Dunlop ranks highest in light truck original equipment (OE) tire satisfaction for the first time, while Michelin ranks highest in passenger vehicle OE tire satisfaction for the fourth consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2001 Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Study(SM) released Aug. 27. The study, based on the experiences and opinions of more than 39,000 consumers in their first three years of new-vehicle ownership, reports on how satisfied consumers are with their OE tires — the tires that came with the new vehicle at the time of purchase. The study monitors consumer perceptions regarding tire quality, performance, brand image and service. "Dunlop and Michelin both received very high marks from their customers across nearly all satisfaction measures within the respective segments," said Jeff Zupancic, director of the tire practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Michelin has a solid track record throughout our studies for customer satisfaction. Dunlop has traditionally performed above the industry average in the light truck segment earning the highest ranking for 2001." The tire customer satisfaction study identifies product quality as the largest factor contributing to OE tire satisfaction. Other factors contributing to overall satisfaction include long-term performance, situational performance, design and winter traction. BFGoodrich, Michelin, Uniroyal, Goodyear, Bridgestone and Continental, respectively, follow Dunlop in the light-truck OE tire segment, which includes pickups, SUVs and full-size vans. Firestone and General finish at or below industry average in this segment. Following Michelin in the passenger vehicle segment, which includes both cars and compact vans, are Pirelli, BFGoodrich, Continental and Dunlop, respectively. Tire brands performing at or below the passenger vehicle OE tire segment average in alphabetical order are: Bridgestone, Firestone, General, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Toyo, Uniroyal and Yokohama. Pirelli, which moved up seven positions in the ranking, is the most improved tire brand in the passenger vehicle segment when compared to 2000 study results and demonstrates strong performance in the areas of situational performance and design. Uniroyal demonstrates the most improvement in customer satisfaction in the light truck segment, compared to 2000 study results. About J.D. Power and Associates Headquartered in Agoura Hills, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm operating in business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on actual responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpa.com.