Backhoe Mahindra owners. Little help here please.

[jb1390]

First. Thank you for your ideas. I appreciate it.

Second. How do I obtain a copy of all the service records when they apparently don稚 have them? I told the mechanic when he returned my tractor after fixing the transmission that I wanted a copy of everything that has been worked on. He said no problem I can pull that out of the Mahindra warranty data base, and mail them to you. I never got them.

Then, when talking with Mahindra corporate in Texas on the phone the lady told me that all they could see were two things that have been worked on. I said, 展hat? They have worked on my tractor at least six times. When her boss called and spoke to the dealer about all my problems the dealer apparently told him that his warranty person did not have them all in yet.

I am surprised that they don't have a work order for the times your dealer has had to work on the machine. Or at a minimum, the major issues. I can see skipping a work order for tightening a hydraulic hose that takes 2 minutes. However, I cannot understand no paperwork for the transmission repair, the front axle issue, or the instances of power loss. I requested the paperwork from my dealer and they provided - and their paperwork was not associated with Mahindra warranty directly. It's just their procedure for doing work in their shop. If they want to claim warranty then that's a separate item to file. A work order is a fairly standard item for repair facilities - and is required in the automotive world. I would get with the dealer and go over the things that have had to be repaired and have them sign something that you both are in agreement in lieu of the work orders. And require that the dealer complete a work order for every repair moving forward. When developing this list - I would concentrate on the power loss issue. If I am not mistaken, the other issues have all been corrected, and hence are no basis for claim since they have been repaired under warranty, which is all that is guaranteed. I would also be careful to not get petty - in my opinion, worrying about things like corrosion on battery terminals will be counter productive and make someone less likely to want to take you seriously on the other major issues.

It sounds to me from this latest post that Mahindra hasn't been completely aware of the issues due to a disconnect with the dealer. Hard to know whether that disconnect is originating with the dealer or Mahindra - but I would give the rep a shot to make you happy before throwing tools at him. (When the rep showed up at my place he thanked me for not chucking a screwdriver at him....lol)

Have you thought about what you want from Mahindra? Would a new 3550 be desirable? I believe it is more likely that they will replace the machine or offer something else in the Mahindra line vs a buyback. They may also be able to work with the dealer to provide you with a loaner machine - which would solve the "downtime" issue.

Whatever the result, be sure to post back if Mahindra makes it right with you. You don't need to include details of the deal if you don't want to - but I think it's helpful to future customers for them to know how these types of situations are resolved, even if we don't know every detail behind the scenes.

 

[Gasifier]

I am surprised on the work order thing as well JB. I am going to call the store where my tractor is at on Tuesday. And explain to them that I need a phone call when he arrives so that I can meet with him. Or for him to call me so I can meet with him at the end of his inspection. He still has not called me about meeting me. The dealer has not called me about meeting with him. The only reason I know he is going to be there to inspect my tractor is because the woman from Mahindra Corporate in Texas told me he was going to be there to inspect my tractor.

 

[Gasifier]

Talked with the owner of Mahindra dealership today. Wanted to see if they had any update on status of tractor. He told me to call over to local store and talk with mechanic to see if he made any more progress. Did that. He said he is still trying to figure it out. I also confirmed with both of them that the area representative will be here tomorrow. They will be calling me when it is time to meet up.

 

[darmstrong2319]

I hope it works out for you. There is nothing worse than a new piece of equipment that doesn’t work right. I hope they do what’s right. Good luck

 

[Gasifier]

I hope it works out for you. There is nothing worse than a new piece of equipment that doesn’t work right. I hope they do what’s right. Good luck

Thanks.

 

[Gasifier]

Update:

Dealer called me at about 11:30 am and left me a message on my phone. (He won’t be there, he had told me that already). Representative will be here today at 1pm, not tomorrow. I saw the message at 12:30. Had to quickly get ready and get over to the store. He was getting ready to leave when I got there. I remained calm and told him of all my problems. And all my lost time.

I state in front of all there, including the other folks who work there that I am not unhappy with the mechanic, I’m not unhappy with the dealership. They have been good. This is a Mahindra problem. These folks don’t have control over how the tractors are built and the quality control. And he said okay. Well we have it fixed. He and the mechanic said they did not have the latest software in the computer and he did now and they reflashed it and can’t get the problem to happen again.


Well, I’ve been through this before. So I first asked him what Mahindra was going to do for me about all my lost time. He said he can’t do anything for me, his job is to make sure the tractors are fixed. He can’t do anything else until he talks with Corporate in Texas. Well I need to know what Mahindra is going to do for me. And I said, can you call them right now and explain everything? So he said, I can try. He then goes to his car and attempts to call him. No answer, left message. Mechanic leaves after stating he will get my tractor back to me on Friday. I said that’s my last day off. I won’t be able to do anything again for three more days. So then he agreed to try to get it to me Wednesday.

He then leaves. So I go out and talk with representative some more before he leaves. Explain to him how frustrated I am and that I’m going to leave the tractor in the barn until I hear back from him and what Mahindra Corporate is going to do for me. He says I need you to go out and work your tractor so you and I can see that it is working properly now.

So I said how long do you have? Can I pull the tractor out here right now and work it for a while. He said sure you can. We go back in the store and he opens the overhead and I bring it out. He stands there while I work it. After about 7-8 minutes of a combination of driving it back and forth and using loader and backhoe hydraulics I get it to do it again. Loss of power anytime I try to do something with anything hydraulic related.

So I say to him. Now imagine he brought the tractor back to me and I don’t use it until I need it. We get a big snow storm and after about 7-8 minutes I’m left with no power, limp mode. Okay, but I don’t think it’s limp mode. We have some troubleshooting to do.

So I told him that I don’t want to bash all Mahindra tractors. Just this one. This one has spoiled me on this tractor. I don’t want it. And I said I really appreciate you coming here and really need you to do something about this. He said understands my frustration and he would fight for my cause by talking with Corporate.

I talked with him about either buying the tractor back or possibly getting me a different tractor. Please see what you can do for me. But I have lost way to much time with this tractor and I can’t get it back. My projects are now delayed until next summer.

Then I talked with about his Thanksgiving plans and family etc. And I said I will let you go and get on the road. We wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving and said good by.

So now I wait, again, with no tractor for my days off, to see what comes next.

 

[Rustyiron]

Eat this elephant one bite at a time Gas. Hopefully the rep now understands the tractors problem and is on your side.
I'm deducting a few "notches" from your dealer. They "couldn't replicate this condition" but you did it right there in their lot?

 

[NoTrespassing]

Update:

So now I wait, again, with no tractor for my days off, to see what comes next.

Man, I can't imagine being in your position. I think at this point I would do anything I could to get out from under that boat anchor. How much will the dealer give you for it or will they not offer you any money at all?

Kevin

 

[Gasifier]

Man, I can't imagine being in your position. I think at this point I would do anything I could to get out from under that boat anchor. How much will the dealer give you for it or will they not offer you any money at all?

Kevin

I’ve asked them to buy it back. I was told “We don’t have the where with all to do that.” ?

Basically the dealer doesn’t want to lose money. But shouldn’t he and the rep work together so Mahindra looks good, or better, in the end? And so his dealership looks the same.

The rep. told me today that he needs to speak with Mahindra corporate and the dealer some more about it. And see what they can do.

We will see.

 

[jb1390]

I致e asked them to buy it back. I was told 展e don稚 have the where with all to do that. ?

Basically the dealer doesn稚 want to lose money. But shouldn稚 he and the rep work together so Mahindra looks good, or better, in the end? And so his dealership looks the same.

The rep. told me today that he needs to speak with Mahindra corporate and the dealer some more about it. And see what they can do.

We will see.

Mahindra could definitely at least put you in a new machine. It wouldn't cost them all that much money. Then they can fix this one at their leisure and sell it refurbished.

I can guarantee you that they are losing more money letting this thread drag on than if they just provided you with a new machine or bought it back. If they believe in their product, they'd believe this is a fluke and get you one that works instead of buying back.

Make absolutely sure that you have documented the times the tractor has gone in for this power loss issue. I am with the others that have questioned the dealer - I'm not sure they are doing everything they can for you. Hopefully now that the rep is involved you will have some better luck. Tough with this happening right around the holidays as it may be difficult to get things moving quickly on his end.

Also, make sure that they don't just throw parts at it in the hope that it works. If they are going to touch anything but software, make sure they have a legitimate reason why it will work.

 

[kevin37b]

He was getting ready to leave when you got there ? Did he know you were coming to meet him? This does not sound good . I would hope someone from ( corporate ) sees this thread .

 

[Gasifier]

He was getting ready to leave when you got there ? Did he know you were coming to meet him? This does not sound good . I would hope someone from ( corporate ) sees this thread .

I believe he was. Yes. Maybe I am wrong. But just the way the whole quick change in plans thing was going down I didn’t like the feel of it. He told corporate he was going to be there today. Then corporate told me. Then he is all of a sudden there and I get a call an hour and a half before.

 

[e5wd6114]

Update:

Dealer called me at about 11:30 am and left me a message on my phone. (He won稚 be there, he had told me that already). Representative will be here today at 1pm, not tomorrow. I saw the message at 12:30. Had to quickly get ready and get over to the store. He was getting ready to leave when I got there. I remained calm and told him of all my problems. And all my lost time.

I state in front of all there, including the other folks who work there that I am not unhappy with the mechanic, I知 not unhappy with the dealership. They have been good. This is a Mahindra problem. These folks don稚 have control over how the tractors are built and the quality control. And he said okay. Well we have it fixed. He and the mechanic said they did not have the latest software in the computer and he did now and they reflashed it and can稚 get the problem to happen again.


Well, I致e been through this before. So I first asked him what Mahindra was going to do for me about all my lost time. He said he can稚 do anything for me, his job is to make sure the tractors are fixed. He can稚 do anything else until he talks with Corporate in Texas. Well I need to know what Mahindra is going to do for me. And I said, can you call them right now and explain everything? So he said, I can try. He then goes to his car and attempts to call him. No answer, left message. Mechanic leaves after stating he will get my tractor back to me on Friday. I said that痴 my last day off. I won稚 be able to do anything again for three more days. So then he agreed to try to get it to me Wednesday.

He then leaves. So I go out and talk with representative some more before he leaves. Explain to him how frustrated I am and that I知 going to leave the tractor in the barn until I hear back from him and what Mahindra Corporate is going to do for me. He says I need you to go out and work your tractor so you and I can see that it is working properly now.

So I said how long do you have? Can I pull the tractor out here right now and work it for a while. He said sure you can. We go back in the store and he opens the overhead and I bring it out. He stands there while I work it. After about 7-8 minutes of a combination of driving it back and forth and using loader and backhoe hydraulics I get it to do it again. Loss of power anytime I try to do something with anything hydraulic related.

So I say to him. Now imagine he brought the tractor back to me and I don稚 use it until I need it. We get a big snow storm and after about 7-8 minutes I知 left with no power, limp mode. Okay, but I don稚 think it痴 limp mode. We have some troubleshooting to do.

So I told him that I don稚 want to bash all Mahindra tractors. Just this one. This one has spoiled me on this tractor. I don稚 want it. And I said I really appreciate you coming here and really need you to do something about this. He said understands my frustration and he would fight for my cause by talking with Corporate.

I talked with him about either buying the tractor back or possibly getting me a different tractor. Please see what you can do for me. But I have lost way to much time with this tractor and I can稚 get it back. My projects are now delayed until next summer.

Then I talked with about his Thanksgiving plans and family etc. And I said I will let you go and get on the road. We wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving and said good by.

So now I wait, again, with no tractor for my days off, to see what comes next.

Gas, I can see your frustration with the whole situation but I can't help to wonder why your anger is aimed more towards the mfg rather than your dealer? You keep saying your dealer isn't to blame and they're great so why....

Has the dealer not given you a loaner? INTRODUCING NEW LOANER PROGRAM | Mahindra

Has the dealer not entered all of the service work done on your unit?

Has the dealer not called the Mahindra Service Rep in themselves BEFORE you had to call Mahindra corporate?

It seems to me that after the FIRST incident that the dealer couldn't remedy you should have been given a loaner and the dealer should have kept your tractor until they found the root cause and repaired it correctly. They should've called the service rep if they couldn't figure it out. It appears to me that the dealer has failed you at every turn and forced you to do the leg work they should have already done themselves. In my honest opinion the dealer should trade you out to a new unit and then settle with Mahindra Corporate themselves as they could have taken a much different approach that would have saved you weeks of frustration.

 

[Gasifier]

Gas, I can see your frustration with the whole situation but I can't help to wonder why your anger is aimed more towards the mfg rather than your dealer? You keep saying your dealer isn't to blame and they're great so why....

Has the dealer not given you a loaner? INTRODUCING NEW LOANER PROGRAM | Mahindra

Has the dealer not entered all of the service work done on your unit?

Has the dealer not called the Mahindra Service Rep in themselves BEFORE you had to call Mahindra corporate?

It seems to me that after the FIRST incident that the dealer couldn't remedy you should have been given a loaner and the dealer should have kept your tractor until they found the root cause and repaired it correctly. They should've called the service rep if they couldn't figure it out. It appears to me that the dealer has failed you at every turn and forced you to do the leg work they should have already done themselves. In my honest opinion the dealer should trade you out to a new unit and then settle with Mahindra Corporate themselves as they could have taken a much different approach that would have saved you weeks of frustration.

TRUE.



The dealer has been decent about fixing things. And no charge for moving tractor. Besides this last thing they haven’t been able to figure out. Still haven’t. Just talked to the shop where it is now. Near my place.

The owners are behind the times as far as computers. Don’t know how to use them. Hardly has anyone who knows them to get around good. You are correct. Reason I see it as more Mahindra’s fault is they built the thing. And their quality control sucked when they built this one for sure. Dealer didn’t build it. Mahindra should now step up and do what is right and buy it back or replace the tractor so dealer doesn’t lose all profit.

 

[e5wd6114]

TRUE.



The dealer has been decent about fixing things. And no charge for moving tractor. Besides this last thing they haven’t been able to figure out. Still haven’t. Just talked to the shop where it is now. Near my place.

The owners are behind the times as far as computers. Don’t know how to use them. Hardly has anyone who knows them to get around good. You are correct. Reason I see it as more Mahindra’s fault is they built the thing. And their quality control sucked when they built this one for sure. Dealer didn’t build it. Mahindra should now step up and do what is right and buy it back or replace the tractor so dealer doesn’t lose all profit.

Gas, at this point why would (or should) you care about the dealer profit? At the end of the day they signed on as a dealer and are responsible to make you happy as a customer. Weather or not the mfg does right by the dealer and takes care of this unit is a problem between your dealer and Mahindra and you shouldn't be paying the price that your dealer should. Every dealer that signs and agreement with a mfg understands that there is a price of doing business, a price that you shouldn't have to pay. If you get a lemon from Ford, your dealer is going to take care of you first(lemon laws apply to cars as well)then deal with Ford themselves, not let you the customer hang out to dry because they are afraid of losing money. If your dealer is afraid to lose money on a deal to keep a customer happy then they probably shouldn't be a dealer. I have no doubt that Mahindra will make good on this tractor but waiting for big corporate wheels to turn should be on the dealer not the customer.

 

[AchingBack]

Gas, I can see your frustration with the whole situation but I can't help to wonder why your anger is aimed more towards the mfg rather than your dealer? You keep saying your dealer isn't to blame and they're great so why....

Has the dealer not given you a loaner? INTRODUCING NEW LOANER PROGRAM | Mahindra

This loaner program seems to be voluntary on the part of participating dealers.

 

[e5wd6114]

If it is voluntary then it sheds even more light on the commitment of the dealer to their customers if they choose not to participate.

 

[darmstrong2319]

I think the dealer should be stepping up more also. In a situation like this a dealer input should make a difference. Don’t sound like he is even keeping his records up to date for you. Now having said that the rep has the information and I hope he does right by you, but you need to stay in contact with him. Good luck

 

[DavesTractor]

As a dealer, I feel I have an obligation to the customer, and Mahindra has an obligation to the customer and to me as a dealer. The dealer can buy the tractor back, but he probably does not want to do so unless Mahindra agrees to support him. If he buys it back, he owns a used tractor and he loses all of his profit that he had previously made. Unless Mahindra will put it back on his floor plan he also is out that cash until he sells it again. And it will be sold as a used tractor and that will be another loss. A buy back is to be avoided if at all possible.

We are a volume dealer and sell a couple hundred tractors a year on average. Over the last 15 years, we have bought back about 6 tractors. Mahindra helped with a couple of them, but it was a laborious process to get them to that point. On the others, we just did it and took our hit. If you do it timely, you keep a satisfied customer. If you battle with the customer, then buy it back, you have lost your customer and lost your profit. Timing is critical.

Reasons to buy a tractor back? In my mind I can think of a few reasons. First would be a huge failure with a very new tractor, like a transmission or engine failure right off the bat. Super rare, but it leaves such a bad impression with the customer that even if you replace the part with new and do it quickly, the tractor is tarnished in his eyes. Second would be an unsolvable problem. In my eyes, if we take a crack at a problem several times and we know the problem is real and repeatable, I feel that the customer should not need to own the tractor as we scratch our heads and do various testing and try various solutions. Eventually a solution will be found, but the customer did not buy a project. Thirdly, and this is rare, is when you get a bad customer with ridiculous demands and perhaps he or she is a bit hostile to boot. That is money well spent to have that customer buy something from your favorite competitor.

In this thread, we seem to be teetering awfully close to the unsolvable problem scenario. Seems we have a very good and cooperative customer. We have a problem that can be demonstrated and repeated. Now that the service rep has actually personally seen the issue, I would expect he can solve it. Most of the area service reps for Mahindra are actually very good and skilled mechanics. Surprisingly so. If he is still mystified after seeing this issue and chatting with his counterparts and design engineers, then I think the handwriting is on the wall. But I suspect he will have a solution.

Customer satisfaction is all about timing. At some point you have lost the customer and no amount of good will can solve that. This sounds like a very good customer who has been patient. I am hopeful that Mahindra will have a solution soon.

I do understand that all manufacturers need to make a buy back situation very rare. There is a warranty for a reason, and the correct process is to listen carefully to the customer, identify and repeat the issue, solve the problem quickly and get the tractor back to the customer. It sounds like this dealer is making a lot of effort, transporting for no cost and so forth.

I hope I haven't stepped on any toes.....

 

[wagne223]

Very well said Dave.
You sound like a good dealer!