COSTA MESA, Calif.—Michelin ranked first in three of four vehicle segments in J.D. Power's 2019 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, with Goodyear ranking highest in a fourth.
Michelin scored highest in luxury (772 out of 1,000), passenger cars (756) and truck/utility (730), according to the report issued March 21.
Goodyear placed highest in performance sport, with 753 out of 1,000, J.D. Power said.
The study measured owner satisfaction in four key areas, the company said. In descending order of importance, they are: tire wear; tire ride; tire appearance; and tire traction/handling.
Overall customer satisfaction with original equipment tires affects not only tire brand loyalty but also vehicle brand loyalty, according to Brent Gruber, J.D. Power senior director, automotive quality practice.
"There is a big disconnect between consumers' expectation for the life of their OE tires and their actual experience, which we find not only influences how likely owners are to repurchase the same brand of tire, but also how likely they are to repurchase the same brand of vehicle," Gruber said.
According to the study, owners report expecting more than 40,000 miles of tire wear, but replacing full sets of tires at just over 26,000 miles on average.
"Based on typical driving habits, that could result in costly purchases a full year earlier than expected, or worse yet, an unexpected replacement just before turning in a leased vehicle," Gruber said.
Seventy-four percent of vehicle owners who are extremely satisfied with both their vehicles and OE tires indicate they "definitely would" repurchase the same brand of vehicle, according to the report. That number falls to 62 percent, however, when vehicle owners are extremely satisfied with their vehicles but less so with their tires.
"While the tire experience alone may not completely deter someone from remaining loyal to their vehicle brand, a bad tire experience can certainly erode future owner loyalty," Gruber said.
J.D. Power's 2019 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study was based on responses from 27,777 owners of 2017 and 2018 model year vehicles and was conducted in October-December 2018, the company said.