Never buy another Kubota

[ultrarunner]

I agree 110%. The most successful local tractor dealer (John Deere) is the biggest and best because of their parts and service department. They are well staffed with the best technical people and always work with a sense of urgency in getting parts and/or servicing equipment. Additionally, they are the only tractor dealer I know of that has vans to service equipment onsite. I can't say all the above about other green, red, orange and blue dealerships in the area.

Don't forget CAT yellow....

 

[Baldyonthehill]

Well now, let me see if I can remember everything pertinent to post. This will be my last post on this issue because, I believe, all vital information from me, the OP, will be there for others to use as they deem necessary.

I sincerely apologize to those that were called names because of this thread as I did not intend this post to be anything more than a vent and warning to others of Kubota's disregard towards their customers.

I have contacted Kubota's national office via phone, e-mail and snail mail since their regional service manager was not helpful. The national office has not replied in any form.
Reading on this website reveals that others have been ignored by Kubota corporation. One would think that in today's economy and with the electronic ease of mass information, a company would be more concerned about their reputation.

Uh oh, this may ruffle the feathers of those that worship orange and turn a blind eye to facts. My wife was the service manager for a HVAC company that handled the Carrier line. She told me that when a customer complained to Carrier, Carrier would contact them and get both sides of the issue. If her service techs couldn't resolve the issue, Carrier would send out a representative to resolve the problem. If her company couldn't or wouldn't handle Carrier warranty issues to the customer's satisfaction then they could lose their Carrrier franchise.

The truck I own is from a manufacturer that is known to produce less than stellar products. I knew this when I bought it but the price difference between it and a couple of other manufacturers trucks was 8 - 10 K less. I had a problem that arose that required repair. The closest dealership for my brand truck was over 100 miles away. The manufacturer had me take the truck to a local repair facility and covered the repairs.

Both of theses are examples of manufacturers standing behind their products. I do not buy into the seasonal work overload excuse. The repair facility that has my tractor hires more mechanics for the busy season. My wife's company had a varying number of service techs from busy season to the off season. The building companies' employee rosters vary as their workload fluctuates.

The service rep from the distant dealership called me today to see how I was doing on getting my tractor fixed. He was the one that advised to get my repair done locally because of the expense of getting my tractor to him or having him send a man here to repair. He impressed me with his concern about an issue that he will make absolutely no money from. I know that if anything major should go wrong with my tractor while it is still under warranty that I will take it down to him. I believe his followup would be called customer service.

The independent repair facility that has my tractor called me today to let me know I would have my tractor back by Friday. They have to wait for the seal to come in. More good news was that the bearing and shaft alignment are good. Apparently the $29 seal failed because of some dirt getting into it. (Maybe I should get a lift kit for the tractor- joking, laughter is allowed.)

I contacted the state Attorney General's office and was informed that I had a valid complaint. They directed me to fill out a complaint form for their files as said they only perform legal actions when a firm accrues multiple complaints.

I hope this helps someone in their quest for info while determining where and what to buy.

 

[Baldyonthehill]

I received this reply from the state Attorney General's office. Am very surprised at their promptness. Kind of makes me thankful for my state government, at least this part of it.

RE: La Duke and Fogle Equipment

File #: 389768



Dear Baldyonthehill (actually had my real name here):



The complaint you submitted to our office has been assigned to me. I have provided a copy of your complaint to La Duke and Fogle Equipment and requested a response within 21 business days. I will notify you when a response is received regarding your complaint.



Our informal mediation service takes approximately 6-8 weeks. Your patience during this process is appreciated.



Our office brings lawsuits in the name of the State of Washington, rather than on behalf of private individuals. If a business does not respond or declines to adjust your complaint, this office cannot require it to do so. The Consumer Protection Act does not give us authority to act as your private attorney.



Our office obtains valuable information from individual consumer complaints. Your complaint will become part of our public record of business practices. We maintain complaint files of business practices that may be useful if enforcement action on behalf of the State of Washington is warranted in the future.



If a response is not received or if your complaint is not resolved, we will inform you of alternatives if you wish to pursue this matter further. If you need to contact me, please have your complaint number available for reference.



Thank you for contacting our office.



REX H. JOHNSTON
Complaint Analyst
Consumer Protection Division
(360) 759-2152
Fax: (360) 759-2159
vancrc@atg.wa.gov

 

[Grateful11]

"Uh oh, this may ruffle the feathers of those that worship orange and turn a blind eye to facts."

I've stayed out of this thread because I could see where it was going and the attitude of the above statement pretty much seals my thoughts on where I figured it was going. I know people that have used and abused Kubota's for decades and I don't care what you say overall they make good equipment. My wife has spent her entire life around tractors and equipment. She doesn't worship orange her other 5 tractors are IH and CaseIH red. Her 1 year old Kubota has nearly 250 hours on it and has had one problem, the glow plugs weren't working. One phone call and the dealership owner, now semi retired, and the head mechanic were here the next day with a rollback in case it couldn't be fixed on site, this was a Friday, he told her I'm sorry but I'm going to have to take it in. She feeds 50+ head cattle daily, luckily she has 2 tractors with loaders. Come Monday the Kubota was back and ready to roll. She didn't owe them a dime not even for pickup and delivery which is never covered under warranty that I know of. She even asked them if she owed them anything and the driver said they were just glad everything was fixed and ready to go. This is the kind of dealer that gets repeat sales and has a good future, they been selling Kubota's far as long as I can remember, even way back when they were VW mechanics.

I say shame on your dealer, he's a deadbeat that shouldn't be selling anything. We have a Kubota dealer 1/2 mile from us, did some research and found out he gives subpar service after the sale and decided to pay $100 more the same tractor and drive 25 mile away to one that gets nothing but praise for their service.

 

[TripleR]

Uh oh, this may ruffle the feathers of those that worship orange and turn a blind eye to facts.

I had not intended to post on this again either, but that was a bit much, we have orange two shades of red, grey and green. I have not seen proof of your statement on this thread, but you sure seem to have had your mind made up from the beginning.

 

[Short Game]

When brand loyalty becomes the issue it does get strange. When my Cub Cadet (MTD) had a catastrophic engine issue, I began to look for ways around its discontinued engine model with no short blocks available and the CC dealer telling me I now owned "a paperweight" (the foamed tire$ make it a good one).

I have found out that my exact tractor (not counting paint color) had previously been a Case IH, and afterwards, with a later engine design, a Mahindra. For the months I searched for any used machine that could be either an organ donor, or just my new used tractor. I came to find out that branding on particular machines could be changed like socks. So, as far as the hardware goes, what's in a name? Over many brand names, corporate parents trade them around like baseball cards. Such is the economy as we draw nearer to everything coming from the One Big Corporation.

After several repairs I had done myself, I learned that the same parts (they all came directly from Mitsubishi), if ordered with a Case IH part number, it would likely cost less than if it was from a Cub Cadet number.

We have a right to judge what we get in the line of product or service at the moment. I ain't about to buy a T-shirt with the name of my tractor on it. If my dealer treats me well, as they have so far, these people will be AOK with me. If the brand name does the same, as they have so far, good on 'em. I suppose that's my buck and a half.

 

[arsenix2001]

Baldy you got it all wrong, I was involved in the slanderous posts and Im sure I stoked the fire but everything is still a ok. Ive got orange and green parked outside, just like others... So its not a brand issue. Life is short brother, learn to pick your battles. Looks like this other dealer is genuinly concerned for you and thats what you want. Id stay away from this other place with a 40ft pole. Good luck with the attorney gen, but just like his letter states,they will file the complaint and the business doesnt even have to respond, and they probably wont. Your other options are likely a personal lawsuit. (bye bye to your $$$) More or less its just become a complaint to the BBB on a government level. Anyways, hope your tractor gets fixed and you get some satisfaction from all of this.