(ACSI: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Automakers are not pleasing customers as much as they did a year ago, although pent-up demand is pushing strong sales, according to a recent report by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Customer satisfaction with automobiles and light vehicles declines 1.2 percent to an ACSI benchmark of 83 on a 0 to 100 scale, following back-to-back years of improvement.

The slide in customer satisfaction for autos comes at a time when sales of both domestic and import brands are surging. The industry’s sales growth is most likely due to pent-up demand, along with inexpensive financing and the return of dealer incentives.

“The current lapse in customer satisfaction is a warning signal to automakers—once pent-up demand has run its course, continued sales growth will go to companies that keep their own customers or attract their competitors’ customers,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI founder and chairman. “The critical component for both types of customer flows is strong customer satisfaction. The more satisfied your customers are, the more likely it is that you will keep them; those with less-satisfied customers run the risk of losing them.”

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