A dealer count is a single number and it hides the thing that matters. Two brands with 300 locations each can cover the country completely differently — one spread evenly, the other stacked into the same dozen cities.
So we measured the gaps. For every dealer in the continental US, the distance to the closest other dealer of the same brand.
| Brand | Locations | Mean distance | Median distance | Mean ÷ median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 2,032 | 15.1 mi | 10.5 mi | 1.44 |
| Chevrolet | 1,660 | 16.8 mi | 11.8 mi | 1.42 |
| Toyota | 1,102 | 19.1 mi | 10.3 mi | 1.86 |
| Honda | 1,004 | 19.3 mi | 10.1 mi | 1.91 |
| Tesla | 272 | 29.3 mi | 9.3 mi | 3.15 |
| Mitsubishi | 194 | 47.5 mi | 29.4 mi | 1.62 |
| Lincoln | 115 | 60.7 mi | 24.2 mi | 2.51 |
| Buick | 112 | 66.3 mi | 31.4 mi | 2.11 |
| RAM | 100 | 71.8 mi | 49.2 mi | 1.46 |
The last column is the interesting one
Mean divided by median measures how lumpy a network is. When both numbers are close, the dealers are spread evenly. When the mean runs far ahead, a minority of very isolated locations is dragging it up — which means the network has holes.
Ford sits at 1.44 and Chevrolet at 1.42. These are networks built to cover the country, and the arithmetic shows it: the typical Ford dealer has another Ford dealer ten miles away, and the outliers are not extreme enough to distort the average.
Tesla built a different kind of network
Tesla's median is 9.3 miles — the shortest of any brand on the list, shorter than Ford's. Its mean is 29.3, which is worse than Volkswagen's.
Both numbers are correct and they describe the same thing from two directions. Tesla stores cluster tightly inside metro areas, so the typical store has a sibling nine miles away. Between metros there is nothing at all, and those crossings pull the mean up to three times the median.
No other brand comes close to a ratio of 3.15. It is a network optimised for where the buyers are rather than for covering the map, which is exactly what you would build without a legacy franchise system to inherit.
RAM's number needs a caveat
71.8 miles is the largest gap in the table, and it would be misleading to leave it there without explanation.
RAM shares showrooms with Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler under Stellantis. When mapping data records a combined dealership, it usually gets one name — and that name is more often Jeep, which shows 787 locations to RAM's 100. The trucks are sold from both.
So the real distance to somewhere that services a RAM is closer to Jeep's 23.7 miles. We are reporting what the tagging says, and the tagging undercounts.
Buick at 66.3 and Lincoln at 60.7 have no such excuse. Those are genuinely sparse networks attached to brands whose volume has been falling for two decades.
When the distance actually costs you something
For routine servicing it rarely matters — any competent independent shop handles oil, brakes and tyres on any brand.
Three things need the franchised network. Warranty work, which is only performed by authorised dealers. Recall repairs, which are free but only at a dealer — and a free repair sixty miles away costs a morning and a tank of fuel. And brand-specific diagnostics on platforms where the aftermarket has no access to the software.
That last one is where the network map turns into a real ownership cost. On a brand with a 15-mile network it is an errand; on one with a 70-mile network it is a plan.
Worth checking before you buy rather than after: what is outstanding on the specific car, and how far you would have to take it. A free VIN check covers the first half.
Frequently asked questions
Which brand has the densest dealer network?
Ford, where the average distance from one dealer to the next-closest Ford dealer is 15.1 miles across the continental US. Chevrolet follows at 16.8 miles, then Toyota at 19.1 and Honda at 19.3.
Which brands have the sparsest networks?
RAM at 71.8 miles, Buick at 66.3 and Lincoln at 60.7. RAM's figure is partly a tagging artefact — it shares Stellantis showrooms with Jeep and Dodge — but Buick and Lincoln are genuinely thin networks serving shrinking brands.
Why does Tesla's average differ so much from its median?
Because the network is clustered rather than spread. Tesla averages 29.3 miles between locations but the median is 9.3 — a ratio of 3.1, the highest of any brand. Most Tesla stores sit close to another Tesla store in a metro area, while the gaps between metros are very large.
Does dealer distance matter for a used car?
For warranty work, recalls and brand-specific diagnostics, yes — those need a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are free but only if you can reach somewhere that performs them, and on a sparse network that can mean a day and a tank of fuel rather than a lunchtime errand.
Denis Kataev is a serial solopreneur and the founder of ForCar. With 15+ years in software engineering and 10 years in SEO, he builds data-driven products end to end — backed by a sharp eye for design. At ForCar he mines proprietary vehicle datasets, turning raw numbers into buying advice you can actually trust.
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