Best and Worst Car Brands of 2018

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21. Kia
> 2018 customer satisfaction index: 79 (tied)
> 2017 customer satisfaction index: 82
> US YTD sales: 346,675 (-1.6%)
> US YTD market share: 3.4%

Kia scored an 82 on the ACSI last year after receiving less than an 80 in both previous years. But the South Korean brand regressed in 2018, scoring a 79. Kia sales are also down 1.6% in 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

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22. Chevrolet
> 2018 customer satisfaction index: 79 (tied)
> 2017 customer satisfaction index: 81
> US YTD sales: 1,019,019 (+5.2%) (through Q2)
> US YTD market share: 11.8%

The third largest selling auto brand after Toyota and Ford, GM’s Chevrolet division’s sales are up by more than 5% so far this year. The brand receives a 9 out of 10 on JD Power’s overall quality ratings and a 10 for its dealership experience. However, the brand does not perform as well on the 2018 ACSI, falling from a score of 81 in 2017 to 79 in 2018.

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23. Mitsubishi
> 2018 customer satisfaction index: 79 (tied)
> 2017 customer satisfaction index: 78
> US YTD sales: 77,277 (+23.4%)
> US YTD market share: 0.8%

Japanese auto brand Mitsubishi has only been rated by the ACSI for four years, but it has never scored better than 79. The brand had been performing poorly for years, but the company has recently shown signs of life. Sales are up 23.4% through the first seven months of 2018 compared to the same period last year.

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24. Infiniti
> 2018 customer satisfaction index: 78 (tied)
> 2017 customer satisfaction index: 0
> US YTD sales: 81,917 (-9.0%)
> US YTD market share: 0.8%

Luxury auto brands tend to perform much better on the ACSI than mass-market brands. Infiniti is the notable exception to the rule as the only luxury brand to score below average in 2018. The brand received a score of just 78 this year. It was unrated last year.

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25. Fiat
> 2018 customer satisfaction index: 78 (tied)
> 2017 customer satisfaction index: 75
> US YTD sales: 9,525 (-43.7%)
> US YTD market share: 0.1%

Fiat’s launch in the United States has been by most measures a disaster for Fiat Chrysler. The brand never managed to gain a foothold in the U.S. market, and sales continue to plummet — down by a staggering 43.7% year-to-date, by far the largest decline of any auto brand on this list. Fiat cars also rank among the worst in several measures of quality and customer satisfaction. The good news for the company is that the brand moved out of the worst overall slot in the 2017 ACSI to tie for third-worst with Infiniti.