Big 3 Better But Not Catching Up

Customer satisfaction scores of U.S. auto makers are improving, but not at the rate of the Japanese and South Korean brands, according to University of Michigan Professor Claes Fornell, who oversees the university's American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.

In this year's survey, Toyota Motor Corp. led all auto makers and car brands with a score of 87 out of a possible 100, up three points from 2004.

In contrast, General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet, which earned 78 this year, had a score of 77 last year. Ford Motor Co.'s Ford brand placed last, with a 75.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd., BMW AG and GM's Cadillac brand placed second, third and fourth in the survey, respectively, all scoring 86. GM's Buick brand also ranked highly, at 84, a 1.2% increase from 83 in 2004.

Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. saw the second-biggest increase of all brands, rising 3.7%. Ford's Volvo brand also was up 1.3% to 81, ahead of Mercedes-Benz, which held steady at 80, along with Chrysler.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Volkswagen AG suffered drops, falling to 78 from 80 and 81 last year, respectively. The biggest jump came from Dodge, which had a 4% uptick, going from 75 in 2004 to 78.