Poll: Buyers Don't Want Cars From Bankrupt Maker

by David Goetzl - TV Newsday

New York, NY December 5, 2008: More bad news for media companies hoping for a rebound from automakers: Some 52% of Americans say they would not buy or lease a car from a manufacturer that has filed for bankruptcy.

The findings come from a survey conducted by CNBC and Portfolio.com as domestic automakers - which have drastically cut ad spending recently -- may be teetering on the brink of seeking bankruptcy protection.

The poll surveyed 800 Americans from Dec. 1-3. Some 37% said they would be willing to buy a vehicle from a company under protection, while 11% said they were unsure.

Some 57% of women responded that they were unwilling to buy from an automaker in bankruptcy, while 60% of people making less than $30,000 a year said the same.

CNBC said the disinclination to buy a car from a bankrupt manufacturer cuts across multiple lines: "The survey finds that more than half of all respondents in every demographic group measured --- including age, political affiliation, income or region of the country --- [are] unwilling or unsure of buying a car from a company under bankruptcy protection."