Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that a ceremony was held on April 21 at Auto Shanghai 2013 to mark YOKOHAMA's being ranked 1st in the "2012 China Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Index Study" carried out by the research firm J. D. Power Asia Pacific. At the ceremony, Mr. Geoff Broderick, vice president & general manager of J. D. Power and Associates Asia-Pacific, presented a plaque to Mr. Koichi Tanaka, chairman and president of Yokohama Rubber (China) Co., Ltd.

In the J.D. Power index study, YOKOHAMA came in 1st for overall satisfaction with 843 points, and was particularly highly evaluated for their durability, handling and ride. According to J.D. Power, customer satisfaction with original equipment tires greatly affects the choice of replacement tires. Among customers who were highly satisfied (856 points or higher), more than 36 percent said they would buy the same tire brand for their replacement tires. Replacement rate with the same tire brand is 26 percent higher among customers who are pleased with their original tires, compared with those who expressed disappointment.

The "2012 China Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Index Study" measured satisfaction with original equipment tires expressed by new vehicle owners during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership, indexing satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale. J.D. Power conducted the study for the period of February to May 2012 among people who purchased a new vehicle between February 2010 and May 2011, receiving responses from 12,066 new-vehicle owners. The study covered 187 vehicle models and included 19 tire brands. In a clear recognition of their high level of performance, YOKOHAMA ranked first in the "2012 China Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Index Study."