WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (May 15, 2009)—Goodyear and Michelin North America Inc. both ranked tops in J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction study.
Michelin ranked highest in the luxury vehicle, passenger car and truck/utility vehicle segments. Goodyear ranked top in the performance segment. Rankings are based on owners' experiences with their tires after two years of ownership.
J.D. Power examined four factors to measure satisfaction: wearability, appearance, traction/handling and ride.
The firm said that in the passenger car and luxury segments, Michelin performed well in wearability and appearance factors, and in the truck/utility segment, Michelin did well in tire wearability.
Goodyear performed well in traction/handling, appearance and ride and the tire maker differentiated itself in tire wearability, according to the study.
Pirelli Tire North America Inc. ranked a close second behind Michelin in all three segments.
Michelin ranked second behind Goodyear in the performance segment, followed by Continental Tire North America Inc.
The 2009 study is based on responses from nearly 30,000 new vehicle owners who purchased a 2007 or 2008 model year vehicle and was conducted last October through December.