Report: Ford's Reputation Among New-Car Shoppers Shines, While Chrysler's Sags

NEW YORK — Chrysler needs to do some serious work to polish up its reputation with new-car shoppers, according to a new survey by Consumer Reports. On the other hand, Ford appears to have a solid reputation with new-car shoppers, says the consumer watchdog.

The survey initially focused on how strong the "buy American" sentiment is among new-car shoppers. Consumer Reports said 81 percent of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand.

"Ford has benefited the most from the recent turmoil in the auto market, with the largest gain in new-car buyers who say that they are likely to consider buying a Ford model — up 17 percentage points compared with a year ago," Consumer Reports said in a statement on Wednesday.

Consumer Reports credited Ford's aversion to accepting any federal aid with its appeal to consumers.

But Chrysler's reputation appears to have been tarnished by its journey through bankruptcy court, its paltry product pipeline and its marriage to Fiat.

"Those considering a Chrysler model were down 25 percentage points among new-car buyers and 28 percentage points among all respondents," said Consumer Reports. "With relatively few new models in the short-term pipeline, it may be some time before the restructured Chrysler can improve on the attributes that now matter most to consumers."

General Motors was in the middle of the pack with new-car shoppers. The number of those considering buying a GM model was up 6 percentage points.