Honda ranks highest in new-vehicle ownership satisfaction with a score of 772. Volkswagen, Mazda, Kia and Mitsubishi, respectively, follow Honda in the rankings.
Overall customer satisfaction is measured on a 1000-point scale based on owner experiences in four factors: vehicle quality and reliability; vehicle appeal (satisfaction with the vehicle’s design, style, performance and comfort); ownership costs; and service satisfaction.
The study found that product-related factors, including vehicle appeal and vehicle quality and reliability, account for 62% of overall vehicle ownership satisfaction. Among owners who are highly satisfied with vehicle appeal and quality, 57% indicate they “definitely will” repurchase the same vehicle brand, compared with the industry average of 27%.
In addition, satisfaction with dealership service also is an important driver of owner loyalty. On average, 61% of vehicle owners say they “definitely will” consider using the same dealership again for paid service that is not covered under warranty. However, among owners who are highly satisfied with dealer service, nearly nine in 10 owners say the same.
Overall satisfaction among new-vehicle owners in New Zealand has declined to an average of 752 in 2010—down 17 points from 2009. In addition, overall quality has declined from 2009, to an average of 159 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2010, from 156 PP100 in 2009. Problems are summarized as the number of owner-reported problems per 100 vehicles, with lower scores indicating a lower rate of problem incidences and higher quality.
Now in its fifth year, the study, which is conducted in association with the New Zealand Automobile Association (NZAA), is based on responses from 3001 new-vehicle owners and 8345 used-vehicle owners.
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