Punctures are biggest tyre problem for Chinese motorists

ERJ staff report (DS)

Shanghai - Puncture damage is the top complaint from Chinese motorists when thinking about their tyres. Of the four factors examined in an OE tyre satisfaction study, customers express the highest satisfaction toward appearance (814), followed by durability (807) and traction/handling (789). Customer satisfaction with ride is the lowest (788).

More than 20 percent of consumers (22 percent) experienced damage from puncture, topping the list of 19 problems examined in the study.

The China Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Index Study from J D Power, published yesterday, measures satisfaction among original equipment tyre owners during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. The study measures overall satisfaction across four factors: appearance; durability; traction/handling; and ride.

"The percentage of customers experiencing damage from puncture is quite alarming, considering the safety accidents such damage may bring about," said Dr. Mei Songlin, vice president and managing director of J.D. Power China Operations. "tyre manufacturers should focus on improvement in tyre quality to reduce the safety risks."

Stones getting caught in the tread is reported as the second frequently experienced problem in among Chinese vehicle owners (9 percent), followed by road hazard damage (5 percent).

Most tyre products in the market were originally designed overseas and imported to China, said Dr. Mei. In addition to improving tyre manufacturing quality, he urges efforts in localising the tyre design in view of the local road conditions in China.

Yokohama ranks in customer satisfaction among the 19 tyre brands examined in the study with an index score of 843. Yokohama performs particularly well in the durability, traction/handling and ride factors. Dunlop ranks second at 837, followed by Bridgestone and Continental, in the tie, with 833.

When examining satisfaction by the tyre brand origin, Japanese tyre brands collectively achieve a satisfaction score of 834 points, the highest among all the tyre brands in China. European brands and US brands trail at 833 and 817 points, respectively. The study finds Japanese tyre brands perform especially well in appearance, durability and ride.

A high satisfaction score leads to more pull-through sales. Among customers who are highly satisfied (856 points and higher), more than 36 percent claim they "definitely would" stay with their current tyre brand. When overall satisfaction is low (683 points or less), only 5.3 percent of customers state they "definitely would" repurchase the brand of tyre.

The study is based on responses from 12,066 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between February 2010 and May 2011. The study was fielded between February and May 2012 in 37 major cities in China, covering 187 vehicle models in total.

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Press release from J D Power