DETROIT, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Ford's Lincoln-Mercury brand and GM's Buick nameplate topped the auto industry in consumer satisfaction, a report released Tuesday said.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index, developed at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, showed U.S. automakers on the rise after problems at Japan's Toyota. Overall, U.S. brands were rated higher than Japanese and Korean autos for the first time since 2000, but were still behind European vehicles.
It was the first time Lincoln-Mercury and Buick have been tops in consumer satisfaction in the survey's history.
Despite higher sales, Chrysler's problems persisted. Its Jeep and Dodge brands were rated at the bottom of the list, the report said.
"It's important in that the scores provide (Ford and General Motors ) with a very positive story to tell," Rebecca Lindland, an analyst at HIS Automotive told The Detroit News. UPI
