Peterbilt, UD Trucks, International top J.D. Power medium-duty truck rankings

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (Dec. 19, 2001) — Peterbilt regained the top ranking among conventional medium-duty truck customers in overall satisfaction, while UD Trucks ranked highest among cab-over medium-duty truck customers, according to a new customer satisfaction survey.

The study, produced by the market research firm J.D. Power & Associates, is based on interviews with 2134 “primary maintainers” of two-year-old medium-duty trucks (classes 5, 6, and 7).

While Peterbilt, which ranked highest in the 1999 study, has a lower sales volume than that of most medium-duty conventional makes, it regained its top ranking this year as the result of significant improvements on 17 of the 32 product attributes that contribute to overall satisfaction, said Jen Loukes, J.D. Power’s senior manager of commercial vehicle research.

“Peterbilt customers report improved satisfaction on some of the most important customer satisfaction measures, including operating costs, expected resale value and satisfaction with number of problems experienced,” said Loukes, noting that Peterbilt’s strong performance was driven by its 330 model, which rated high in vehicle performance, vehicle downtime, drivetrain and design, and styling.

Kenworth, International, Sterling, and Chevrolet also finished above industry average in overall satisfaction. Finishing below industry average, in alphabetical order were Ford, Freightliner, and GMC Truck.

UD Trucks, not distributed in Canada, ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the cab-over engine market segment. Hino, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Isuzu finished above industry average in the cab-over engine market segment.

International retained the top ranking for dealer service, with high ratings for service quality, service capabilities, and its service advisors. Chevrolet, GMC Truck, and Isuzu finished above industry average in dealer service. Ford and Freightliner finished below industry average.

The annual survey analyzes customer satisfaction regarding a number of important factors, including vehicle performance, product quality, interior and exterior design, dealer service, dealer parts and manufacturer images.