Michelin, Pirelli Score Highest In 2026 J.D. Power Tire Study

Two tire companies stand out among the pack in the the new J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. Michelin ranks highest in three out of four segments, while Pirelli  takes honors in the fourth. Goodyear, Toyo and BFGoodrich also rank in the study.

Key highlights include:

• Overall satisfaction with Original Equipment tires decreases by 2 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from 2025
• Tire brand loyalty improves from 51% to 54%
• When two or more tires are replaced, brand loyalty stands at 42%, with tire wear cited as the primary reason.

Researchers say overall satisfaction with original equipment tires among battery electric vehicles (BEVs), internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) continues to converge, with the gap among the three segments narrowing to 14 points on a 1,000-point scale, down from 47 points in 2025. J.D. Power says it marks the smallest satisfaction gap among the segments since 2023.

Overall satisfaction scores are:

• 789 for ICE vehicles
• 775 for BEVs
• 772 for PHEVs, with PHEVs posting the largest year-over-year gain, improving 29 points from 2025.

“As satisfaction with original equipment tires continues to converge across BEV, PHEV and ICE vehicles, replacement decisions are increasingly driven by functionality rather than brand loyalty,” said Jason Norton, director of customer success at JD Power. “Fewer than half of owners remain loyal to the original tire brand, not because of dissatisfaction, but because they are focused on practical needs, such as matching tires, meeting technical requirements or achieving longer wear. For manufacturers, the opportunity lies in delivering solutions that consistently meet these real-world replacement demands across all powertrains and convert low loyalty into sustained repeat purchase behavior.”

STUDY RANKINGS

Michelin ranks highest in the luxury segment with a score of 833. Goodyear (829) ranks second. The segment average is 806.

Michelin ranks highest in the passenger car segment with a score of 816. Goodyear and Toyo (798) rank second in a tie.

Michelin ranks highest in the performance sport segment, for a third consecutive year, with a score of 818. Goodyear (805) ranks second and Pirelli (801) ranks third.

Pirelli ranks highest in the truck/utility segment with a score of 801. BFGoodrich (790) ranks second, and Michelin (788) ranks third.

J.D. Power says its U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study provides robust, actionable Voice of the Customer-driven insights, including factors that impact overall customer loyalty. The study dates back to 1989 and measures tire owner satisfaction in four areas (in order of importance): tire ride; tire wear; tire traction/handling; and tire appearance. The study includes four vehicle segments: luxury; passenger car; performance sport; and truck/utility. The latest study was fielded from January through December 2025 and is based on responses from 38,244 owners of 2023 to 2025 model-year vehicles.  For more information about the study click here.