B3350 REGEN PROBLEMS & FIX

[Travis616]

The majority of soot is accumulated during startup. They run quite clean after that, very little smoke even when under heavy load so people who do many starts and don't work them hard enough to naturally burn them off will have more issues from what I see

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I wasn't aware of that. I thought they played the end game with them. Does the refit require a dealer to do it or can you do it at home? Really not germane to me as they are way too small for my intended uses anyway.

Actually Kubota doesn't seem to have widely publicized this to anybody except as a corporate Public Service Bulletin. Otherwise you would think it would have been more widely known in the tractor community. The place I learned about this issue posted his video in mid summer of 21 and updated his warning about this tractor just a few weeks ago. His business is buying and selling low hour used tractors (primarily Kubota and John Deere) and new attachments.

 

[SDT]

Actually Kubota doesn't seem to have widely publicized this to anybody except as a corporate Public Service Bulletin. Otherwise you would think it would have been more widely known in the tractor community. The place I learned about this issue posted his video in mid summer of 21 and updated his warning about this tractor just a few weeks ago. His business is buying and selling low hour used tractors (primarily Kubota and John Deere) and new attachments.

Agreed.

It was not publicly announced, and owners were not notified.

SDT

 

[jonsstihl]

say what you want about kubota but they all do the same thing. John deere did it with the PTO on the 2305. like everyone says on the forum a little research before buying can be priceless and it comes down to how comfortable you are on the machine and how good your dealer is. brand loyalty aside I looked at john deere but the price and the location of the rear remote levers was what pushed me to kubota and not necessarily in that order.

 

[hwkmn05]

That will forever be a dark stain on the Kubota reputation. I came close to purchasing a used 2014, cheap of course, until I researched this issue. My dealership and most others Nationwide stopped their purchase of these models due to Kubota's lack of support. This Rep told me they replaced the engines with the European model which had no issues, but I can not verify that. The 2/7 year warranty may offer some peace of mind, but that issue will forever be a huge concern for Kubota owners.

 

[Jchonline]

Agree but who wants to deal with all of the problems with that machine. If OP has a way to bypass it once and for all great. If not, they should be given a full refund. Ridiculous of Kubota to not recall and refund everyone that purchased one.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Meanwhile there are B3350 owners out there with a tractor they can't use, can't sell whose 5 year warranty expired who are unaware of the warranty extension. There were people seeking to file a class action law suit but that may have been mitigated by this PSB. I can't say that the publicity of a class action law suit is what motivated the PSB warranty extension, but waiting years after the problem was well known doesn't speak well for motivation.
As I said earlier, Kubota could have stopped making the B3350 when the problem became apparent replaced each B3350 with a new tractor, donated the recalled machines to warm climate 3rd world countries and it would have cost them very little off their bottom line and earned a great deal of good publicity. That they continued making it and selling it with the known issues is unconscionable.
How do I know that a new Kubota model wont have some issue that Kubota won't support. What about all the people who needed a tractor but had to transport theirs to a dealer, or pay for transport to a dealer and then had to hire someone else to do the work their tractor should have been doing. Or those who took a big financial loss to get out from under a useless tractor. Kubota's lifetime warranty on the B3350 doesn't absolve them of their responsibility on this issue.

 

[RjCorazza]

You're right that the baby step warranty extension was too little, too late. Kubota should have stepped up and done a buy back of the B3350. The 3350 was on the top of my initial list in 2016 before I read up on all of the problems owners were having - fortunately I dodged that bullet.
The first Tier4 tractor with zero emissions.... because it remains in the barn or shop broken down!

 

[SDT]

Meanwhile there are B3350 owners out there with a tractor they can't use, can't sell whose 5 year warranty expired who are unaware of the warranty extension. There were people seeking to file a class action law suit but that may have been mitigated by this PSB. I can't say that the publicity of a class action law suit is what motivated the PSB warranty extension, but waiting years after the problem was well known doesn't speak well for motivation.
As I said earlier, Kubota could have stopped making the B3350 when the problem became apparent replaced each B3350 with a new tractor, donated the recalled machines to warm climate 3rd world countries and it would have cost them very little off their bottom line and earned a great deal of good publicity. That they continued making it and selling it with the known issues is unconscionable.
How do I know that a new Kubota model wont have some issue that Kubota won't support. What about all the people who needed a tractor but had to transport theirs to a dealer, or pay for transport to a dealer and then had to hire someone else to do the work their tractor should have been doing. Or those who took a big financial loss to get out from under a useless tractor. Kubota's lifetime warranty on the B3350 doesn't absolve them of their responsibility on this issue.

Doubt that any class action law suit was even considered by any tort attorneys. Class would have been much too small for attorneys to make enough money to cover expenses money and Kubota's in house attorneys well know this.

Tort attorneys are interested in attorney's fees, not potential plaintiff's problems.

SDT

 

[SDT]

That will forever be a dark stain on the Kubota reputation. I came close to purchasing a used 2014, cheap of course, until I researched this issue. My dealership and most others Nationwide stopped their purchase of these models due to Kubota's lack of support. This Rep told me they replaced the engines with the European model which had no issues, but I can not verify that. The 2/7 year warranty may offer some peace of mind, but that issue will forever be a huge concern for Kubota owners.

Not true.

US B3350s have not had engines replaced with engines intended for any other market. Nor have they had engines replaced with engines used in the LX3310 replacement.

SDT

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Not true.

US B3350s have not had engines replaced with engines intended for any other market. Nor have they had engines replaced with engines used in the LX3310 replacement.

SDT

Spoken by the person who has talked to every Kubota dealer in the country

Doubt that any class action law suit was even considered by any tort attorneys. Class would have been much too small for attorneys to make enough money to cover expenses money and Kubota's in house attorneys well know this.

Tort attorneys are interested in attorney's fees, not potential plaintiff's problems.

SDT

You must be pretty high up in Kubota corporate to have knowledge of the thoughts of Kubota's in house legal team. And to know that no B3350 has ever been repaired with another engine.

 

[SDT]

Spoken by the person who has talked to every Kubota dealer in the country

You must be pretty high up in Kubota corporate to have knowledge of the thoughts of Kubota's in house legal team. And to know that no B3350 has ever been repaired with another engine.

Note: I stated that Kubota has not replaced US B3350 engines with engines intended for other, e.g., European, markets. Doing so would violate federal law. I never stated that Kubota has not replaced the engine in any B3350 with another engine designed for sale in the US.

As, among other things, I am an attorney, and know how the legal system operates. Any attorney experienced enough to secure an in-house position at Kubota would well know that any class action suit vis a vis the B3350 issue would be highly unlikely for the reason that I stated. Such attorney(ies) would not be there if they did not.

You are welcome to prove me wrong regarding either or both statements should you decide to do so.

SDT

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Note: I stated that Kubota has not replaced US B3350 engines with engines intended for other, e.g., European, markets. Doing so would violate federal law. I never stated that Kubota has not replaced the engine in any B3350 with another engine designed for sale in the US.

As, among other things, I am an attorney, and know how the legal system operates. Any attorney experienced enough to secure an in-house position at Kubota would well know that any class action suit vis a vis the B3350 issue would be highly unlikely for the reason that I stated. Such attorney(ies) would not be there if they did not.

You are welcome to prove me wrong regarding either or both statements should you decide to do so.

SDT

Whether any class action suit was ever actually attempted is irrelevant, it was talked about.

The relevant issue is how Kubota has treated B3350 owners, and continues to treat them. A case was cited earlier, B3350 owners shells out $4k because it was after the 5 year warranty period but before the date of the PSB (that few have heard of) and Kubota refused to reimburse the repair of a chronic issue. I doubt that after 7 years of a known chronic problem that Kubota issued the PSB just out of the goodness of their hearts.

 

[jyoutz]

say what you want about kubota but they all do the same thing. John deere did it with the PTO on the 2305. like everyone says on the forum a little research before buying can be priceless and it comes down to how comfortable you are on the machine and how good your dealer is. brand loyalty aside I looked at john deere but the price and the location of the rear remote levers was what pushed me to kubota and not necessarily in that order.

And how about that JD exploding driveshaft?

 

[hwkmn05]

Why would this violate Federal law? EU and US emissions are both in Phase V since 2019 and actually the EU has tougher standards for NRMM engines. I dont believe it is outside the realm of possibility a dealer could use a foreign engine. We all drive foreign cars right?

 

[ptsg]

Why would this violate Federal law? EU and US emissions are both in Phase V since 2019 and actually the EU has tougher standards for NRMM engines. I dont believe it is outside the realm of possibility a dealer could use a foreign engine. We all drive foreign cars right?

Only 50 HP tractor and up had emissions equipment in Europe back then. The new Stage V only started this year, after being postponed in 2021. So, now, every off-road equipment with more than 25HP will have emissions equipment, just like US.

If that change with European engines was indeed true, then it had to be done under the radar somehow.

 

[SDT]

Whether any class action suit was ever actually attempted is irrelevant, it was talked about.

The relevant issue is how Kubota has treated B3350 owners, and continues to treat them. A case was cited earlier, B3350 owners shells out $4k because it was after the 5 year warranty period but before the date of the PSB (that few have heard of) and Kubota refused to reimburse the repair of a chronic issue. I doubt that after 7 years of a known chronic problem that Kubota issued the PSB just out of the goodness of their hearts.

I do not consider the lack of litigation irrelevant and am convinced that the Kubota in-house legal staff well understood that any class action litigation regarding the B3350 was highly unlikely.

Such action was discussed herein and perhaps in other tractor forums, e.g., orangetractortalks, etc., but it is highly unlikely that tort attorneys seriously considered any such action. Believe me, if there was money to be made by any such action regarding the B3350, the ambulance chasers would be on it in a heartbeat.

Not defending Kubota regarding the B3350. Of course, Kubota could have taken other, more substantive and, especially, earlier measures regarding the B3350, but understanding the legal system, I'm convinced that the threat of class action litigation had little or nothing to do with PSB-2021-050-E.

SDT

 

[hwkmn05]

"All industrial equipment manufacturers are now required to use emission certified engines. In this circumstance, as a leading industrial engine manufacturer, Kubota has always developed the engine which meets emission regulations across the world." Somebody's lying.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I'm convinced that the threat of class action litigation had little or nothing to do with PSB-2021-050-E.

And I am equally convinced that after seven years of ignoring the issue and throwing B3350 owners under the bus, Kubota didn't suddenly, out of the blue, issue the PSB out of the goodness of their corporate hearts. Whether it was bad publicity a TV station's consumer affairs reporter, law suits class action and otherwise, a state attorneys general threatening consumer protection action, a combination of the above I don't know. I do know that "goodness" and "corporate hearts" is an oxymoron.

 

[SDT]

And I am equally convinced that after seven years of ignoring the issue and throwing B3350 owners under the bus, Kubota didn't suddenly, out of the blue, issue the PSB out of the goodness of their corporate hearts. Whether it was bad publicity a TV station's consumer affairs reporter, law suits class action and otherwise, a state attorneys general threatening consumer protection action, a combination of the above I don't know. I do know that "goodness" and "corporate hearts" is an oxymoron.

"I do know that "goodness" and "corporate hearts" is an oxymoron."

Obviously, you "know" no such thing.

Rather, you think such and I find no fault in such thinking.

SDT