A strong case can be made that a flexible and understandable alternative to the courts is needed by today's consumer. Consumer arbitration is one such alternative. Actual experience with consumer arbitration has been limited and, consequently, relatively little information is available regarding consumer perceptions of and reactions toward this system of dispute resolution. A survey of 361 recent purchasers of new cars in a metropolitan area where arbitration has not been used suggests that consumer reaction and acceptance are likely to be favorable, but not without problems.