What a nightmare, please read.

[IH782]

Figured I'd share a few photos.

 

[TomSeller]

Just so I'm clear, this is not what I'm trying to do. I will not name my dealer. And honestly the 2538 seems like a great machine, but the way we and my dealer have been treated by Mahindra is in-excusable.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease so you are handling this right. You and the dealer are in tight spots. You don't have your tractor, the dealer's shop floor space is tied up and his loaner is gathering hours. The "source parts from anywhere in the world" manufacturing mentality is the problem not so much the tractor design.

 

[Threepoint]

[snip]
You don't have your tractor, the dealer's shop floor space is tied up and his loaner is gathering hours. The "source parts from anywhere in the world" manufacturing mentality is the problem not so much the tractor design.

Very good points. Dealer can't very well roll that tractor outside until the part arrives. :laughing: The tech must be pretty irritated, too. He's lost most of his working space.

"Anywhere in the world" parts sourcing actually makes sense for global vendors like Mahindra, if they could truly follow through with expedited transit. Same with "Just-In-Time" raw material and work-in-process inventory practices. When it works correctly, it can be a win-win for everyone.

 

[Snowback]

Respectfully - I sense and appreciate your frustration. It sounds like they have given you a loaner and also that the part is on it's way? (30-40 days?) Since it's been 24 days they may get it in very soon. Seems somewhat reasonable, no? It's kind of like this darn Takata airbag recall that is exploding across almost all automotive brands. We have been unable to use passenger front seat for over a month due to airbag risk. They are saying another 45 days! DOH. (But that is life and we are still breathing.)

The 2538 HST was a brand new model in Late 2015 available in only a few markets in the US. Core parts with expected low failure frequencies are probably just now rolling into distribution centers which is tough, especially in your case as you have business needs. Hopefully this is just the darkest part of the night and the sun is rising now. I honestly hope it all works out soon so you can get your machine back on the job! I'm not fanboy and just want to put this in perspective.

Also - perhaps consider calling Mahindra directly? With all due respect to your dealer, it sounds like their corporate feedback loop department is not doing a great job. I dealt with Mahindra corporate directly during my initial tractor search and they were responsive and cordial. I asked my dealer a few times for updates on answers to questions for which they were "waiting on corporate" to respond. I decided to call and received almost instant positive feedback from HQ. Even was able to make an hour drive to Mahindra's Gulf Coast distribution center and meet with a Product Manager for a few minutes to help me out. (Made an appointment for that...) Later that afternoon I had an email with part numbers for the seat and cruise module that I needed to provide my dealer so they could place an order on the machine I was buying. Sure I was a new customer, but I had no reason to believe they were anything but good folks.

I feel for you, and would really encourage you to get the current "Status" from your dealer and then just let them know that you would be calling corporate directly as well to give customer service some "courage" on this issue. :thumbsup:

Here is contact info for the Houston office. Perhaps there is one closer to you. Good luck!

9020 Jackrabbit Road, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77095
Office: 281.449.7771
Toll Free: 877.449.7771
Fax: 281.372.0357
www.mahindrausa.com

 

[GManBart]

Figured I'd share a few photos.

That hurts to look at! Hopefully the loaner will be reliable and they'll get the correct parts to fix your tractor soon.

I think it's good to have honest feedback about products....anything can break, but the important thing is how the company handles it. So far, Mahindra isn't doing the right thing.

 

[AchingBack]

Worlds # 1 selling tractor, with no parts available... I'm with the OP, inexcusable. Run that loaner like a rented mule.

Only an idiot would abuse a tractor. And doing so would punish the dealer, not Mahindra.

 

[Grandad4]

So is Mahindra one of the brands that only does complete HST replacements, with no internal servicing in the field? Replacement seems like a good idea in this instance, but not having any replacements on this side of the globe for 1 month + is either due to needing more replacements than anticipated or a pretty serious hiccup in the parts system.

 

[kthompson]

I have learned to read the complaints on a company review and how they are treated. Any product can and will have issues but how they are handled and treated tells the truth of any company. It is not impossible the issue is they are having problems with the part and this is not the first failure and all their stock is used up or having to be redesigned or such as the airbags mentioned.

I may be wrong but think there has been at least one other post here about Mahindra dealer having problems with poor communication with the company. Not a good sign with any company. kt

 

[Rustyiron]

IH782, There was just a thread here a few weeks ago with similar problems. IIRC both the dealer & owner kept nagging to corporate and he ended up with a new tractor. Everyone was happy. Stay on the phone (you & the dealer) until you reach the right person. Did you mention the hours on the unit?
Good luck anyway and I hope things work out soon for you.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

All we have local is lawnmower shops selling the Mahindra.

So much for their dealer network.


David

 

[stuckmotor]

Fairly recently, I heard a story about someone needing a part to fix a Caterpillar. One was located one in Saudi Arabia and the part was in the USA the next day. Whether the story is true or not, that's the way all companies should do buisness.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Looks like someone has dropped the ball on Mahindra's end. Don't know why the regional rep couldn't run down where the part is in the supply chain and give you an update or push the issue. At least you have a tractor for use. I'm not gonna pass judgement on the manufacturer or dealer. I just bought a NH Workmaster that has parts and components sourced from all over the world. Your situation could happen to me or anyone else. I trust your issue is resolved soon.

 

[newbury]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Looks like someone has dropped the ball on Mahindra's end. <snip>

Something that surprises me is that another Mahindra DEALER has not contributed to this thread either with advice or assistance.

Perhaps Mahindra has no balls to drop.

Maybe the OP should get this thread transferred to the Mahindra forum with a better title.

 

[drizler]

I think there is a whole lotta lyin between all the entities involved when it comes to international and shipping / building in general. Because of the "popularity" of Tier 4 I ended up having to order mine straight from korea. Yea, everything else was just plain GONE and we all know why.
Anyways I just order mine and it took IIRC around 3 or 4 weeks. Then came the backhoe. They had been a dime a dozen for more than a few years and they also were gone but not just new sitting in Korea awaiting shipping, I mean didn't exist yet. I wasn't howling as it wasn't a business thing and I still had the old Ferguson anyways. The saga went on and the dealer showed me the computer and even more than the tractor how the projections were at best a guess more like pure baloney.
The whole thing went on with this It finally came into to the port in Elizabeth NJ and there it sat along with 8 others that were slated for delivery up the coast. After well over a week it left the port supposedly heading Northward Mine was the last one up in the truck, the last to be delivered with the others pretty much in a straight line to Northern Vt. It took days, possibly a week to get up that last 600 mile leg of the journey. All shown on the computer.
Now I dealt with trucking along that route for many years and I know how freight haulers get paid $0 if that truck isn't rolling so they don't just hang around ever unless they run out of hours. That hoe should have been delivered by the end of day 2 after leaving the port in NJ at the latest. With my crappy fork lift skills I could unload a small hoe in no more than 10 minutes with a forklift. Those guys who do it daily would take that long to dump, paperwork and be long gone. That's the way it is, period. The dealer was quite candid through the whole process calling the computer bull manure all along the way. I wasn't really pissed anyways just mystified as to how it could actually go like that. My point with this is one thing, THE COMPUTER LIES! Whoever , however that information gets entered is as valid as that Dream Sheet I filled out for where I wanted my next assignment in the US Army:thumbdown:. So don't get mad at the dealer whatever you guys do when he shows you this stuff. He is often as in the dark as you are.

 

[3930dave]

^^^ CAT treated me like I was there only customer and I owned a used Dozer from the 70's...

I snagged a hose and called to see if they had one in stock... they said no but would have it in 30 minutes and then asked if I was on a job because they would deliver at no charge within 2 hours... how they can do this on a $50 hose is beyond me.

Solving problems with this kind of speed is driven from the top of an organization. The few steps I outlined in my previous post really just come down to 1) Make a Decision, and 2) Take Action. Again, the corporate culture has to drive this, and specifically, the lower level employees have to be empowered to take action.

Instead of empowered employees, many corporations consist of employees watched by 10 levels of accountants. Obviously, no company can survive if they ignore financial factors....... the difference is that the CATs of this world take a bigger picture view.

Most left-brained people like to "beta" things..... run a small test, before you bet the farm on something. What CAT did for ur won them a customer for life. What is the follow-on affect of perfectly executing on a $50 hose ? ur works in building systems professionally - is there any question in his mind about whether CAT will Walk the Walk if he recommends a stationary power system ? Look at the ongoing value to CAT of that $50 hose solution.... that's just smart business, IMO.

Companies will spend millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions of dollars on advertising to "grow" their business. Many of those same companies will also have a myriad of policies, procedures, cost controls, and bureaucracy ad nauseam in place that effectively prevent even willing employees from delivering on a $50 hose. Sometimes, the solution to driving business is right in front of them, sitting on a shelf.

I came across this one a few years back..... a Fleet Manager had a truck down, turned out it was a failed Fleetguard oil filter. Filter was examined immediately, by a Fleetguard rep - a new low miles, perfect condition replacement truck was supplied right away by Fleetguard, while the new motor was being installed in the customers truck.

Other than putting fuel in the loaner truck (as they normally would) none of this repair activity cost the end-customer one cent.

You can spend money on advertising, or you can Walk the Walk. I know what I pay more attention to.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Something that surprises me is that another Mahindra DEALER has not contributed to this thread either with advice or assistance.

Perhaps Mahindra has no balls to drop.

Maybe the OP should get this thread transferred to the Mahindra forum with a better title.

I'll second that.

OP, if you go to the top level view in Owning/Operating, at the bottom of that screen you will see the Moderators listed for this sub-forum. If you PM one of them, they should be able to move this to the Mahindra sub-section and probably re-title it as well. Something like "Low Hours Mahindra 2538 - needs HST pump" might get more dealer/corporate attention.

BTW, kudos for having that Loaner Unit clause in your contract. This is obviously not your first rodeo. You should also be commended for treating your dealer fairly - he's (justifiably) probably more pissed off about this delay than you are.

Rgds, D.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I suspect this is why Mahindra dealers seem to change brands so frequently around here... Your dealer is likely regret his decision to pick them up.

 

[3930dave]

I think there is a whole lotta lyin between all the entities involved when it comes to international and shipping / building in general. Because of the "popularity" of Tier 4 I ended up having to order mine straight from korea. Yea, everything else was just plain GONE and we all know why.
Anyways I just order mine and it took IIRC around 3 or 4 weeks. Then came the backhoe. They had been a dime a dozen for more than a few years and they also were gone but not just new sitting in Korea awaiting shipping, I mean didn't exist yet. I wasn't howling as it wasn't a business thing and I still had the old Ferguson anyways. The saga went on and the dealer showed me the computer and even more than the tractor how the projections were at best a guess more like pure baloney.
The whole thing went on with this It finally came into to the port in Elizabeth NJ and there it sat along with 8 others that were slated for delivery up the coast. After well over a week it left the port supposedly heading Northward Mine was the last one up in the truck, the last to be delivered with the others pretty much in a straight line to Northern Vt. It took days, possibly a week to get up that last 600 mile leg of the journey. All shown on the computer.
Now I dealt with trucking along that route for many years and I know how freight haulers get paid $0 if that truck isn't rolling so they don't just hang around ever unless they run out of hours. That hoe should have been delivered by the end of day 2 after leaving the port in NJ at the latest. With my crappy fork lift skills I could unload a small hoe in no more than 10 minutes with a forklift. Those guys who do it daily would take that long to dump, paperwork and be long gone. That's the way it is, period. The dealer was quite candid through the whole process calling the computer bull manure all along the way. I wasn't really pissed anyways just mystified as to how it could actually go like that. My point with this is one thing, THE COMPUTER LIES! Whoever , however that information gets entered is as valid as that Dream Sheet I filled out for where I wanted my next assignment in the US Army:thumbdown:. So don't get mad at the dealer whatever you guys do when he shows you this stuff. He is often as in the dark as you are.

More years ago than I care to count, I came across the expression "If your operation is disorganized to begin with, all you get when you automate is Automated Disorder".

Or put another way...... Garbage In, Garbage Out.

In the case of this thread, the 30+ days "By Air" that the dealer is stuck with may unfortunately be accurate though.

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

Has anyone called Rush Limbaugh?

I say this only half jokingly...

Seldom have the radio on except when in the truck and recall being surprised to hear Mahindra spots during his show and even a link to the WWII military jeeps...

Stranger things have happened.

I had a problem that just was not getting anywhere... wrote a nice short e-mail copied to the Dealer and several up the Corporate Food Chain and then I followed up with a call to the "EXECUTIVE" Secretary of Sales just to let everyone know I had contacted the local TV Consumer Reporter and they would like to do a story and I just needed to be accurate as to the names and titles of all the players.

The secretary was a real sweetheart... she was friendly, seemed really concerned, promised to look into it and said she would be back in touch by the end of business and she did.

I've learned never to underestimate the power/influence of Executive Secretary's or High Level Admin Assistants... they speak for their boss and are good at getting things rolling because they know the players... just a thought...

Seems when you reach the right person the last thing they want is negative or bad press in the media if it can be avoided.

 

[bcp]

I wonder if Mahindra ships with Hanjin.

Ailing Korean shipper Hanjin moves to resolve cargo chaos - CBS News

Bruce