Authorized Kubota Warranty Service Provider? Part 2 of 3

[DonaldP]

There was an appointment to have the L3560 looked at with the Service Rep, myself and the dealership service manager and the Dealer Tech.

The parts necessary as noted by the Kubota Service Rep were ordered, came in and I was asked to bring my tractor in again at about 300 hours to have those items taken care of and since it was close to 300 hours I asked that they do that Service as well. It included a number of things but specifically included the Fan and Alternator belts.

I was called to pick up the equipment but was out of town the day the Service Rep was there to help the tech install the various items:

1- fix the tire rub issue (new front lower frame assembly that supports the front axle)

2- a new replacement lower FEL support for the one that had been cut

3- a BH92 Backhoe hose that was damaged from the 3 point hitch as they interfered with each other

4- replacement of the quick connect for the front loader (excessive play)

4- replacement of the damaged hood with the dent and scratch in it (with a factory hood)

Upon pickup I purchased 2 colors of spray paint for touch up of the internal and external gray areas, a can of orange spray paint for touch up of the bucket and quick connect on the loader as they are a paint wear point, and a 2.5 gallon container of hydraulic oil as suggested by the service team.

The service manager walked around the tractor with me and covered the items on my list which were taken care of including a bag of stickers for the BH92 Backhoe (which thank god I didn't bring with me this time).

The service manager stated that due to all the issues I had with service that they would not be charging me for the 300 hour service, and that there would be no charge for the work under warranty either. That was another nice way of saying we appreciate you as a customer I thought.

So out to the Tractor to load it onto my trailer. out into the sun on the lot to get it to the trailer I noticed something was awry with the hood... yes, the new factory replacement hood.

It had a horrible orange peel finish that faded and returned across the entire hood from the side to the top and the front. The orange peel was so bad that it actually prevented the "KUBOTA" stickers from adhering to the surface of the paint due to the highs and lows in the paint. There was no shine, it was a dull orange-peel finish that I myself had experienced when painting cars in my past... to much thinner, too heavy of a layer... dries too fast and without any gloss additive that's what you have forever.

I walked around the lot and looked at every single new and used Kubota Tractor to see it there were any that exhibited any orange peel... even really old units. I must have looked at 30 tractors and none exhibited that freshly painted orange peel finish as was on my 300 hour 8 month old L3560 that just had a Factory hood installed sitting in the repair lot at the dealership that day...

So I approached the Service manager and asked if there was anything they needed to tell me about the hood to which they replied "no, why?"

We took a walk to the tractor and I pointed out the hood with its orange-peel finish and said that was indicative of a painted hood, not a factory hood as was ordered by the Kubota Service Rep per my notes and his.

To that they replied "Ok, I'm going to be honest with you"

Can you imagine what must be going on in my mind at this point?

(Oh, so you haven't been honest in the past, but now that you've found Jesus, you're going top tell me the truth!!!)

I didn't say that... but I did listen to the story.

"You see" they said,

"the original hood came in damaged, that's why we couldn't get the tractor back to you as early as we thought, so we had to reorder the hood"

However, the real reason they couldn't get the tractor back to me was because they had no idea what was causing the tire to hit the frame until they removed and inspected a number of components and found the issue was the main lower front Frame assembly that supports the front Axle. The bosses designed into the frame assembly that prevents upward movement of the axle on each side were different heights, allowing the axle to move up further on the right than the left side , causing the interference of the lower FEL support Bracket to the tire when turning and under load.

I said "ok, so then how did we get from a replacement Factory Hood to this?"

To which the service manager replied... "This is the Factory Replacement Hood"

Then the service manager followed up with this:

"Look, we have done everything we can for you. you had issues, we fixed them, you had more issues, we called in the Kubota Service Rep and spent hours going over your issues with you, him, myself, and the tech. We have replaced this hood from the Factory part that was ordered. This hood was removed from the crate and placed on your tractor with the Kubota Service Rep there for that. there is nothing more I can do for you. I'll tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to give you the Kubota Service Reps Name and Cell phone number. You can call him and discuss whatever you need to discuss with him. As for this conversation, it is over and I'm going to walk away."


Stay tuned for Part 3 of 3 !!!

 

[sea2summit]

For 300 hours, your tractor looks nearly amazing. I have no idea what you're trying to show in the pictures.

 

[DonaldP]

For 300 hours, your tractor looks nearly amazing. I have no idea what you're trying to show in the pictures.

I apologize.... It shows the differences between a factory paint job and the pseudo factory paint job the dealership was trying to pass off on me. it appears that if the dealer were to get a new hood, that's what I would get right? not a painted hood with an orange peel finish.

This was a $52,000 piece of equip that I reserve the right to damage at my will not at someone else's will (like the dealership) they have no right to paint something that is to be replaced by the factory as a factory part. Especially once Kubota has approved and ordered the hood from the factory. Something happened after the factory hood was installed. I don't know what that was, nor do I care... the point is it was not my issue, its the dealers issue to replace the hood as instructed by Kubota. If in the end I do not receive what I was promised than there is inequality in the transaction.

 

[4570Man]

I honestly think you’re being way too picky and the dealer treated you amazingly well. If you wanted a show car you should have bought one.

 

[sea2summit]

I apologize.... It shows the differences between a factory paint job and the pseudo factory paint job the dealership was trying to pass off on me. it appears that if the dealer were to get a new hood, that's what I would get right? not a painted hood with an orange peel finish.

This was a $52,000 piece of equip that I reserve the right to damage at my will not at someone else's will (like the dealership) they have no right to paint something that is to be replaced by the factory as a factory part. Especially once Kubota has approved and ordered the hood from the factory. Something happened after the factory hood was installed. I don't know what that was, nor do I care... the point is it was not my issue, its the dealers issue to replace the hood as instructed by Kubota. If in the end I do not receive what I was promised than there is inequality in the transaction.

Perhaps I didn’t catch it, they did not replace the hood but said they did? That is a whole different matter.

 

[DonaldP]

I honestly think you’re being way too picky and the dealer treated you amazingly well. If you wanted a show car you should have bought one.

I so much appreciate your comments, and thank you for sharing your input.

I thought about that.

I wondered just how picky I was being. I suppose I could have bought a show car (tractor)... I thought I was doing that when I bought a Kubota Grand L3650 with a Cab. I guess that just goes to show you that we don't know everything.

ok then what should I have bought for my 2 acres?

 

[DonaldP]

Perhaps I didn’t catch it, they did not replace the hood but said they did? That is a whole different matter.

That's exactly it!!!

I said to the service rep... "ok, so then how did we get from a replacement Factory Hood to this?"

To which the service manager replied... "This is the Factory Replacement Hood"

And of course they blamed the overspray on the engine and other components on the $52,000 tractor as something I did for some reason. yup, I'm gonna spray paint my brand new L3560 with overspray just to spite the dealership! sounds logical right?

Now the question that comes to mind is why would they paint in instead of replacing it if they are NOT being penalized and Kubota is covering the bill under warranty?

 

[Leejohn]

Is that over spray in the 4th picture?

 

[sea2summit]

That's exactly it!!!

I said to the service rep... "ok, so then how did we get from a replacement Factory Hood to this?"

To which the service manager replied... "This is the Factory Replacement Hood"

And of course they blamed the overspray on the engine and other components on the $52,000 tractor as something I did for some reason. yup, I'm gonna spray paint my brand new L3560 with overspray just to spite the dealership! sounds logical right?

Now the question that comes to mind is why would they paint in instead of replacing it if they are NOT being penalized and Kubota is covering the bill under warranty?

If they painted the old hood and put it on trying to pass it off as new they dun fked up. Money and picky is one thing, honestly and ethical behavior is another.

 

[Leo182]

Donald,
I'm having a hard time seeing where the dealer has done you wrong. You damaged the hydraulic line on the backhoe, had damage to the lower frame/axle support, damage to the frame/FEL support, damaged or worn ssqa in 300 hours. I could be completely wrong but my first thought is with these issues, you may have have been using the tractor in a manner it's not intended for. But the dealer still repaired each of these issues, plus gave you 4-5 gallons of fluid for free, plus a 200 hour and 300 hour service for no charge. Yet your upset because the hood they replaced (for free, whether new or used,) based on your allegations they damaged it, wasn't painted as professionally as you would like? Sorry man, unless there's a lot more to this story, I'm on the dealers side of this one.