Highbeam
Super Member
Mr. CXXXX DXXXX,
I was given your name from my tractor dealer. I have been asked, encouraged, and begged by that dealer to ask for your help in resolving a warranty claim issue.
I purchased a new Kioti CK30HST tractor with KL130 front end loader in September 2005 from XXX located in XXX, Washington. I was impressed with the durability and performance specifications of this tractor as well as many glowing reviews from members of online tractor communities like TractorbyNet (www.tractorbynet.com). The dealer is a relatively large dealer with dozens of Kiotis on his lot along with John Deere tractors. This dealer has Kioti trained and certified mechanics on site, he has been in business for many decades at this location selling tractors.
After about 4 months of use on my rural property mowing fields, spreading gravel, and stacking brush I noticed a creak sound from my loader. I am an impulsive greaser so I noticed the creak right away and found the cracks in picture #1. The cracks allowed the two curved loader arms to move independently of each other to cause the creak and I immediately ceased operation. I brought the tractor to my dealer in February 2006 where I was told the warranty on this attachment was valid, in effect for one year, and Kioti is dedicated to keeping their customers happy. I was also told that this was not the first failed loader they had seen on Kiotis and that they would get this taken care of right away. Weeks later I got the tractor back with a “repaired” loader. See pics #2, #3, #4, and #5. The repair is best described as a hatchet job that my 4 year old could do with a torch and buzz box welder. This is a brand new, expensive, machine that I am making payments on. The rest of the tractor is in excellent condition with smooth welds and factory glossy paint. I bought a new, modern, tractor so that I would have something nice and this massacre brings me great shame. I consulted several other Kioti dealerships across the nation and was told that this is a disgrace to the brand, the resale value is greatly reduced, and they hope to god that Kioti wouldn’t put them in the position of calling this “warranty” work.
I called the dealer to reject this “repair” and was told that he agreed with me and that the hatchet job had destroyed the loader to the point that only a new frame would make it right. He told me that the replacement frame had been ordered and would arrive by truck freight in two weeks. I was happy that this would be over and I could again be proud of my investment. I am growing tired of telling the story and it is the first thing that friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers ask about.
After 4 weeks of waiting I am called by the dealer and he tells me that Kioti is refusing to replace any piece of broken metal that can be welded. He tells me that you have ordered him to hack off the hatchet job and try again. Can this be true? Do you realize that hacking off the hatchet job will leave huge scars and structural integrity issues? The dealer is going to send my nice and nearly new tractor home with the onsite mechanic for this removal and replacement. The onsite mechanic is not a fabricator on par with the folks that engineered and assembled this loader from the factory, honestly, he is a wrench turner. This mechanic did not perform the original hatchet job but described his repair and I am confident that it will be another hatchet job. The mechanic and the dealer both asked me to contact you and try and resolve this without being forced to perform another hack job, they know that a repair is not feasible. This is a new machine, the replacement or repair should be of the same quality or better than the original tractor.
What is it going to take to warranty out this loader frame? It is not my fault that the Kioti loader failed, both the KL120 and KL130 loaders are failing across the country. I should not be burdened with an inferior end product. I bought a new tractor with a warranty so that I would not have to worry about back yard mechanics scabbing on chunks of scrap steel to get me through the warranty period. I am disappointed with Kioti. As a young brand with a supposed dedication to customer satisfaction, you are failing miserably to satisfy me. The dealer is even ashamed of this course of action but he tells me that you have left him no choice. Please tell me if this is a dealer issue, and I need to switch dealers. Please help me regain confidence in this brand. As a customer with a machine still under warranty, I feel you owe me a solution that will not decrease the value of the machine.
Sincerely,
Joe xx, home phone #xxx
I was given your name from my tractor dealer. I have been asked, encouraged, and begged by that dealer to ask for your help in resolving a warranty claim issue.
I purchased a new Kioti CK30HST tractor with KL130 front end loader in September 2005 from XXX located in XXX, Washington. I was impressed with the durability and performance specifications of this tractor as well as many glowing reviews from members of online tractor communities like TractorbyNet (www.tractorbynet.com). The dealer is a relatively large dealer with dozens of Kiotis on his lot along with John Deere tractors. This dealer has Kioti trained and certified mechanics on site, he has been in business for many decades at this location selling tractors.
After about 4 months of use on my rural property mowing fields, spreading gravel, and stacking brush I noticed a creak sound from my loader. I am an impulsive greaser so I noticed the creak right away and found the cracks in picture #1. The cracks allowed the two curved loader arms to move independently of each other to cause the creak and I immediately ceased operation. I brought the tractor to my dealer in February 2006 where I was told the warranty on this attachment was valid, in effect for one year, and Kioti is dedicated to keeping their customers happy. I was also told that this was not the first failed loader they had seen on Kiotis and that they would get this taken care of right away. Weeks later I got the tractor back with a “repaired” loader. See pics #2, #3, #4, and #5. The repair is best described as a hatchet job that my 4 year old could do with a torch and buzz box welder. This is a brand new, expensive, machine that I am making payments on. The rest of the tractor is in excellent condition with smooth welds and factory glossy paint. I bought a new, modern, tractor so that I would have something nice and this massacre brings me great shame. I consulted several other Kioti dealerships across the nation and was told that this is a disgrace to the brand, the resale value is greatly reduced, and they hope to god that Kioti wouldn’t put them in the position of calling this “warranty” work.
I called the dealer to reject this “repair” and was told that he agreed with me and that the hatchet job had destroyed the loader to the point that only a new frame would make it right. He told me that the replacement frame had been ordered and would arrive by truck freight in two weeks. I was happy that this would be over and I could again be proud of my investment. I am growing tired of telling the story and it is the first thing that friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers ask about.
After 4 weeks of waiting I am called by the dealer and he tells me that Kioti is refusing to replace any piece of broken metal that can be welded. He tells me that you have ordered him to hack off the hatchet job and try again. Can this be true? Do you realize that hacking off the hatchet job will leave huge scars and structural integrity issues? The dealer is going to send my nice and nearly new tractor home with the onsite mechanic for this removal and replacement. The onsite mechanic is not a fabricator on par with the folks that engineered and assembled this loader from the factory, honestly, he is a wrench turner. This mechanic did not perform the original hatchet job but described his repair and I am confident that it will be another hatchet job. The mechanic and the dealer both asked me to contact you and try and resolve this without being forced to perform another hack job, they know that a repair is not feasible. This is a new machine, the replacement or repair should be of the same quality or better than the original tractor.
What is it going to take to warranty out this loader frame? It is not my fault that the Kioti loader failed, both the KL120 and KL130 loaders are failing across the country. I should not be burdened with an inferior end product. I bought a new tractor with a warranty so that I would not have to worry about back yard mechanics scabbing on chunks of scrap steel to get me through the warranty period. I am disappointed with Kioti. As a young brand with a supposed dedication to customer satisfaction, you are failing miserably to satisfy me. The dealer is even ashamed of this course of action but he tells me that you have left him no choice. Please tell me if this is a dealer issue, and I need to switch dealers. Please help me regain confidence in this brand. As a customer with a machine still under warranty, I feel you owe me a solution that will not decrease the value of the machine.
Sincerely,
Joe xx, home phone #xxx
