Not a happy Kubota owner

[Dargo]

Is that your John Deere in one of the pictures?

Yeah, but it's far too small to dump into this yard cart.

Here is a pic of the same tractor with R1's on it along with Kubota. I feel that I can speak about the difference between JD and Kubota's customer service without bias. Want a pic with one of my Gators in it too?

 

[pappy19]

Interesting thread. I have a 900 with 150 hours of no problems of any kind except for the leaky fuel cap. I am working on a big pipeline project in the mountains of Utah and the contractor purchased 2 900's and now has 510 hours on each of them. He had done nothing to them except regular maintenance. He did add the snorkle air cleaner. His men run those things maxed out everywhere they go. The contractor hauls men, fuel, equipment, whatever at 5,000 feet up to 7,000 feet elevations with no problems. He says the trick is to learn how to use the hand throttle to keep the RPM's up. He says that those 900's are the best investment he has made for his construction project and couldn't have done as well without them.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I am sure i have posted this before... but I'll say it again. Kubota, New Holland, Deere... whoever IS NOT structured to handle direct customer problems. If you have an issue, you need to be working though a dealer. If the manufacturer does get involved it happens by our doing. Its nearly impossible for a customer to get intouch with field territory reps. Its the dealers job to provide customer service. If your getting poor service, its the dealers fault.. not the manufacturer. Its not their job. There is no one there sitting waiting to take care of you.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i totally agree 1000 % it's not the manufactures fault if the dealer is lazy.there are two john deere dealers that are within 25 miles of each other where i live . now i went to one of them where i bought my hpx to get help in finding a tool to take off my clutch. they wouldn't even so much as talk to me . well they talked to me they even showed me the tool but told me they couldn't loan it to me or tell me what size threads it had so i could buy one but they did tell me they sold for 45.00. i offered to buy that tool they had from them for 50.00 and they said NO!!! so i went to the other dealer that is closer to my house"sunshine equipment" and they sat there it must have been over an hour trying to help me out then a mechanic walked in and he took out his folder with all the shop manual cd's on it and popped it in and walla it told him what size the bolt was he then checked it out and come to find out the bolt that you need to remove the clutch is the same as the lug nuts so they sold me a bolt for i think it was 2.00 after a few hours of helping me out . and they didn't even sell me my hpx the other store did. but ever sinse then i always go to them for parts and if i do get another deere it will be from them "maybe" they do have some high prices on their units.

I am sure i have posted this before... but I'll say it again. Kubota, New Holland, Deere... whoever IS NOT structured to handle direct customer problems. If you have an issue, you need to be working though a dealer. If the manufacturer does get involved it happens by our doing. Its nearly impossible for a customer to get intouch with field territory reps. Its the dealers job to provide customer service. If your getting poor service, its the dealers fault.. not the manufacturer. Its not their job. There is no one there sitting waiting to take care of you.

 

[TWO GUNS]

Don't know about the northern states, but down here in the south >>>>>
SERVICE IS KING !!! PERIOD !!!

I've alway said that a good dealer is half of the game !!!!

 

[Dargo]

Well, Mr. Messick, I'll beg to differ if you don't mind. My dealer has gotten Kubota field reps and regional managers in contact with me and they have been completely and totally worthless whereas JD was the total opposite. I really like Kubota, I really do, but Kubota's own manufacturers representatives drove me to buy JD this last time. Kubota is completely unresponsive. My dealer is embarrassed at how pathetic Kubota has been at addressing my issues. He went out of his way to let me know that he completely understands why I bought JD over Kubota this last time and is rightfully concerned that I may not buy another Kubota UTV again no matter how well I feel they are designed and built. When Kubota fails to recognize that it is their customers, who spend their hard earned money with them, that keeps them in business, they are destined to start a downward spiral. Hopefully Kubota management hasn't taken a page out of Farmtrac's management book!

 

[riptides]

Just catching up here.....

It could also just be a person issue within the K corporation. Every business has a hero, you just have to find someone willing to do the right thing. Too bad your issue led to a sour experience, I agree with taking your money elsewhere.

Ultimate customer satisfaction should be the end goal of business. Especially when it comes to a regional managers attention. Don't you think?

-Mike Z.

 

[coobie]

Well, Mr. Messick, I'll beg to differ if you don't mind. My dealer has gotten Kubota field reps and regional managers in contact with me and they have been completely and totally worthless whereas JD was the total opposite. I really like Kubota, I really do, but Kubota's own manufacturers representatives drove me to buy JD this last time. Kubota is completely unresponsive. My dealer is embarrassed at how pathetic Kubota has been at addressing my issues. He went out of his way to let me know that he completely understands why I bought JD over Kubota this last time and is rightfully concerned that I may not buy another Kubota UTV again no matter how well I feel they are designed and built. When Kubota fails to recognize that it is their customers, who spend their hard earned money with them, that keeps them in business, they are destined to start a downward spiral. Hopefully Kubota management hasn't taken a page out of Farmtrac's management book!

I will also find out next week how good Kubota customer service is.I have had my local dealer replace my drive shaft on my 2006 RTV 900 two times,it still has one **** of a rattle after two replacement shafts,it is headed to the dealer again next week for another shaft.Other than this problem I want to say my RTV 900 is one heck of a machine that has been flawless,besides this darn rattleing drive shaft.

 

[coobie]

I am sure i have posted this before... but I'll say it again. Kubota, New Holland, Deere... whoever IS NOT structured to handle direct customer problems. If you have an issue, you need to be working though a dealer. If the manufacturer does get involved it happens by our doing. Its nearly impossible for a customer to get intouch with field territory reps. Its the dealers job to provide customer service. If your getting poor service, its the dealers fault.. not the manufacturer. Its not their job. There is no one there sitting waiting to take care of you.

I find this very sad,what happens if you have a crappy dealer?Some dealers just want to sell you a product with no service after the sale.Why should it be so hard for the customer to get in touch with a field rep?Why in the world would Kubota corp. be so far removed to get a customer service is beyond me?I totally disagree its the dealers fault,it is Kubotas job to take care of there customers if there dealers cannot.I would also fire that dealer on the spot if I was Kubota if they cannot meet expections to be a dealer.

 

[Old Coot]

I was able to contact Kubota about the brackets on my hydrulic tank breaking and a rep called me and took care of the problem. This is the site I filled out the form to get hold of them.
https://www.kubota.com/f/secure/contact_prtvtract.cfm?

 

[Dargo]

Hey coobie, it it's any consolation, Kubota did get my drive shaft fixed on my RTV900 and I ran the heck out of it with no problem afterwards. I'd far, far overload it and hammer the throttle to the floor each time I moved it. It seemed that the more I abused that RTV900, the smoother and stronger it ran. Go figure...

Now I buy a more expensive RTV1100 because of how tough the RTV900 was and some relatively minor issues are completely ignored by Kubota. I suppose what sets me off the most about the issues are they are clearly Kubota manufacturing defects and should have never passed quality control. And, yes, I'm kicking myself for being all google eyed and not seeing the defects when I picked it up. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have checked out better and refused delivery of a defective unit. For some reason I bet Kubota would have gotten on the ball if their units suddenly stopped being sold because customers refused them due to manufacturing defects. I take the blame for that, but I still am far less than pleased with Kubota's customer support.

 

[coobie]

Hey coobie, it it's any consolation, Kubota did get my drive shaft fixed on my RTV900 and I ran the heck out of it with no problem afterwards. I'd far, far overload it and hammer the throttle to the floor each time I moved it. It seemed that the more I abused that RTV900, the smoother and stronger it ran. Go figure...

Now I buy a more expensive RTV1100 because of how tough the RTV900 was and some relatively minor issues are completely ignored by Kubota. I suppose what sets me off the most about the issues are they are clearly Kubota manufacturing defects and should have never passed quality control. And, yes, I'm kicking myself for being all google eyed and not seeing the defects when I picked it up. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have checked out better and refused delivery of a defective unit. For some reason I bet Kubota would have gotten on the ball if their units suddenly stopped being sold because customers refused them due to manufacturing defects. I take the blame for that, but I still am far less than pleased with Kubota's customer support.

Thanks Dargo,first I would like to say sorry about your problems with your RTV 1100,hopefully Kubota can resolve them SOON,as I stated earlier I love my RTV 900 but this drive shaft rattle is almost unbearable noise wise.I fully agree customer service should be number one,it is very sad when a person goes out and spends there hard earned money on a product that someone does not stand behind.Maybe messick equipment can put you in touch with your Kubota area rep?Good luck.coobie

 

[lloyd123]

I was able to contact Kubota about the brackets on my hydrulic tank breaking and a rep called me and took care of the problem. This is the site I filled out the form to get hold of them.
https://www.kubota.com/f/secure/contact_prtvtract.cfm?

I have to agree with "Old Coot".

My RTV900's exhaust pipe snapped at the the flange conneting it to the exhaust manifold. There was a recall about this early on which my dealer performed while it was still under warranty. When it broke it was well out of warranty by more than a year so I used the form listed in Old Coot's post to complain. The same day I got a call from my dealer, Ahearn's in Spencer MA, telling me they would pick up the RTV900 and look at it in their shop. They inspected and replaced the muffler unit for free.

 

[ddivinia]

My Kubota dealer sucks so bad, I would never buy one.

Oh well - it happens,
D.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i know what you mean the dealer by my house ain't to friendly but the one a few hundred miles away is lol go figure. i would get a better deal with one alsmost in arkansas than i wll in my own town.

 

[SEdivision]

Hello everyone.....I am an employee of Kubota in the SE division and took interest in this thread. I have researched the original poster's problem with his RTV1100. Everything in our system indicates that the problem was solved and I even saw mention that this particular customer bought a second RTV1100.

As we all can imagine manufacturing is not perfect....never has been and likely never will be. Bad units come off of every manufacturers lines from time to time. And designs are often found to be inadequate.

In the years that I have been working with Kubota I have found for the most part that we respond quickly and fairly to problems such as the one mentioned in this thread. It is not uncommon for our sales force to agree to swap out a different unit when one has chronic problems. We do want our customers to be happy with their purchase and we do want them to come back to us when they need a new unit.

As a dealer posted earlier in this thread a dealer is the first place to call upon when a problem is detected....it is then their responsibility to come back to Kubota for answers or guidance on how to solve the problem.

Now surely I can't speak for all of the divisions, but I am very proud of the employees of the SE division.

Now then I would very much like for the original poster to update their web page!!

 

[coobie]

Hello everyone.....I am an employee of Kubota in the SE division and took interest in this thread. I have researched the original poster's problem with his RTV1100. Everything in our system indicates that the problem was solved and I even saw mention that this particular customer bought a second RTV1100.

As we all can imagine manufacturing is not perfect....never has been and likely never will be. Bad units come off of every manufacturers lines from time to time. And designs are often found to be inadequate.

In the years that I have been working with Kubota I have found for the most part that we respond quickly and fairly to problems such as the one mentioned in this thread. It is not uncommon for our sales force to agree to swap out a different unit when one has chronic problems. We do want our customers to be happy with their purchase and we do want them to come back to us when they need a new unit.

As a dealer posted earlier in this thread a dealer is the first place to call upon when a problem is detected....it is then their responsibility to come back to Kubota for answers or guidance on how to solve the problem.

Now surely I can't speak for all of the divisions, but I am very proud of the employees of the SE division.

Now then I would very much like for the original poster to update their web page!!

I have one question for you SE Division,what are you folks doing about the front drive shaft rattle problem on the RTV 900 models?I have had mine replaced 2 times(by my dealer) on my 2006 RTV 900 with no improvment.I currently have 151 hours on my machine.If you would like to pm me please fell free to do so.coobie

 

[Dargo]

Hello everyone.....I am an employee of Kubota in the SE division and took interest in this thread.

Can you verify for me that this weld pictured is considered "normal" and "acceptable" for Kubota RTV1100 door frames? I've gotten exactly nowhere in getting any response from Kubota about making good on this defective weld. As I mentioned before, with about 1/2 an hour practice, I can get my 8 year old to be able to lay down a better weld. I assure you this weld (that isn't even aligned properly besides being a poor weld) will fail. So, I ask, is this representative of Kubota quality as I've been told by Kubota?

 

[TWO GUNS]

It would be very respectful if the original poster would fininsh the story for all to see. In his words.
For all of us, no matter where you read or hear bad things from, there usally is a finish to a story. And in situations like this, the WHOLE or the ending of the whole senario has not been mentioned.
As you said, nothing is perfect, all we can do is to work and make things better.
Thanks SE Division, for taking your time to mention this to all readers. My hat goes off to you !!!!

Two Guns
RTV OWNER

 

[David_Kb7uns]

I am not sure but I did see him post on another board that they had done some repairs on the unit, maybe it was the Compact Tractor Review board not sure.

David Kb7uns