It’s 18 years in a row for Michelin. The tyre maker has ranked highest in all segments of the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study and points out that this result marks its 18th consecutive highest ranking in the Luxury category as well as sixth consecutive highest ranking in the Truck/Utility Vehicle category.
Excessive or uneven tyre wear is once again the problem most frequently reported by respondents to J.D. Power’s annual survey of tractor performance in India. It is also noted as the most bothersome problem by tractor owners.
In the recent J.D Power 2014 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, Nexen Tire attained what the Korean tyre manufacturer described as “promising results” for the second consecutive year.
According to a new study from J.D. Power, the number of problems owners in the US experience with their original equipment tyres declined 22 per cent to 68.5 problems per 100 vehicles in 2014 – down from 88.3 in 2010. The 2014 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study also found the incidence of all tyre problems measured has declined over the five-year span, with the largest improvements in fast tread wear, slow leaks and uneven wear. The study measured tyre owner satisfaction after two years of vehicle ownership in four segments: luxury, passenger car, performance sport and truck/utility. Satisfaction was examined in four factors: tyre wearability, tyre ride, tyre appearance, and tyre traction/handling.
Pirelli in the US reports it is one of only two tyre brands to have scored above the industry average in this year’s Tire Satisfaction Index in the 2008 J.D. Power & Associates Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. Pirelli’s index score improved over last year and was ranked second only to Michelin among the 14 major tyre brands in the study, which – notes Pirelli – included major players such as Goodyear, Continental and Bridgestone.
British Columbia’s OK Tire ranked highest in customer satisfaction on the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Canadian Customer Commitment Index Study. Based in Langley, B.C., OK Tire, has some 260 owner-dealers across Canada. The company achieved an index score of 902 on a 1,000-point scale, and scored well in the areas of work quality and customer orientation, score areas the study considered.
“Naturally we’re extremely happy with the news. The results of the study are an objective confirmation in regards to the efforts our owners have made over the past year to ensure we earn the trust our customers place in us” said Greg Sims, OK Tire president and CEO. The J.D. Power 2008 Canadian Customer Commitment Index Study is based on responses from 17,114 owners of 2- to 12- year-old vehicles. Vehicle owners were surveyed between December 2007 and May 2008. Overall customer satisfaction with their vehicle service provider is determined by examining five key factors: appointment/check-in, service advisor, work quality, after service and customer orientation. (Tire Review/Akron)
For the 11th time, Michelin earned the highest ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. This year, Michelin’s study scores averaged 38 points higher than the industry average in each segment, the tyremaker said.
Michelin has topped the rankings in all four award segments including Luxury/Sport, Pick-up/Full-size Van, Mass Market/Non-Luxury Sport and SUV. The 2008 results bring Michelin’s total to an unprecedented 56 awards in the U.S., the company said. (Tire Review/Akron)
Only 25% of Class 8 truck fleets say they “definitely will” buy or lease a new truck within the next 12 months, according to the latest J.D. Power and Associates Heavy-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study. That 25% figure, said J.D. Power, was down from 41% posted in 2006, and indicates that there may be a very modest pre-buy of new tractors prior to new EPA-mandated engines that will be required as of 2010.
Only 54% of the truck fleets surveyed by J.D. Power said they will expand the size of their fleets, down from 2006’s 63%. The recent study tabbed smaller fleet operations with an average fleet size of 53 trucks at a single location. (Tire Review/Akron)
For the fourth year running, Michelin was ranked highest for customer satisfaction by motorists in the US, buying replacement tyres for cars and light trucks. These two accolades mean that Michelin has achieved no fewer than 37 such awards – more than all other tyre manufacturers put together. The company has also won a J.D. Power award every year since they were first introduced in 1989.
According to JD Power’s recent survey of North American buyers, whilst the Internet has become a regular shopping tool for nearly two-thirds of new-vehicle buyers, few vehicle owners use the Internet when it comes time to buy replacement tyres. The study finds that more than 60 percent of tire buyers access the Internet, but only 16 percent of those who access the Internet use it when they need to buy replacement tires. “The desire to discuss their needs with a tire salesperson and their intentions to buy from the same retailer are key reasons tire buyers do not use the Internet as a tire shopping tool today,” said Jeff Zupancic, director of the tire practice at J.D. Power and Associates. Of course, since the JD Power survey relates to new car owners it only touches on that fraction of the market. The larger, used car sector may make a different use of the Internet for tyre purchases.
J.D. Power has carried out a quality survey of models in the US car/light truck market. Vehicles are ranked by the number of problems per 100 vehicles and this year’s industry average was 133 faults. The highest rated was Lexus (76 faults), followed by Cadillac (103) and Infiniti (110). The model scoring the worst was the Hummer (225), but there were some famous names at the wrong end of the list, with Land Rover (190) in penultimate position, then Kia (168), Mini (166) and Saab (160).
In a study of Automotive Emerging Technologies by J.D. Power in the USA, safety-related features were more important to motorists than entertainment or convenience. The most popular safety feature on the motorists’ wish list was a tyre pressure monitoring system, prompted by recent tyre recalls. However, the study found that the price of these features is important – one feature which was high on the list was infra-red night vision, but interest dropped dramatically when consumers were told this would cost $1,800.
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