Lincoln Regains Top Spot in Customer Satisfaction

Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln ranked highest among auto brands in the 2012 annual report by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Lincoln led the industry in 2010 but fell to fourth place last year. The luxury make boosted its score this year by five points to 90 on the 100-point scale. ASCI's results are based on consumer evaluations of the quality of their vehicles.

Other top 10 brands are Lexus (89), Buick and Subaru (87), BMW and Cadillac (86) and Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen (85). Cadillac, Lexus and Toyota were tied for first place at 87 last year.

The industry average rose to 84 from 83 in 2011, matching the record high set in 2009, when hefty marketing incentives and the government's "cash-for-clunkers" plan boosted satisfaction. This year's improvement is driven by higher quality rather than discounts, according to ACSI.