yearIn 1 to 2 yearsIn 3 to 5 yearsNot for 5+ yearsNot planning anotherPlaces each owner on the buying calendar. Owners replacing within a year are the ones to talk to now.
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If you could change one thing about your car, what would it be?
Open answerThe one fix each owner would ask for. Sort the answers by car type and the same few complaints rise to the top.
Choosing the next car8 questions
For brands, dealers and researchers asking what owners will buy next, how they will pay and where they will look first.
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Will your next car be new or used?
NewNearly newUsed from a dealerUsed, private saleNot sure yetNew or used decides the budget, the finance and where the owner will shop.
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What will power your next car?
Gasoline or dieselHybridPlug-in hybridFully electricNot sure yetHybrids and plug-ins are separate answers because far more people consider a hybrid than a fully electric car.2
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Which body style are you most likely to choose?
Sedan or hatchbackSUV or crossoverPickup truckMinivanSports carWhere demand is heading. Compare it with the car the owner drives now to see who is switching body styles.
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What is your budget for it?
Under $15,000$15,000 to $29,999$30,000 to $44,999$45,000 to $59,999$60,000 or moreBudget bands owners will actually answer. Change the currency and the bands to fit your market.
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Which will matter most when you choose?
PriceReliabilityFuel or charging costsSafety ratingsSpaceTech and screensBrandResale valueTick all that applyThe two or three factors each group ticks most are what your ads and your sales team should lead with.
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Where will you research it?
Review sitesYouTubeBrand websitesDealer visitsFriends and familyForumsTick all that applyShows where to be seen before owners ever reach a showroom.
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How will you pay for it?
CashDealer financeBank or credit union loanLeaseNot sure yetCash, finance or lease: it tells a dealer which offer to put first.
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Which models are on your shortlist?
Open answerThe real competition, named by the people choosing. Count how often each model appears.
Running costs and upkeep5 questions
Fuel or charging spend, distance, servicing and surprise bills. Switch the money and distance bands to your own currency and units before sending.
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About how much do you spend on fuel or charging a month?
Under $50$50 to $99$100 to $199$200 to $299$300 or moreMonthly fuel or charging spend in bands. It shows how much running costs weigh on each group.
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How far do you drive in a typical week?
Under 50 miles50 to 149 miles150 to 299 miles300+ milesNot sureDistance explains a lot: high-mileage owners meet costs, comfort and problems sooner than the rest.
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Where is your car usually serviced?
At a dealerIndependent garageChain or quick serviceI do it myselfIt rarely isTells a dealer how many of its owners still come back after the sale, and where the rest go.
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How many unplanned repairs did it need in the past 12 months?
NoneOneTwoThree or moreNot sureA simple count of unplanned repairs, to set beside the problem checklist in the core.
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Which cost surprised you most this year?
InsuranceFuel or chargingRepairsTiresNone didNames the cost that caught owners out: often the one to explain better before the next sale.
Electric and hybrid4 questions
Everyone can answer these. Owners of electric and plug-in cars answer the charging questions; everyone else picks the last option.
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What would stop you choosing an electric car next?
Purchase priceRangeCharging at homeCharging on tripsBattery lifeResale valueNothing wouldTick all that applyThe reasons behind a no, in the owner's terms. Each one needs a different answer from a seller.
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Could you charge a car where you park at home?
Yes, I have a chargerYes, a regular outletNoNot sureHome charging access. Read interest in electric cars next to this answer before drawing any conclusion.
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If you drive a plug-in car, where do you charge most?
At homeAt workPublic fast chargersPublic slower chargersI do not drive oneWhere current electric and plug-in owners actually charge, which shapes what they want from the next car.
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How easy is it to find a working public charger?
Very easyFairly easyFairly hardVery hardI never need onePublic charging rated by people who use it. Read it for plug-in owners only.
If you bought in the last year5 questions
For dealers and online sellers: how the sale itself went, asked while the paperwork is still fresh.
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Where did you buy your car?
Franchise dealerIndependent dealerPrivate sellerOnline retailerSomewhere elseFranchise dealer, independent lot, private sale or online: the rest of this set reads differently for each.
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The full price was clear before I signed.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeWhether the price the owner signed for matched the price they were shown.
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Nobody pushed me into extras I did not want.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreePressure over add-ons such as warranties and coatings, asked as something that did or did not happen.
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The car was clean and ready at handover.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeHandover is the last thing the owner remembers about the sale. This checks it went right.
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What almost made you buy somewhere else?
Open answerThe moment the sale nearly slipped away, in the buyer's own words.
About you (optional)3 questions
Add these only when you will compare groups, such as city and rural owners, or younger and older buyers.
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Which age group are you in?
Under 2525 to 3435 to 4950 to 6465 or olderAge bands for comparing groups, such as interest in electric cars by age.
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How many cars does your household have?
OneTwoThree or moreIn a two-car household each car often has its own job, which changes how the owner answers.
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Which best describes where you live?
A big cityA suburbA small townA rural areaCity, suburb, town or country: it explains a lot about distance, charging and body style.
Turning car talk into numbers you can compare
Owners like talking about their cars. These four choices turn that into numbers you can compare year after year.
Ask about the last 12 months, from a list
Consumer Reports builds its reliability ratings from owner surveys that covered about 380,000 vehicles in 2025. Owners report problems from the previous 12 months, check them off a list of trouble areas, then describe them in their own words.1 The problem question in the owner core works the same way: a fixed window, a list that ends in None of these, and an open question at the end.
Count the problems before asking for opinions
Consumer Reports makes a point of this: its reliability questions ask whether specific problems happened, not what owners think of their car, and factual questions like these depend far less on who happens to reply.1 So the checklist comes first. The statements about comfort, costs and safety follow, and the buy-again statement closes the set.
US adults who would seriously consider each for their next vehicle
Give hybrids an answer of their own
In a Pew Research Center survey in March 2026, 44% of US adults would seriously consider a hybrid for their next vehicle and 32% an electric one, and 76% of current hybrid owners would consider another hybrid.2 Asking only whether someone will go electric misses most of that interest, so both power questions list gasoline or diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric as separate answers.
Send it at a moment the owner remembers
The recent-purchase set belongs in the first week after handover, while the price talk is fresh. The problem checklist needs a car that has been owned for a while, so send it on the anniversary of the sale. The next-car set works any time, and it is worth most to a brand or dealer a year or two before owners replace their cars.
Want a quick read from a car club, a class or your followers before the full survey? Put one question up as a live car poll and share the link in a group chat or a story. Step-by-step help is in our poll making guide.
Three numbers every owner survey should produce
A stack of answers is hard to act on. These three numbers come straight from the owner core and can be compared across models, years and dealers.
| Number | How to work it out | Example: 40 owners |
|---|---|---|
| Problem rate | Owners who ticked at least one trouble area, divided by everyone who answered | 14 of 40, so 35% |
| Problems per 100 cars | Every trouble area ticked, divided by the number of owners, times 100 | 22 ticks, so 55 per 100 cars |
| Buy-again share | Owners who chose 4 or 5 on the buy-again statement, divided by everyone | 29 of 40, so 72.5% |
Read the three together
A strong buy-again share next to a high problem rate can mean small faults owners are willing to forgive; the boxes they ticked tell you which. A weak buy-again share with few problems points somewhere else, such as cost, comfort or the sale itself, and the five statements show where.
Compare like with like
Split every number by what powers the car and by how long the owner has had it. A car in its first year and a car in its eighth are not the same test, so keep them in separate columns before you compare models or dealers.
An owner scorecard from five statements
Type how many owners chose each number for the five statements. The chart shows where owners are happy, where they are not, and which two parts of owning the car to work on first.
- 1Percent agree for a statement means owners scoring it 4 or 5, out of every owner who scored it. Type the counts and the chart fills in by itself.
- 2Read the scores beside the problem checklist and check whether the weakest statement matches the trouble area owners ticked most.
- 3Split the report by what powers the car, or by how long owners have had it, before you compare one model or dealer with another.
- 4Take the two lowest statements to whoever can change them, in sales, service or product, and ask again next year with the same wording.
Owner scores
One minute with an owner: trouble, loyalty and the next car
Only have a minute of an owner's time? Ask what gave trouble this year, whether they would buy the same car again, when they will replace it, what will power the next one and the one thing they would change.
- 01Which of these gave you trouble in the past 12 months?
- 02I would buy the same make and model again.
- 03When do you expect to replace this car?
- 04What will power your next car?
- 05If you could change one thing about your car, what would it be?
Owner forms for the showroom counter or club night
Paper works at a handover desk, a car show stand, a club meeting or a class survey in a parking lot. Leave pens and a drop box, and empty it before you leave.
Car owner questionnaire
Page one holds the 12-question owner core with boxes to tick. Pages two onward carry the next car, running costs, electric, recent purchase and about you sets.
Download PDF
Owner results worksheet
Tally the five statements by hand, count the cars by fuel type, and note what to fix or feature first.
Download PDFCar buying behaviour for a thesis or class project
Car buying behaviour is a favorite class project and thesis topic. The owner core and the next-car set already answer the usual research questions; three decisions make the results hold up.
Say exactly who counts as an owner
Write one line for your method section, for example: adults in our city who have driven the same car for at least three months. Open the survey with one sentence of consent: taking part is voluntary, answers are anonymous and the results are for coursework.
Fill quotas instead of taking whoever replies
Classmates and friends make a young, similar sample. Set quotas by age group and by fuel type, using the About you questions, stop collecting in a group once it is full, and call it a quota sample when you write it up.
Test one relationship properly
Pick one pair, such as what powers the next car by age group, or body style by where people live. Put the counts and row percentages in a cross-table, then run a chi-square test on the counts. One clear relationship beats ten loose charts.
Car questions that cannot be counted, fixed
Each weak version gets answered, but the answers cannot be counted or acted on. The same habits apply beyond cars; our survey question guide shows them for every question type.
How reliable is your car?
Which of these gave you trouble in the past 12 months? (a list of trouble areas, ending in None of these)
A reliability rating is an opinion that shifts with mood and brand loyalty. A dated checklist gives you problems you can count and compare.
Are you happy with your car's performance and fuel economy?
My car is comfortable on my usual trips.
Running my car costs about what I expected.
Two questions in one. An owner who loves the drive but not the fuel bill has no honest answer.
Would you buy an electric car?
What will power your next car? (Gasoline or diesel, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, Fully electric, Not sure yet)
Two answers leave no room for owners who would go halfway. Hybrids and plug-ins need answers of their own.
How much do you spend on your car?
About how much do you spend on fuel or charging a month? (five money bands)
Spend on your car mixes loan payments, insurance and fuel. One named cost, one time frame and bands get a real answer.
Car survey FAQ for dealers, clubs and students
Short answers for brands, dealers, car clubs and students.
What questions should a car survey ask?
Start with the car itself: its type, how it was bought, what powers it and how long it has been owned. Then ask which problems it had in the past 12 months, how owning it feels, and when the owner will replace it. The owner core covers all of that in 12 questions.
How do I make a car survey for a class project?
Use the owner core with the next-car and About you sets, fix age and fuel-type quotas before you collect, and open with one line of consent. The project section above explains the cross-table and the chi-square test.
Can I run these questions as a car poll?
Yes. Any question with a Run as poll button opens on the Poll Maker home page with its answers filled in, so you can post the link straight away. The body style and next-car power questions work well for a car club or a social page.
When should a dealer send a survey after selling a car?
In the first week after handover, while the price talk and the paperwork are fresh. Send the owner core with the recent-purchase set, then the problem checklist again a year later to the same list.
Can I change miles and dollars to my own units?
Yes. In the builder, edit the distance and money bands to kilometres and your currency. Keep about five bands so the answers stay quick and easy to compare.
Send the owner core to your owners, club or class
Open the owner core in the builder, switch on the sets you need, and send the link to your owners, your club or your class. Paper copies suit a showroom counter too.
