Dealerships Hurt Sales of American-Brand Cars

The article, “No Deja Vu for Detroit,” (Sept. 16) did not mention one great source of dissatisfaction with the U.S. auto industry--the poor performance by service departments of dealerships that sell U.S.-made cars.

I bought a new Buick in 1988, the last in a long line of GM cars that I’ve purchased over the years. The San Gabriel Valley dealership’s service department is, to put it kindly, “confused.” I am so frustrated and disgusted with this service that it has finally convinced me that when I buy a new car next year, it will be foreign-made.

When I complained to mangement, I was told that they were “working on these problems” and this service department is “no worse than any other.”

Next time the U.S. auto company executives wonder how to lure back customers, perhaps they should examine their dealerships for clues.

EDWARD A. MELLMAN

South Pasadena