Kubota quality and customer service

[Dargo]

I was one of the first people who took the leap to Kubota on their RTV. I've had the machine for right at 17 months now. During that time, Kubota has never been able to provide me with gauges that do not fog over, I've had constant shifting issues, and I've had the front drive shaft rattle for 16 months.

In hours and hours of calls, writing letters, and trips to the dealer, guess what I've gotten fixed? Zippo! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif You'd think since I was one of the very first customers to have the problems that I'd have been taken care of. Nope! I've even provided my dealer with the part number for the long awaited front drive shaft fix almost 8 weeks ago. Still nothing.

Hopefully I can get these things fixed, but my impression of Kubota's customer service is permanently tarnished. I seriously doubt that I'll ever consider another new Kubota of any type after their total lack of customer support. I've waited nearly 2 years before really laying into Kubota on this forum. It's plenty past due! Kubota, your customer service absolutely sucks!!!

 

[FL_Cracker]

Do you think it's mostly your dealer's lack of support or a Kubota lack of caring?

The reason I ask is my dealer has been good on a few issues I had with Kubota and some with woods. I wonder if your dealer is just not firm enough with Kubota in support of you. I have a guy that works for me and every time a customer come to me with a warranty problem it's because my employee has let the manufacturer walk all over him. They tell him some stupid answer and he just turns around and tells the customer the same stupid solution. Then I get involved and make the warranty guy at the mfg. think and do the right thing and they do for the most part. I have never understood why they just won't do it the first time without trying to cheap out first.....

Sorry to here you problems, I think a stronger, more aggressive & supportive dealer would help....

Charles

 

[wushaw]

Dargo, you don't have to hold back on our account...just tell us how ya really feel /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Why do you still have the RTV if you are not satisfied with it??
You don't have to put up with that rattlin no shifting foggy guage pain... SELL, SELL.
Polaris, Gator...etc, there are other choices.

 

[Dargo]

You buying? If I can get rid of it without taking a bath because of Kubota screwing me for being one of the first ones to take a chance on their product, I think I'll have to buy me a diesel HPX.

I'm not willing to take a big loss due to Kubota screwing me, but if I could get them to buy this thing back, I'd write it off to Kubota just being worthless on customer support and flee back to John Deere. I've had more issues with Kubota customer support in 2 years than I had with JD in 20 years.

They seem to make a quality product, but when there is no support behind the dealer, I have no use for them. This post is sort of a buyer's beware. If your dealer can't fix your problem, with Kubota, you are out of luck! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Nope! I've even provided my dealer with the part number for the long awaited front drive shaft fix almost 8 weeks ago. Still nothing.)</font>

In all fairness to Kubota, the official repair bulletin and part numbers for the fix where posted three weeks ago. There is also another set of gauges with a built in defogger coming as well. These things take time as they field test the fixes for several hundred hours before releasing them.

Frankly, given what a revolutionly product the RTV is I am surprised that there have been as few problems as there are. Everything that has come up has been rather minor.

 

[Dargo]

Thanks Neil, but I received the information on the repair kit on 7/14/05 and went and discussed it with my dealer then since my 5030 was living at his shop at the time.

I "officially" reported the fogging gauges to Kubota on 3/19/04. I reported the driveshaft issue on 4/21/04. Any way you slice it, I've had absolutely horrible service and unacceptable response time from Kubota. Are you going to tell me that a company the size of Kubota cannot get gauges that do not fog over, while sitting in a dry insulated barn, in over a year and a half?! No, that's not possible. The same goes for the driveshaft issue. This simply boils down to them ignoring those of us who were stupid enough to buy their product when it first came out. In my book, that is nothing less than bad business.

Oh yeah, I'm not sure what you consider "minor", but one problem I had that was fixed after only 3 months was the shifting problem. For the first 3 months I had my RTV, I literally had to shut off the engine in order to get it out of gear, or to be able to shift into reverse.

I waited months and months before I began calling every number in my owner's manual. It became clear that they couldn't possibly care less about my issues. I've mostly owned tractors from JD and NH, and I have positively never had such poor response to a wide spread problem. Also, most quality companies seem to go out of their way to take care of those who were first to buy their new product and to make sure they are taken care of and satisfied. Not Kubota. If waiting two years for repairs isn't being patient enough, I obviously need to spend my money with another company who is just a wee bit more sensitive to customer satisfaction. Right now, I feel that I have to rate Kubota dead last in that area.

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In all fairness to Kubota, the official repair bulletin and part numbers for the fix where posted three weeks ago. )</font>

Neil,

Be it 3 weeks or 6 (using Brent's 7/14 date), I haven't heard of anyone else not getting the part within 1 week of ordering. Most have gotten in 3 days.

Anyway, it sounds like Brent has had some serious issues with his local dealer in particular. The lack of response from Kubota Corp. is what I find surprising (disheartening).

Brian

 

[gmsssi]

How many Kubota products do you own? Is this the same dealer you bought your tractor from? It's beginning to look like the dealer is seriously flawed and it may not be Kubota.
Let's hope your recently acquired e-mail address to Kubota helps out!

It just amazes me that a company as reputable as Kubota could even risk the tarnishing for issues that appear to be so legit. Good Luck

 

[Ricochet]

Well, I think it is more of a dealership problem than a Kubota problem. Hopefully, someone at Kubota will force the dealership to do right by you...you deserve it.

The fogging gauges fix is in the works from what I understand and the drive shaft rattle fix is already out (your dealer should have access to this service kit). Also, I'm not trying to make light of your (RTV) problems but they are relatively minor in nature…in other words, they are more bothersome for some folks than anything else. Also, please remember it takes some time to collect, assess, test and fix problems which Kubota usually does a very good job of addressing accordingly (some quicker than others).

I really hope you stay orange. Good luck!

 

[Dargo]

Thanks. I'm as quiet as a mouse now. I'm finished. All my efforts in the last week have simply brought me back to square one; back to the original Kubota service rep who couldn't care less. I can no longer afford the time, and I no longer have the desire, to chase the issues. If it get fixed, fine. Otherwise, I'll have to keep my lengthy notes as to why, and then change colors for life. Man, am I ever disappointed.