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Customer Satisfaction

Car buyers haven’t been this unhappy in a decade

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
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By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
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August 25, 2015, 10:47 AM ET
A General Motors Co. Car Dealership Ahead Of Earnings Figures
A row of General Motors Co. 2014 Chevy Spark vehicles sit on the lot at Webb Chevrolet dealership in Plainfield, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. General Motors Co., which has called back almost 29 million vehicles in North America for various fixes this year, is scheduled to release earnings figures on July 24. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhoto by Bloomberg—Getty Images

Even though car sales are up, reaching towards totals not seen since before the credit crisis, all of those new car owners aren’t exactly happy with their purchases.

Owner satisfaction stood at 79 out of 100 points, down 3.7% from last year and the lowest score in a decade. Of the 27 brands tracked American Customer Satisfaction Index Automobile Report, 15 saw their satisfaction rating go down this year, according to NBC News.

A major reason for the drop in customer happiness? Recalls. There were a record 64 million recalls in 2014, led by the huge recall scandal at General Motors. Prices are also up, making it more difficult to meet customer expectations.

Foreign cars did better than American cars, with 77 percent of car models that received above-average satisfaction ratings being imports.

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By Ben Geier
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