Experian Automotive: Toyota Motor Sales, USA, grabs top spot in corporate loyalty for first time since 2009

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales, USA, ranked highest in corporate loyalty in Q2 2012, according to the Experian Automotive Loyalty and Market Trend analysis. Toyota saw its corporate loyalty increase from 41.6 percent in Q2 2011 to 47.3 percent, enabling it to pass both General Motors and Ford Motor Co. This increase marks the first time Toyota has achieved the top spot in corporate loyalty since Q3 2009.

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High-level findings from the analysis showcase the top trends in vehicle loyalty, manufacturer market share, vehicle age and new vehicle registrations.

"Toyota has done an outstanding job of regaining customer trust and getting repeat customers into showrooms," said Jeffrey Anderson, director of consulting and analytics for Experian Automotive. "To restore normal operations and regain customer trust in such a short time following the earthquake and tsunami is a truly remarkable comeback."

Experian Automotive defines corporate loyalty as measuring whether a new vehicle purchase matches a prior vehicle owned at the corporate level. This includes all brands under the corporate umbrella. Rounding out the top five in corporate loyalty are General Motors (46.2 percent), Ford Motor Co. (46.0 percent), Hyundai Motor Group (45.3 percent) and Honda Motor Company (43.1 percent).

In regards to Brand Loyalty, the Chevrolet Sonic was the top model, which means that 60.1 percent of Sonic owners who returned to the market bought another Chevrolet vehicle. Ford rounded out the top five in Brand Loyalty by model, with the Ford Fusion (59.9 percent), Ford Flex (55.0 percent), Ford Edge (54.0 percent) and Ford Five Hundred (52.0 percent) owners being the most loyal to the brand.

In other highlights:

• Total vehicle purchases were up by more than 370,000 units, going from 3.2 million registrations in Q2 2011 to 3.6 million in Q2 2012. This metric has been steadily increasing since the economic downturn, when vehicle purchases dropped to 2.5 million in Q2 2009.
• Toyota posted the largest unit sales gain with 145,000 additional registrations, followed by Chrysler with more than 83,000 new registrations.
• Toyota had the biggest market share gain in Q2 with 2.8 percent.
• GM had the steepest Q2 decline in market share at -1.5 percent.
• The average age of vehicle has increased from 10.6 years in Q2 2011 to 10.8 years in Q2 2012.

An infographic representing key findings from this analysis also is available online. Please visit www.ExperianAutomotive.com.

Complete findings from the Q2 2012 Experian Automotive industry Loyalty and Market Trend report will be presented in a Webinar on Oct. 11 at 11 am Pacific /1 pm Central /2 p.m. Eastern. If you would like to attend the event, please visit www.ExperianAutomotive.com to register.

About Experian Automotive
Experian Automotive provides information services and market intelligence that enables results-driven professionals to gain the fullest possible understanding of the market, the vehicles and the people who buy them. Its North American Vehicle Database^SM houses data on nearly 700 million vehicles and, when combined with Experian's credit, consumer and business information, provides an integrated perspective into the automotive marketplace. Experian Automotive's AutoCheck^® vehicle history reports provide dealers and consumers with in-depth information, allowing them to confidently understand, compare and select the right vehicles. For more information on Experian Automotive and its suite of services, visit our Website at www.ExperianAutomotive.com.

About Experian
Experian^® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2012 was US$4.5 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 44 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:
Roslyn Whitehurst
Experian Public Relations
1 714 830 5578
[email protected]
Twitter: @RozWhitehurst

SOURCE Experian Automotive