- Michelin was the highest-rated tire company in three of four segments.
- Satisfaction with tires among EV, ICE, and PHEV models has converged.
- JD Power tallied responses from 38,244 owners of 2023-2025 models.
Big-name tire brands have come out on top in J.D. Power’s latest Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, although overall satisfaction with the tires equipped to new cars has fallen slightly from last year.
The annual study measures tire satisfaction among owners across ride, wear, traction/handling, and appearance, and is divided into the luxury, passenger car, performance sport, and truck/utility segments. This year’s results are based on the responses from 38,244 owners of 2023-2025 model year vehicles across the United States.
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Average satisfaction among ICE vehicle owners came in at 789 on a 1,000-point scale, slightly ahead of 775 for BEVs and 772 for PHEVs. Interestingly, the gap across these three segments narrowed to 14 points from 47 last year, indicating that the tires used in new BEVs and PHEVs are improving.
Overall loyalty to a vehicle’s original tires rose three percentage points to 54 percent. But, if a vehicle owner needs to get two or more tires replaced, brand loyalty slipped to 42 percent, with many citing wear concerns as the reason for trying another brand.
Familiar Names Rule The Industry
Michelin proves to be the standout performer. It ranked highest in the luxury segment with a score of 833 out of 1,000, placing it ahead of Goodyear in second at 829 and well above the segment average of 806. Michelin also conquered the passenger car segment with a score of 816, comfortably above Goodyear and Toyo, which were equal second at 798.
The French brand also topped the performance sport segment with a ranking of 818, above Goodyear’s 805 and Pirelli’s 801. In terms of the truck/utility segment, Pirelli emerged victorious with a score of 801, compared to 790 for BFGoodrich in second and 788 for Michelin in third.
Among the other brands profiled in the study were Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Dunlop, Falken, Firestone, Giti, Hankook, Kumho, Nexen, Nitto, Vogue, and Yokohama.
