WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — The Caterpillar C-15 ranks highest in customer satisfaction with vocational heavy-duty truck diesel engines, according to the recently released J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Heavy-Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study.

The study, based on responses from almost 2,500 primary maintainers of two-year-old heavy-duty trucks (Class 8), measures customer satisfaction with three vital 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 significantly above the segment across all three customer satisfaction factors. The Caterpillar C-12 follows the C-15 in the rankings with improved scores across all three engine factors. Officials said a Caterpillar engine has ranked highest in the vocational segment five times in a row.

“Caterpillar has consistently raised the performance bar by providing their customers with a high-quality product,” said Brian Etchells, senior manager of commercial vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. “The Caterpillar C-15 again receives high satisfaction ratings on nearly every measure, which is evidence of Caterpillar’s ongoing commitment to satisfying customers.”