Repair event cycle times (RECT) at U.S. marine dealerships improved notably in June, with the average dropping to 36 days.
- This represents a 6-day decrease from May’s 42-day average, marking a strong month-over-month gain after a relatively stable spring.
- Despite the improvement, overall cycle times remain slightly elevated compared to June 2025, indicating the industry is still working to regain prior-year efficiency levels.
- The June gains suggest dealerships are beginning to recover momentum as peak service season progresses.
The RECT for the main bottlenecks — warranty coverage and out-of-stock parts — showed meaningful improvement in June.
- Work orders with warranty coverage averaged 63 days, a significant reduction from May, though they continue to be the most significant contributor to extended repair timelines.
- Out-of-stock parts work orders averaged 56 days, also improving from May but still elevated relative to overall cycle times.
What This Means for Dealers
- Big MoM win: June’s six-day drop is a meaningful operational improvement and a positive sign heading into peak service demand.
- Recovery underway: After a slow start to 2026, performance is trending in the right direction, though consistency will be key.
- Warranty progress matters: A 10-day improvement is significant, but still not enough to close the gap or remove it as the top bottleneck.
- Parts still sticky: Improving month-over-month, but no meaningful year-over-year progress, reinforcing ongoing inventory and supply challenges.
- Zoom out: Dealers are improving month-over-month, but still trailing 2025 efficiency levels, highlighting the need for sustained focus beyond short-term gains.
Takeaway
Short-term gains are encouraging, but long-term improvement will depend on how effectively dealerships address warranty workflows and parts management, two areas that continue to define overall service performance.
