Satisfaction with U.S. cars slips in survey

BMW revs up, ties with Lexus for No. 1 NEW YORK—U.S. car buyers are growing less satisfied with their purchases from domestic automakers while their Asian and European competitors continue to improve, according to a new survey. Consumer satisfaction with U.S. auto brands slipped as lines, fell from their No. 2 perch at a time when U.S. companies are struggling to outshine their competitors and reverse their shrinking sales and market share. That's an unsettling sign for domestic automakers, said Claes Fornell, the University of Michigan business professor who heads the annual survey. Traditionally, U.S. brands improve their customer satisfaction scores each year, just not as much as their overseas counterparts. Now the domestic companies' ratings are declining while their competitors' scores continue to climb. "This is... [read full story]