Cadillac Tops Survey of Customer Satisfaction

General Motors Corp.’s Cadillac luxury brand Wednesday topped a J.D. Power & Associates survey of customer satisfaction with their dealers, while its Saturn brand slumped from first to fifth.

The world’s largest automaker led the survey for the fourth straight year. Porsche moved up to second from eighth in the annual study by the Westlake Village-based research company. Cadillac was second in 2002. Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln remained third and its Mercury brand rose to fourth from ninth. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus dropped to sixth from fourth.

Automakers keep track of the annual survey and cite it in advertising. About half of those consumers who refuse to buy a new vehicle because of dissatisfaction with a dealership end up turning to vehicles from other brands, according to J.D. Power.

The 2003 survey was based on responses from 40,000 people who bought or leased a 2002- and 2003-model vehicle. J.D. Power has done the survey for 17 years.

The survey seeks responses on a new vehicle purchase, including satisfaction with salespeople, paperwork, financing, delivery and vehicle price.

Of the 37 brands ranked by the survey, Suzuki Motor Corp. was last, just behind Kia Motors Corp., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and the Toyota brand.