Being as I'm in the "service side" of another Major brand (different field), I know that the Manufacturer can't "fix" something unless the dealer can tell them "this particular component is broken or defective".
From that standpoint- I'd say it was more a dealer related problem.... except that if I understand the situation correctly, Kubota really didn't offer the dealer much for assistance in regards to what might be causing the problem.
I can say that we've now got 30 hours on the new 4X4 tractor.... and have used the FEL under a wide variety of conditions, with absolutely NO problems. Steers like it's on "buttered rails"... and I will give the dealer a big :thumbsup: for a LIGHTSPEED turnaround on refitting our canopy, FEL, etc. to the new tractor (less than 24 hours).
I'm happy to say that the new unit performs just like I would have expected from the first one.