Sure, you hear the horror stories about lemons and about those who are taken for a ride by their dealer, but people still like the experience they have with new cars. According to a study released by Polk, a company that calls itself the longest-standing curator of automobile records in the United States, nine out of 10 consumers rating their new vehicle experiences said quality, reliability and manufacturer reputation were meeting or exceeding their expectations.

At the same time recalls on new vehicles are becoming commonplace in today’s fast-moving automotive marketplace. Almost half (43 percent) of all new vehicle buyers reported having at least one recall on their previous vehicle during the first half of the 2000 model year. The study showed that it takes more than one product recall to undermine customer loyalty for a favorite vehicle brand. However, three recalls appear to be the limit. The study showed that at this point, a manufacturer should take extra measures to boost consumer loyalty.

Polk suggested that, despite their negative effect on customer satisfaction, recalls could increase in the future, because manufacturers trying to respond to consumer demand for innovative products are attempting to decrease product development time.

The study found that in addition to product innovation, consumers are placing a great deal of importance on the reputation of the manufacturer, quality of the products delivered and reliability over time. In fact, reliability (cited by 94 percent of respondents), quality (cited by 92.8 percent) and reputation of manufacturer (cited by 81.9 percent) were deemed more important that innovation (cited by 59.9 percent.)

Not surprisingly, Polk found new vehicle buyers who defected from their previous manufacturer rated their experience with this manufacturer significantly lower than consumers who remained loyal to a particular manufacturer.