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Auto dealers tied for 12th out of 20 industries ranked in the eighth edition of Temkin Group’s Customer Experience Ratings. Ford and Mercedes-Benz dealers also earned top rankings.

Ford is launching the Commercial Vehicle Center dealer program to replace the Business Preferred Network. According to officials, the new program offers improved service, better parts availability and a new loyalty program.

The 3.1% year-over-year increase in new-vehicle sales in December was more than enough to push the industry’s annual sales tally above the 17.5 million-unit mark for 2016, according to Autodata Corp.

The estimated average transaction price for light vehicles in the United States reached an all-time record high of $35,309 in December, according to Kelley Blue Book. This increase, the firm noted, amounted to a 1.5% increase over the same time last year.

The industry sold 1.38 million new units in November, a 3.7% increase from a year ago, according to Autodata Corp. November's seasonally adjusted annual rate was 17.87 million, which was slightly lower than last November’s SAAR of 18.25 million.