Replacement Tires Purchases Often Based on Aesthetics and Not Expert Advice

Overall satisfaction with original equipment tires remains high even though customers tend to ignore recommendations by salespeople that would maximize vehicle performance, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study,^SM released today.

The annual study measures tire owner satisfaction in four areas (in order of importance): tire ride; tire wear; tire traction/handling; and tire appearance. Rankings are included among four vehicle segments: luxury; passenger car; performance sport; and truck/utility.

“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,” said Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power. “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.”

The study shows that 36% of respondents say brand experience is an important criteria for purchasing replacement tires, while only 17% of owners are using the recommendation of experienced sales and service staff.

“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.”

Study Rankings

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

Pirelli ranks highest in the passenger car segment with a score of 813. Goodyear (808) ranks second and Michelin (807) ranks third. The segment average is 793.

BFGoodrich ranks highest in the truck/utility segment with a score of 812. Michelin ranks second (807) and Firestone ranks third (805). The segment average is 786.

The performance sport segment is not award eligible due to an insufficient number of brands ranked.

See the rank charts for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2022022.

The 2022 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 29,661 owners of 2020 and 2021 model-year vehicles and was fielded from August through December 2021.

For more information about the U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-original-equipment-tire-customer-satisfaction-study.

Source: J.D. Power