Drivers are less and less satisfied with most cars
Though car technology and safety have increased a significant amount in the last few decades, recalls are occurring more frequently than ever. To add to this, car prices are also rising – and consumers are not happy with it.
According to the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), car buyer satisfaction is down for the third straight year, falling 3.7 percent from last year to a 79 out of 100 on ACSI’s scale.
“While it is true that all cars are now much better than they were 10 to 20 years ago, it is alarming that so many of them have quality problems,’’ Claes Fornell, ACSI Chairman and founder, said in a statement. “The number of recalls is at an all-time high. This should not happen with modern manufacturing technology and has negative consequences for driver safety, costs and customer satisfaction.’’
ACSI collected over 4,000 customer surveys from 2015’s second quarter and found that most automakers in the industry saw a decline in customer satisfaction.
The Chicago Tribune noted that last year 64 million vehicles were recalled, which is more than double the previous record in 2004, the last year the satisfaction levels were this low.
There were 27 automakers featured in the survey, 15 of which saw a decline in customer satisfaction. Only two saw an increase.
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Car brands you can count on from J.D. Power and Associates:
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Fiat Chrysler fell to the bottom of the rankings for customer satisfaction – the automaker had 8.8 million recalls this year.
But not all of these car brands had huge recalls. ACSI noted that rising vehicle prices were also a factor in why satisfaction is so low.
“Higher prices are clearly hurting car buyer satisfaction, but low prices also have artificially inflated satisfaction in the years prior,’’ David VanAmburg, ACSI director said in a statement.
According to Edumunds.com, car prices are up 11 percent from 2010 and rose to an average of $32,932 in July.
The automakers that did well, according to ACSI, were Japanese and luxury brands. Lexus was at the top of the list with an 84 rating out of 100, which took the lead from Mercedes-Benz. Benz fell 3 percent this year to a score of 83.
The two manufacturers who actually gained percentage points were BMW, rising 3 percent to an 82 and Acura, rising 8 percent to an 83.
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