WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (April 13, 2010)—Michelin brand original equipment tires once again ranked highest in the luxury, passenger and truck/utility segments of an annual customer satisfaction survey, and the Pirelli brand took top honors in the performance sport segment.
The annual J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction study was based on survey responses collected between October and December 2009 from 29,818 new-vehicle owners who purchased a 2008 or 2009 model-year vehicle.
The study measured tire owner satisfaction within each of the four vehicle segments—luxury, passenger car, performance sport and truck/utility—based on tire wearability, tire appearance, tire traction/handling and tire ride.
Michelin ranked high in tire wearability for its passenger and luxury OE tires, while its truck/utility OE tires performed well in the tire ride factor. Pirelli's OE performance tires ranked high in tire appearance and tire ride factors.
J.D. Power said achieving a problem-free tire experience during the first two years of ownership is crucial to maintaining brand advocacy. Nearly one-third of owners who did not experience any problems said they will recommend their tire brand to a friend, while just 18 percent of owners who experienced one problem said they would offer a recommendation.
Dunlop brand OE tires ranked second in the luxury segment behind Michelin, while Firestone and Pirelli were a close second and third, respectively, in the passenger car segment. Goodyear, which topped the performance sport segment in the 2009 study, fell behind Pirelli this year. Pirelli and Bridgestone ranked second and third, respectively, in the truck/utility segment.
The adoption of tire pressure monitoring systems in all newer vehicle models has resulted in an increase in the reported number of slow tire leaks, according to J.D. Power. However, owner acceptance of the problem also has increased.