J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports: Bridgestone Ranks Highest Overall in Thailand Original Tire Satisfaction Study

Michelin Continues to Lead Within Passenger Car Segment

BANGKOK,Thailand September 30, 2003; Bridgestone ranks highest in customer satisfaction with original tires, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2003 Thailand Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Index (TCSI) StudySM released today. The annual study, now in its third year, examines customer satisfaction with original tires on new vehicles at 12 to 18 months of ownership.

More than 1,800 owners of over 20 different vehicle models participated in the 2003 survey, which was administered nationwide from February through May 2003. Overall tire performance is assessed on a comprehensive set of attributes grouped into five individual factors that impact overall satisfaction. In order of importance, these five factors are: ride performance (32 percent), wearability (23 percent), appearance (21 percent), traction under non-standard conditions (13 percent), and problems experienced (11 percent).

"Reflecting trends observed over the past years, competition intensifies further," said Sanjay Ralhan, senior analyst and manager at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. "The gap between the first and second-ranked brands narrows to just one index point in 2003, down from 24 points in 2001."

While Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear all show overall improvement compared to 2002, Bridgestone records the greatest gain and edges ahead of Michelin largely due to its performance on traction under non-standard conditions. Michelin maintains its lead in passenger car tire satisfaction, however, Bridgestone ranks highest overall due to high marks among the larger volume pickup segment, as well as higher satisfaction among utility vehicle owners.

The study also finds that vehicle usage patterns in Thailand are changing with an increasingly mobile population registering higher mileage on their new vehicles. In line with this trend, 47 percent of respondents surveyed in 2003 report an equal mix of both highway and city-street driving, up from 38 percent in 2001. Meanwhile, tire life expectancy in terms of number of kilometers driven shows no change over the same period.

While new-vehicle buyers rarely select the brand of tires on their new vehicles, original tire customer satisfaction has a critical impact when the time comes to replace a vehicle’s tires.

"Original tire suppliers have an advantage in building brand loyalty with new vehicle buyers since they are inherently captive customers," said Ralhan. "Our research reveals 46 percent of survey respondents definitely intend to purchase the same brand of tires as those originally equipped on the vehicle. However, satisfactory experience is critical for repurchase, and both tire manufacturers and automakers must work together to ensure that consumer needs and expectations are being fully met."

The Thailand TCSI finds that only seven percent of customers disappointed with original tire performance would consider repurchasing the same brand of tires, however, this figure shoots up to 74 percent among customers delighted with original tire performance.

J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries.