BFG, Michelin, Pirelli earn J.D. Power top marks

TROY, Mich.—BF Goodrich, Michelin and Pirelli have been judged the leading original equipment tire brands in the U.S. by recent new car buyers surveyed by J.D. Power for the rating firm's 2022 OE Tire Customer Satisfaction Study.

For Michelin, it's the brand's 19th consecutive year at the top of the heap among tire brands supplying the luxury segment and 97th award overall over the past 33 years from Troy-based J.D. Power.

BFG was judged the best brand in the truck/utility vehicle category, while Pirelli earned top billing in the passenger car segment. It's the BFG brand's second win in the category.

J.D. Power's satisfaction studies measure tire owner satisfaction in four areas (in order of importance): tire ride; tire wear; tire traction/handling; and tire appearance. Rankings are segregated by four vehicle segments: luxury; passenger car; performance sport; and truck/utility.

The 2022 study is based on responses from 29,661 owners of 2020 and 2021 model-year vehicles and was conducted from August through December 2021.

Michelin ranked highest in the luxury segment with a score of 830 on a 1,000-point scale. Goodyear ranked second with 811; the segment average is 808.

Pirelli ranked highest in the passenger car segment with a score of 813, ahead of Goodyear (808) and Michelin (807). Firestone, Yokohama, Continental and Bridgestone also ranked about the segment average of 793.

BFGoodrich ranked highest in the truck/utility segment with a score of 812, ahead of Michelin (807), Firestone (805) and Continenal (797). The segment average is 786.

No brand winners were declared in the performance sport segment due to an insufficient number of brands ranked, J.D. Power said.

In disclosing the 2022 rankings, Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power, said the survey results indicate that brand loyalty isn't nearly as strong as it once was.

"High levels of satisfaction typically yield loyalty, but we're seeing many owners purchase replacement tires based on a narrow focus, such as solely on appearance or price," Gruber said, noting that only 17 percent of owners said they use the recommendation of experienced sales and service staff in considering tire brand choice.

"It is concerning to see so few owners seek advice from tire sales and service staff, often relying instead on their own experience," Gruber said.

"Without knowing how original equipment tires are engineered to enhance a vehicle's performance, owners are putting themselves at a disadvantage by not utilizing expert advice. Tire professionals are in a good position to help owners better understand those attributes when purchasing replacement tires."

"Tires are a highly engineered component of the vehicle—designed to very exact specifications—which influence how that vehicle performs. With tire replacement, there's a risk of negating some of those key characteristics and product benefits if expert recommendations aren't utilized."