53% Of U.S. Buyers Don't Care Where A Car Is Built, Study Finds

Drive through any Midwestern town, and you’re likely to see some quasi-patriotic bumper sticker about how American it is to buy an American product. Or how buying American can save your own job. These are often found on the tailgate of a pickup truck – but not always. I have yet to see one on the bumper of a Honda Accord – built in Marysville, Ohio. A new study from Autolist.com suggests all that nationalistic chest thumping is disappearing into the void. Some 53 percent of respondents said a car’s country of origin – where the car is built – does not matter. Thirty-nine percent said the country of origin did matter while eight percent were undecided.

The study also looked at consumer sentiment toward cars produced and China, and the results are fascinating. Forty-nine percent said a vehicle assembled in China would have no impact on their decision to buy such a car. However, 30 percent said a Chinese-made vehicle would impact their decision while 21 percent were unsure. One of the chief concerns about a Chinese-made car was build quality, according to 26 percent of respondents. Twenty percent said U.S. jobs was the second concern followed by 14 percent citing reliability concerns.

One question split respondents – some 1,264 car shoppers surveyed in May – right down the middle: Awareness of Chinese-sourced vehicles in the U.S. market. Fifty-one percent said they were aware brands like Volvo, Ford, and GM – Buick and Cadillac – sourced vehicles from China. Some 49 percent of those surveyed were unaware of this.

Source: Motor 1