Satisfaction with automotive tire brands continues to slip as consumers focus on practical considerations, a fresh study shows.

Contentment with original-equipment tires fell two points from last year to 788, though brand loyalty improved three percentage points to 54%, according to J.D. Power research.

Still, when a consumer has two or more tires replaced, loyalty falls to 42% due primarily to wear, according to a year-long survey of more than 38,000 owners of 2023 to 2025 model-year vehicles.

J.D. Power analysts noted a narrowing gap in satisfaction among owners of gas-engine and electric vehicles as consumers prioritize their driving and maintenance needs. Electric vehicles, for instance, tend to be harder on tires due to their heavier batteries.

“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 company Director of Customer Success Jason Norton.

“… 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 power trains and convert low loyalty into sustained repeat purchase behavior.”

The difference in tire satisfaction among battery-electric, gas and plug-in hybrid vehicles narrowed by 33 points to just a 14-point gap, J.D. Power reported.

Brandwise, Michelin swept the top satisfaction spots among the luxury, passenger car and performance sport segments, followed by Goodyear, though the latter tied with Toyo in the passenger-car segment. Pirelli ranks third in the performance sport segment.