Not Michelin Or Bridgestone: JD Power Says Customers Prefer This Truck Tire Brand

When truck and SUV owners go shopping for new tires, they tend to turn toward bestsellers like Michelin or Bridgestone. These are the big brand names that dominate the conversation more than any other. But, according to a recent study by JD Power, the brand with the highest marks from drivers is actually neither of these. It's Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli.

In JD Power's 2026 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, Pirelli beat out the likes of BFGoodrich, Michelin, Firestone, Bridgestone, and other top tire brand names with a score of 801. The rest of the competition all ranks at 790 or lower. These numbers come from their Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating, which is based on a 1,000-point scale.

The methodology behind the score is simple: JD Power gathers and examines detailed surveys sent out to legitimate car owners and assigns points based on experiences during the first three months and three years of ownership. This year, that data puts Pirelli at the top of the heap.

Pirelli might've come out on top in the Truck/Utility category, but, interestingly, the brand didn't fare nearly as well with any other vehicle type. It ranked fourth in Luxury with a score of 804 to winner Michelin's 833, sixth in Passenger Car with 788 to Michelin's winning 816, and third with 801 to Michelin's first-place score of 818. The segment average was 775, so none of these brands is a bad choice, but Pirelli remains the best in JD Power's assessment.

That actually makes Pirelli's victory in the Truck/Utility category that much more interesting: Michelin only scored 788 there, putting it in third place after BFGoodrich's 790. (Ironic, considering Michelin owns the BFGoodrich brand.) Nobody ranked as poorly in the category as Hankook, though: the tires came in 10th place with a below-segment-average score of 750.

What do people outside of JD Power's survey say? Customer reviews for Pirelli truck tires on sites like TireRack.com are actually pretty average. Take the Pirelli Scorpion Zero, for example. Customers say the all-season tire is great with dry traction, pretty good with wet grip, but subpar with snow and ice. Treadwear is also a common cause for concern among all the reviews there. Nevertheless, Pirelli's winning score in the JD Power survey is worth noting if you're shopping for truck tires.