New emission requirements and problematic product launches have had a negative impact on recent truck customer satisfaction, according to the J D Power and Associates 2005 Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study.
The decline in engine satisfaction may be attributable to the introduction of new technology installed in many of the 2003 model year vehicles to meet strict new government regulations that lowered emissions at the end of 2002, J D Power reported.
"With the introduction of the new low-emission technology engines in both the heavy- and medium-duty markets, we’ve seen a marked increase in engine problems and a decline in satisfaction with engine performance," said Brian Etchells, research manager in the commercial vehicle group at J D Power and Associates. "Many of the engine suppliers in the heavy-duty market also compete in the conventional medium-duty industry, and employ similar technology in their mid-range engines."
Seven of the eight manufacturers ranked in the conventional index record declines in engine satisfaction, with owners giving lower ratings for both the quality and performance aspects of their engines.
In the current study of medium-duty truck customer satisfaction, Kenworth Truck Co ranks highest, as well as for dealer service satisfaction.
Ford, International, and Peterbilt, respectively, follow Kenworth in the service satisfaction rankings.