Dec 29, 2008 2:14 PM

Hino Truck engines rank highest in customer satisfaction among conventional cab medium-duty truck owners, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Medium-Duty Truck Engine and Transmission Customer Satisfaction Study.

The study measures customer perceptions of 2006 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 gasoline and diesel engines, and provides manufacturers with a measure of customer satisfaction with products and related dealer service. Four factors are measured to determine overall engine satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: engine warranty; engine quality; engine performance; and cost of engine ownership.

Hino Truck ranks highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 794 on a 1,000-point scale, and performs well in engine quality and engine warranty. Mercedes-Benz (758) and Caterpillar (748) follow Hino in the rankings.

The study finds that while gasoline engines account for only 5 percent of the medium-duty engines included in the study, owners of gasoline engines are more satisfied than are diesel engine owners, particularly in the areas of engine performance, engine quality, and cost of engine ownership. Medium-duty truck engine customers are more satisfied with gasoline engines in terms of reliability and dependability, acceleration when the truck is fully loaded, cost of routine engine maintenance, engine noise and engine vibration.

For more information or to view medium-duty engine rankings, visit www.JDPower.com.