WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelin ranks highest
in three out of four original equipment (OE) tire segments, while Goodyear
ranks highest in the fourth remaining segment, according to the J.D. Power and
Associates 2004 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study(SM)
released today.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030603/JDLOGO)
The study, which measures customer satisfaction with the tires that came
equipped on their new vehicles, ranks tire manufacturers based on the
experiences of first-year vehicle owners in four segments: luxury/sport;
mass-market/non-luxury; pickup/fullsize van; and SUV. Overall satisfaction is
calculated using a tire satisfaction index that includes five factors: tire
appearance, tire handling, tire ride, tire traction and tire wearability.
In the luxury/sport segment, Michelin ranks highest, receiving the highest
ratings from owners in the tire wearability factor, which is most important to
luxury/sport vehicle owners. Michelin is followed in the luxury/sport segment
ranking by Dunlop and Pirelli, respectively.
In the mass market/non-luxury segment, Michelin ranks highest, receiving
the highest ratings from owners in all five factors. Following Michelin in
the mass market/non-luxury segment ranking are General and Goodyear,
respectively.
In the pickup/fullsize van segment, Goodyear ranks highest, receiving the
highest ratings in tire appearance. Goodyear is followed in the
pickup/fullsize van segment rankings by BFGoodrich and Michelin in a tie.
In the SUV segment, Michelin receives the highest ratings in all five
factors. Michelin is followed in the SUV segment rankings by BFGoodrich and
Yokohama, respectively.
The study finds that approximately 19 percent of respondents experience a
problem with their tires in the first year of ownership, and tire satisfaction
decreases substantially when a problem with one or more tires occurs. Of the
10 percent of respondents who had to replace one or more tires, satisfaction
drops an average of 200 index points compared to the industry average as
opposed to those reporting that they did not replace any tires. Satisfaction
also drops from one year to two years of ownership, likely due to an increase
in mileage, wear and associated problems.
"Maintaining high customer satisfaction is critical to tire manufacturers,
particularly in the first two years of ownership, due to its impact on
repurchase intent," said Carolyn Picard, director of automotive components
research for J.D. Power and Associates. "Intent to replace tires with the
same brand drops by an average of 11 percent among those who had to replace a
tire compared to those who didn't."
The 2004 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study is based on
responses from 31,557 owners who purchased their new vehicles in 2002 and
2003.
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an
ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in
key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting,
training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction
measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.
Media e-mail contact: michael.greywitt@jdpa.com or john.tews@jdpa.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in
this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and
Associates. http://www.jdpower.com
Multimedia Available: To view and download supplementary charts, photos,
video, audio, text, and graphics please visit J.D. Power and Associates'
Enhanced News Release at http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/jdpower/11111
For further information please contact: West Coast, Michael Greywitt,
+1-805-418-8000, michael.greywitt@jdpa.com, or East Coast, John Tews,
+1-248-267-6800, john.tews@jdpa.com, both of J.D. Power and Associates
SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates
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Related links:
http://www.jdpa.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030603/JDLOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
West Coast, Michael Greywitt,
+1-805-418-8000, michael.greywitt@jdpa.com, or East Coast, John
Tews, +1-248-267-6800, john.tews@jdpa.com, both of J.D. Power and
Associates
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