Top 11 Auto Repair CRM Tools for 2025

The car buying experience in 2024 doesn’t start at the car lot anymore—it starts online. One survey found that nearly half of respondents (48%) start their car shopping experience online rather than using a salesperson. For car dealers, the process of managing leads and turning them into actual customers can be tricky. That’s where an automotive CRM system comes in.

Comparing the top automotive CRM platforms on the market, understanding their key features, and knowing which is best for today’s car dealerships is essential for improving your customer experience and boosting sales.

What is an auto repair CRM?

An auto repair CRM (customer relationship management) system is a piece of software that helps auto repair shops manage customer interactions, appointments, and service history faster and more efficiently from a single location.

Ways AI-Powered Solutions Can Help a Repair Shop

Auto dealer CRMs that are powered by AI take customer management to an entirely new level. These solutions can automate daily tasks, predict customer needs, deliver more efficient, personalized service, and more. Plus, these solutions let shop owners focus more on repairs and less on administrative tasks.

How AI Can Take Care of an Auto Repair CRM

Traditional CRM systems can quickly get bogged down with outdated data or legacy features that slow down, rather than speed up, administrative processes. Bringing AI into these systems enables repair shops to move past these obstacles, unlocking more efficiency and productivity. Here’s how:

Writing

AI-powered CRMs for car dealers can draft quick, personalized responses for customer inquiries, follow-ups, appointment confirmations, and vehicle maintenance or collision requests, saving time and ensuring consistent, professional communication.

Reporting

AI streamlines the reporting process for dealers, giving managers access to insights on things like service completion times, customer satisfaction rates, revenue trends, and more. Each of these reports help pinpoint strengths and identify areas for improvement.

Emails

Automated emails remind customers of upcoming maintenance, service follow-ups, or feedback requests. Automating these tasks helps to keep your shop top-of-mind and encourages repeat business.

Insights

AI insights can reveal patterns in customer behavior and shop performance, enabling you to target marketing efforts and upsell services more effectively.

Data Capture

AI-driven data capture can log customer information, service history, and individual preferences automatically. It helps to create a clear view of customer needs without extra manual work.

Call Insights

Rather than spending hours manually looking for common customer questions or determining your customer satisfaction levels, AI does this for you, giving you a clear view of customer needs without manual work.

Data Cleansing

AI keeps your car dealer CRM data clean by removing duplicates, updating records, and flagging any inconsistencies. Data cleansing helps you provide customers with accurate, up-to-date information.

11 Best Auto Repair CRMs

IDMS by DealerSocket

IDMS is designed for car dealers, offering lead management, inventory control, and customer follow-up tools. The platform includes real-time insights and reporting, allowing you to better understand buyer behavior and boost customer retention. Pricing varies depending on dealership needs.

Selly Automotive

Selly Automotive is a budget-friendly automotive CRM built for small to mid-sized dealerships. Some of the platform’s key features include lead tracking, texting, inventory management, and messaging. Pricing for Selly Automotive starts around $99 per month.

eLead CRM

eLead CRM gives dealerships a comprehensive approach to lead management, offering tools for sales tracking, customer follow-ups, and data reporting. Its robust integrations with other marketing platforms make it a great choice for dealerships wanting to grow customer relationships. Pricing for eLead is customized per dealership.

DealerCenter

DealerCenter is a versatile platform that includes CRM, finance and insurance (F&I) capabilities, and inventory management. The user-friendly interface and robust tools make it an ideal choice for independent and franchise dealers. Plans for DealerCenter start around $295 per month.

Keap

Formerly known as Infusionsoft, Keap is an affordable, easy-to-use CRM with features like email automation, task management, sales tracking, and more. Though it’s not auto-specific, it’s highly customizable, allowing dealerships to customize it to their needs. Pricing for Keap starts at $129 per month.

HubSpot CRM

One of the most popular tools on the market, HubSpot, includes tools for lead management and email automation. It also includes reporting tools and seamlessly integrates with existing tools. HubSpot is also highly affordable, making it great if you want a CRM system that grows with you. Getting started with HubSpot is free with additional plans ranging from as little as $15 per month.

Freshsales by Freshworks

Freshales includes tools for lead scoring, automated workflows, and AI-powered insights. The platform helps dealers track customer interactions and prioritize leads effectively, making it perfect if you’re looking to nurture prospects more effectively. Pricing starts at $15 per month.

Salesforce CRM

Salesforce is a highly customizable CRM that offers lead tracking and customer support tools. You’ll also have access to analytics tools you can use to better understand your customers. Pricing starts around $25 per month for basic features.

SAP Automotive Suite

SAP Automotive Suite is made for the auto industry, providing you with tools to manage sales, customer service, supply chains, and other operations. It’s best suited for large dealerships looking to streamline operations. Pricing is customized based on business size and needs.

Dealertrack DMS

Dealertrack DMS provides dealerships with end-to-end dealership management, converting inventory, F&I, customer service, etc. The platform integrates seamlessly with other Dealertrack solutions, making it great for larger dealerships. Pricing is available upon request.

Autosoft DMS

Autosoft DMS simplifies operations by offering tools for inventory management and F&I. You’ll also have access to real-time reporting tools and data analytics tools so you can understand exactly where you need to improve efficiency. Pricing for Autosoft DMS starts around $250 per month.

9 Auto Repair CRM Must Have Features

As you’re evaluating CRMs for auto repair shops, keep these features in mind:

Lead Management

Auto repair CRMs should include lead management features that allow you to capture and track new leads and prioritize them based on interest and likelihood to convert.

Detailed Customer Profiles

The platform should be able to store a customer’s previous service history, vehicle details, and preferences. This feature helps you create more personalized interactions.

Sales Management

Look for auto or mechanic CRMs that manage service upsells and track sales pipelines to increase transparency over your sales processes. This feature can also help you simplify payment processing and invoicing.

Customer Communication

A high-quality CRM for car dealers will streamline customer communication by sending automated reminders, follow-ups, and appointment confirmations via email or SMS. It should also offer multiple touchpoints to keep customers engaged.

Reporting and Analytics

Be sure the platform can generate insights on sales, customer retention, service demand, or any other insights you want to track. This feature will help you identify growth or improvement opportunities.

Integration Capabilities

Your auto repair CRM should connect with your existing inventory, billing, scheduling, or even car wash software, creating a unified workflow.

Task and Workflow Automation

The CRM system should automate routine tasks such as appointment scheduling and service reminders, lowering the amount of time you spend on administrative tasks, which increases efficiency.

Training and Onboarding

Learning a new car dealer CRM can be intimidating. See if the platform offers training resources or onboarding support for you and your staff, as this ensures smooth adoption and better use of features.

Storage, Security, and Compliance

Be sure the platform can securely store customer data in a way that meets industry compliance standards. It should also safeguard sensitive information to ensure you maintain customer trust.

Podium: Your All-in-One Solution for Smart CRM Management

Ready to unlock your automotive repair shop’s full potential? Podium’s AI Employee can help you better manage CRM tasks, simplifying and streamlining the way you interact with your customers and manage daily operations. From automatically following up with leads to sending out personalized customer responses, Podium’s AI Employee streamlines every touchpoint, allowing you to focus on delivering great service while it handles the rest.

See how Podium can transform CRM for automotive businesses by watching a demo today.