Caterpillar C-15 leads in satisfaction survey
Jan 1, 2006 12:00 PM
The Caterpillar C-15 ranks highest in customer satisfaction with vocational heavy-duty truck diesel engines, according to the J D Power and Associates 2005 Heavy-Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study.
This study, based on responses from 2,429 primary maintainers of two-year-old heavy-duty trucks (Class 8), measures customer satisfaction with three engine factors: engine quality and warranty, engine performance, and engine noise and vibration.
The C-15 ranks highest among vocational heavy-duty truck engine models, performing above the segment across all three customer satisfaction factors. Caterpillar's C-12 follows the C-15 in the rankings with improved scores across all three engine factors. A Caterpillar engine has ranked highest in the vocational segment five times in a row.
The study examines engines in 2003 model-year trucks, which were the first affected by the Consent Decree enacted in October 2002, which raised diesel engine emission standards.
Ratings for average fuel economy have declined considerably from 2004, with the average reported fuel economy dropping below six miles per gallon for the first time in the study's history. Other indications that the new technology is adversely affecting customer satisfaction include low scores on acceleration when the truck is fully loaded and a sharp increase in engine-related repairs. Engine components that help reduce emissions, such as exhaust gas recirculation valves, are among the more commonly reported problems.
