More car buyers enjoyed a total transaction time of less than two hours in 2024, but F&I wait times increased, according to CDK’s fifth annual Friction Points study.

In a survey of 1,281 consumers who purchased a vehicle between April and September, 61% said they were in and out in two hours or less, up from 54% in 2023. But 49% waited at least 30 minutes to see their F&I professional, up from 37%, and 10% waited at least 45 minutes, up from 8%.

“Last year, there was a massive improvement in the amount of time people waited for F&I. The number of customers who had to wait 30 or more minutes fell from 59% in 2022, to 37% in 2023,” analysts note. “This year, the numbers swung back upward, settling about halfway between at 49%.”

The effect was felt in respondents’ Net Promoter Scores, a metric based on whether a customer would recommend a business: Car buyers who had to wait for an F&I manager averaged a +36 NPS while those who didn’t averaged a +48.

Read the full report at CDK