WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA — For the third consecutive year, Hino’s cab-over medium-duty trucks rank highest in overall vehicle satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Medium Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study, released on January 14. Peterbilt ranks highest in customer satisfaction among conventional medium-duty trucks, while Kenworth ranks highest in dealer service satisfaction. Medium-duty truck vehicle satisfaction is based on six key factors which are, in order of importance: vehicle quality; engine; transmission; ride, handling and braking; cab interior; and exterior design and styling. Among cab-over customers, Hino, which represents 14 percent of sales in the segment, ranks highest in vehicle satisfaction. Hino receives segment-leading ratings in five of the six satisfaction factors, with cab interior as its greatest competitive strength. UD Trucks follows Hino in the rankings. Peterbilt, which is represented in the study by its 330 model, performs significantly above average on each of the six factors of vehicle satisfaction. Kenworth, Sterling and Chevrolet, respectively, follow Peterbilt in the conventional medium-duty truck segment rankings, with each make performing significantly better than the industry average. Dealer service satisfaction, a critical component of the ownership experience, is measured using seven key factors. They are, in order of importance: dealer attitude, service delivery process, service quality, price of service, service facility, service initiation and service advisor. Kenworth ranks highest in dealer service satisfaction, performing significantly higher than the industry average in all but one of the key factors of satisfaction. GMC Truck, Peterbilt, Ford, and Sterling follow Kenworth in the dealer service satisfaction rankings. The study finds that both conventional and cab-over owners report considerably higher satisfaction levels compared to three years ago on each of the six key factors that make up vehicle satisfaction. Loyalty among medium-duty truck owners is also at a three-year high, with nearly one-half intending to purchase the same make when buying their next truck. Forty-five percent of medium-duty owners say they definitely would repurchase their make, compared to 38 percent in 2003 and 39 percent in 2002. The 2004 Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 1,500 primary maintainers of two-year-old medium-duty trucks (Classes 5, 6, and 7). The study analyzes customer satisfaction across a number of important factors, including vehicle performance, vehicle quality, interior and exterior design, dealer service, dealer parts, repurchase intent and manufacturer images.