L Series HST Recall

[s219]

I agree, it's BS and I would be extremely pissed if someone had to split my new tractor. On cab models, this is extremely complicated work and I don't trust it will be done right except by a very few experienced/talented mechanics who have attention to detail. Kubota needs to stand in the customer's shoes and understand how this affects customers, and do the right thing.

 

[Peter 315]

Right ,Then what happens when other problems start because it was not put back together correct who pays for it........

 

[rScotty]

I agree, it's BS and I would be extremely pissed if someone had to split my new tractor. On cab models, this is extremely complicated work and I don't trust it will be done right except by a very few experienced/talented mechanics who have attention to detail. Kubota needs to stand in the customer's shoes and understand how this affects customers, and do the right thing.

Maybe they are listening.... we can always hope. And if they are, then maybe some ideas & opinions will help them.

What would doing "the right thing" be? Besides the mechanical work, what is it that they need to do?
rScotty

 

[Citydude]

Years ago, Caterpillar had issues with a new model haul truck fleet we bought. They sent factory engineers and technicians out to remedy the issue and train their local dealership here and other locations in the mining realm.

One could only hope that Kubota can be as customer focused as they were.

 

[s219]

Maybe they are listening.... we can always hope. And if they are, then maybe some ideas & opinions will help them.

What would doing "the right thing" be? Besides the mechanical work, what is it that they need to do?
rScotty

Either have skilled factory trained teams do the work, perhaps on site at the customer's property, or buy back the tractors and give the customer a new one. There have been some examples of this in the auto industry, though rare. It needs to be seamless and trusted.

 

[buck12]

Kubota should in no way expect customers to be stuck with a refurbished tractors. This is not a minor recall. I was really concerned until I was able to check the number on my tractor. My tractor is kept on our remote property almost an hour away.

 

[rScotty]

I'm sure Kubota doesn't expect customers to be stuck with refurbished tractors when they bought new ones. The question is more along the lines of how they are going to handle it. Of course in the USA we have an advantage most places because our consumer laws make the choice ultimately up to the customer, not Kubota. We lucky ones who were missing in the recall can say what we will; the proof will be in whatever the affected parties decide they want.

But while we are waiting, we can speculate. For instance, what's up with this recall series below??

L3560HST......45615-45973, 46090
L4060HST......45065-45446, 45826

I have to wonder..... Right there we have a series of three or four hundred tractors needing attention all in a row with consecutive serial numbers, and that at least makes some sense. But then much later there is a single tractor that is also getting recalled. That one had to have been built quite a while later. What happened with that? Are there any budding investigative reporters in our group? I feel really feel sorry for the person who bought that machine. But it also makes wonder what made that single tractor different...
Is there anything to be learned there?
rscotty

 

[RickB]

There is a known, finite list of affected transmission serial numbers, or so they say. MX, Grand L and TLB production facilities record transmission serial numbers and tie them to chassis serial numbers. The L4701 factory does not record transmission serial numbers as they are installed, hence that model needs to be field inspected to compare the TX s/n to the list of potential faulty transmissions.

 

[Citydude]

There is a known, finite list of affected transmission serial numbers, or so they say. MX, Grand L and TLB production facilities record transmission serial numbers and tie them to chassis serial numbers. The L4701 factory does not record transmission serial numbers as they are installed, hence that model needs to be field inspected to compare the TX s/n to the list of potential faulty transmissions.

I wonder why they singled out the L4701 for not recording the transmission serial numbers?

 

[RickB]

I wonder why they singled out the L4701 for not recording the transmission serial numbers?

Different factory, different continent. Shoddy decision, probably not a conscious decision so much as a lack of foresight.

 

[Citydude]

Different factory, different continent. Shoddy decision, probably not a conscious decision so much as a lack of foresight.

OK, thank you.

 

[OrangeMuscle]

I am becoming more and more concerned about this recall that I am part of. I called my dealer and they are going to get back to me about getting my repairs done. The recall letter states clearly that I must stop using the tractor immediately. I was informed it is a 14 hour job to get to the HST transmission, and then another 2 hours if that has to be replaced because of the "potentially inadvertently loose bolt."

Im no data scientist, but I know that my tractor will have dozens of loose bolts and rattles and strange structural noises as a result of this massive operation. Its a shame they can't have some controlled test to see if they can recognize if the bolt is indeed loose. Stress the tractor on a slope while rocking with 6 rocks in the bucket at 47 degrees temperature with it in low medium??

 

[RickB]

I know that my tractor will have dozens of loose bolts and rattles and strange structural noises as a result of this massive operation.

Respectfully, you may well suspect that to be the case but it is neither a fact or a valid expectation.
A properly performed recall will result in a fully functional machine as good as any and better than one with a known flaw.

 

[TractorGuy]

I wonder if this is an unforeseen issue or an assembly line tech that found a new way to meet his quota?

 

[AndyMA]

Clearly something as systematic as this was not a tech error. Very likely error in assembly instructions

As a long term design engineer that’s my thoughts

I agree with RickB that a properly done recall will result in an as new machine

Several years back one of my tractors needed to be split early on. No issues in many years of use

Andy

 

[OrangeMuscle]

Properly....Key word is properly. Properly rarely happens nowadays. I have had several sloppy incidents on two seperate L6060's. Even before the recall, kubota service departments are slow, overwhelmed, and struggling to keep workers when they pay them crap. Now add a lengthy, serious, technical recall onto an already overburdened service dept, and its spells trouble. And the worst part is when the tech can't just focus on one machine at a time. They are called away and distracted for all sorts reasons.

 

[RickB]

Properly....Key word is properly. Properly rarely happens nowadays. I have had several sloppy incidents on two seperate L6060's. Even before the recall, kubota service departments are slow, overwhelmed, and struggling to keep workers when they pay them crap. Now add a lengthy, serious, technical recall onto an already overburdened service dept, and its spells trouble. And the worst part is when the tech can't just focus on one machine at a time. They are called away and distracted for all sorts reasons.

I don’t need to be lectured on the affect this recall has on a service department. I am living it while you are imagining it. I hope your experience exceeds your low expectations. My goal is to have my customers as satisfied as the circumstances allow.

 

[OrangeMuscle]

I don’t need to be lectured on the affect this recall has on a service department. I am living it while you are imagining it. I hope your experience exceeds your low expectations. My goal is to have my customers as satisfied as the circumstances allow.

Certainly no lecture intended. And I applaud whomever you are and whatever you do if you do it well and have high standards. I am simply expressing how my experiences are 99% of the time. I hope I'm wrong and my tractor is fixed perfectly. I'll keep you posted. Also, I am not imagining what I know to be real experiences that I have lived through and the way service depts are run in my region.

 

[SDT]

Properly....Key word is properly. Properly rarely happens nowadays. I have had several sloppy incidents on two seperate L6060's. Even before the recall, kubota service departments are slow, overwhelmed, and struggling to keep workers when they pay them crap. Now add a lengthy, serious, technical recall onto an already overburdened service dept, and its spells trouble. And the worst part is when the tech can't just focus on one machine at a time. They are called away and distracted for all sorts reasons.

Agreed, Orange.

Some are better than others but none are perfect.

SDT

 

[riptides]

Agreed, Orange.

Some are better than others but none are perfect.

SDT

Yeah, unfortunate but this is where you find out how good a dealer can be.