Michelin Tops JD Power US OE Tyre Satisfaction Rankings

Newly released data produced by JD Power and Associated, ranks Michelin as the best OE tyre supplier in terms of US customer satisfaction. The study is based on responses from more than 32,000 new-vehicle owners who purchased a vehicle between 2003 and 2004. Overall satisfaction of OE tyres is based on performance in five factors: wearability, appearance, traction, ride and handling.

Michelin achieves the highest OE tyre satisfaction index score in each of the four segments included in the study: luxury/sport; mass-market/non-luxury; pickup/full-size van; and SUV. Michelin leads all four segments in the five factors contributing to customer satisfaction. However, Michelin-owned BFGoodrich did not fare so well, coming bottom in the luxury sport segment and receiving mediocre marks in the mass-market report.

“Michelin has continually received high ratings from customers in our study,” said Carolyn McBeth, director of automotive component research for JD Power and Associates. Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing, Michelin Automotive Industry Division described the company’s latest win as “extremely gratifying” and added: “We are delighted that consumers continue to voice their appreciation and support for the technology, quality, performance and value of our Michelin product lines. It is also a tribute to our OE customers who select Michelin products for application on their vehicles.”

Tyre wearability continued to be the most important factor contributing to overall customer satisfaction. The JD Power study found that among consumers who experienced problems with their tyres within the first 12 months of ownership, one-half report puncture damage and only 14 per cent cite tread wear issues.

“Although it’s often difficult to manage customer expectations with original tyres, particularly in the area of wearability, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction in the original equipment market is vital for tyre manufacturers,” said Carolyn McBeth. “Consumers may not have much say in which tyres come standard with their new vehicle, but they definitely have a choice when it comes time to replace those tyres.”