OK, sorry. I'm flat out going to disagree with some of those comments. I don't work for KTC or get a spiff from them for flogging their tractors and generators so if I decide to crap all over them it would be OK. I do sense and feel your frustration and I hope you'll grant me your audience to submit my few comments on this.
Kubota is not a bad company to do business with and you've never done business with them yourself. You have been doing business with someone who does business with Kubota, and that's where this whole problem stems. This entire time you have been dealing with and talking to the wrong people, and they don't work for Kubota either!!
You've been dealing with an individual or individuals who work for a local company that paid a franchise fee to obtain a licence agreement for a specific period of time that allows them to be able to offer for sale "Kubota" branded products.
Part of that licencing agreement is a service and repair component, decor and signage package, technician training, and a review procedure, all important aspects associated with carrying on business as a 'dealer in Kubota stuff".
Kubota tractors have long ago earned their brand reputation, representing quality, reliability, value and performance to the point where Kubota tractors and farming machines are considered the 'Gold Standard' by which all other manufacturers aspire to achieve.
Now that doesn't mean that there is not a performance issue with your Kubota, indeed they may be, it's a machine.
Your issue and lack of a resolution after two years falls to two parties; your dealer and yourself.
Your dealer is probably not just a Kubota dealer. He's probably a multi-brand Ag Store, offering a number of manufacturers products, Kubota, Case, McCormick, Vemeer, New Holland etc. Because of this, multi-line dealers know enough about each line to be able to sell and service them, but they don't know enough about each line to become a specialist in that particular line.
They don't get to know all the service issues, recall information, serial number running production changes and other important information that a Kubota dealer that's up to his eyebrows in the brand would know from dealing intimatley with Kubota product exclusivley day in and day out.
If your dealer is in fact a 'stand alone' (offers Kubota only) he would represent the latest incarnation of a Kubota Franchise. He either was a multi-line Ag Dealer in the past and had taken down the signs of competing tractor brands, or is a fairly new Kubota dealer as the Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) is moving to further strengthen their brand quality and reputation by demanding their brick and mortar dealers stand with them offering only their product in an attempt to become Kubota specialists. KTC has recognized this as being a contributing factor to a certain degree of customer-dealer related issues.
In your case, effective conflict resolution involves systematic, methodical, unemotional escalation of an issue to higher and higher levels of oversight and it is done with letters, documentation and sometimes with legal or industry council representation so the consumer is fairly and properly represented in product merchantability issues.
In Alberta for instance, we have an Agricultural Equipment Ombudsman whos entire role and function is to assist consumers with Agricultural equipment warranty issues. Representing you, working with the dealer, the corporation and manufacturer to arrive at an equitable resolution, solution and compromise for all parties involved.
Your Kubota is a farm tractor, it's not an 'acreage or estate' tractor. It's size tells me you are earning at least part of your income off the land that tractor is working. Before you throw in the towel and out of frustration give up on Kubota, look into who in your province or state is in a position to help you, and believe me, that person or agency is there and can push buttons, submit paperwork and find the exact right way to make a believer out of you.
I just don't think you just have found that person yet and if you do undertake another kick at the can, I hope you'll update us, and I hope other OTT members chime in and can let you know what worked for them.
Anyone??
