The latest study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index has revealed new car owners are becoming less satisfied with their purchases.
According to the group’s latest study, overall driver satisfaction has fallen by 1.2 percent to a score of 81 on its 0-100 point scale.
American automakers, in particular, took a hit as General Motors was the only company to see it satisfaction score climb this year. The company received a score of 82 which put it ahead of rivals such as Ford (81) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (77).
Foreign automaker dominated the list as they took five of the top six spots. Toyota scored 86 points and was followed by Subaru (85), GMC (84), and Hyundai (83).
The news wasn’t all good for foreign automaker as Honda was hammered in the latest report. Its satisfaction level dropped six percent to 81 points which tied it with Chevrolet.
On the luxury side, the top three brands were Lexus (86), Mercedes (84), and Cadillac (83). Acura finished last with a score of 80 but that’s a significant improvement from 2016 when the company only received a score of 76.
ACSI Chairman Claes Fornell says “major steps” need to be taken to ensure American automakers create satisfied and loyal customers. As he noted, “There was a surge in demand and increasing customer satisfaction with foreign cars in the 1980s, mostly because the domestic auto industry had difficulty keeping up. While U.S. cars have improved much over the years, they have not been as consistent in quality and customer satisfaction compared with their international counterparts.”
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