News release: “Taxpayers are getting a first hint of potential returns on their investment in the American automobile industry: Detroit is doing a much better job satisfying their customers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). After having trailed competition for a long time, domestic automakers post a large gain in ACSI. Rising contentment with the automobile industry leads the way for an increase in the overall Index, particularly among the American brands, which now equal Asian vehicles for the first time in a decade. After having slumped prior to the recession, the overall ACSI registers a gain for a third consecutive quarter. The Index stands at 76.1 on a 100-point scale, up 0.1% over last quarter and an improvement of 1.3% compared to a year ago.”