Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Surge in UM Quality Survey

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands posted dramatic improvement in the latest University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index .

Lincoln and Mercury satisfaction rose 3.6 points to 86 percent, boosting the brands into a second place tie just one point behind top-ranked Lexus. BMW, Buick and Cadillac also scored 86 percent.

Ford scored the largest improvement of any brand in the survey, climbing 3.9 points to 80 percent customer satisfaction.

"We're pleased that another third party is validating what our own internal data are showing -- that our quality is on par with the best. What we're doing is working," said Bennie Fowler, vice president, Ford Quality.

Claes Fornell, director of the University of Michigan's National Quality Research Center that conducted the study, told the Detroit Free Press that quality likely drove up the scores of Ford and General Motors.

"I think that's much more sustainable than playing the pricing game," Fornell said. "Everything seems to be moving in the right direction."

The survey covered more than 11,000 customers who purchased their cars within the past three years. They were asked to compare their vehicle to what they considered the ideal vehicle and how well their current car or truck met expectations.

"Customer satisfaction is very important because it includes not only things-gone-wrong, but also things that consumers like about a vehicle. Both are key to improving customer satisfaction along with excellent sales and service experiences," explained Mike Harper, performance tracking manager, Ford Global Market Research.

Earlier this month, Mercury (third), Lincoln and Jaguar all placed above the industry average in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study. In addition, Ford Motor Company had three segment winners -- Ford Mustang (tied), Ford Crown Victoria and Mazda MX-5 Miata.

In June, 14 Ford Motor Company vehicles received segment-leading awards -- five of them taking first place -- in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study. And Ford, Lincoln, Mercury brands were among the top 10 nameplates. -Ford

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