New Holland dealer worked on my tractor and rigged it. Any recourse I should take?

[bbhaag]

So I own a New Holland TC40D tractor and it was having a starting issue. I called the dealer and scheduled an appointment to have them pick it up for repair. The neutral safety switch had gone bad so it needed replaced. For those who don't know the switch only allows the tractor to be started in neutral. Well I got it back yesterday late after a week of being in the shop and to my surprise it starts even when in gear! Very dangerous especially because this is our work tractor that is also used by employees.

I slide under the tractor and this is what I find....Basically the authorized NH dealer rigged the switch bypassing it altogether.

I plan on calling them on Monday to give them a piece of my mind but what recourse do I have if the say "though shit" pay us?

 

[lxskllr]

If they give you shit, threaten to call corporate, then do it if they don't change their tune. I'm sure Ford would be interested in their dealers rigging safety features.

 

[sandorski]

Damned Dutch.

 

[Fenixgoon]

If they give you shit, threaten to call corporate, then do it if they don't change their tune. I'm sure Ford would be interested in their dealers rigging safety features.

this. if one of your employees got injured or killed because of the NSS bypass, there'd be a hefty lawsuit, and that dealer would be SOL because that is clearly not the appropriate repair.

 

[MrSquished]

How can I do this to someone's car so it starts in reverse? Just curious

 

[feralkid]

Unimaginably negligent. And a dealer? Wow.

Corporate really needs to hear about this, even if they make it right. If they have done this to you, who knows what they've done to other customers.

Utterly inexcusable.

 

[lxskllr]

Unimaginably negligent. And a dealer? Wow.

Corporate really needs to hear about this, even if they make it right. If they have done this to you, who knows what they've done to other customers.

Utterly inexcusable.

That's probably the right thing to do, but it doesn't pay to piss off your local farm equipment dealer. Depending on what's around, they might be the only game in town. It's not like a car dealer where you can drive a block, and go to a different shop.

 

[bbhaag]

That's probably the right thing to do, but it doesn't pay to piss off your local farm equipment dealer. Depending on what's around, they might be the only game in town. It's not like a car dealer where you can drive a block, and go to a different shop.

Yeah that's the problem we're faced with. They are the only NH dealer that is close. We were talking about selling/trading it in after this season is over so hopefully the tractor is reliable for the next 6 months so we can get a newer one this fall.
I agree with everyone that this is just inexcusable and dangerous. If they give me shit about correcting the bill or sending someone out to fix it correctly I think that like you guys mentioned the only course of action is to take it to the corporate level and see what happens.
Thanks for the feedback so far I appreciate it.
Also, what do you guys think about Kubota's? Are their four wheel drive models any good? We need a 4-wheel drive model for mowing the ditches and a 1/2 cu.yd. bucket on the front for loading bulk material like mulch and river rock.

 

[BoomerD]

Yeah that's the problem we're faced with. They are the only NH dealer that is close. We were talking about selling/trading it in after this season is over so hopefully the tractor is reliable for the next 6 months so we can get a newer one this fall.
I agree with everyone that this is just inexcusable and dangerous. If they give me shit about correcting the bill or sending someone out to fix it correctly I think that like you guys mentioned the only course of action is to take it to the corporate level and see what happens.
Thanks for the feedback so far I appreciate it.
Also, what do you guys think about Kubota's? Are their four wheel drive models any good? We need a 4-wheel drive model for mowing the ditches and a 1/2 cu.yd. bucket on the front for loading bulk material like mulch and river rock.

I don't have any experience with Kubota's newer models, but one company I worked for in the late 80's and early 90's had one...and "Kubota is the Japanese word for motherfucker" was the normal attitude about the quality of the tractor.

 

[Iron Woode]

Yeah that's the problem we're faced with. They are the only NH dealer that is close. We were talking about selling/trading it in after this season is over so hopefully the tractor is reliable for the next 6 months so we can get a newer one this fall.
I agree with everyone that this is just inexcusable and dangerous. If they give me shit about correcting the bill or sending someone out to fix it correctly I think that like you guys mentioned the only course of action is to take it to the corporate level and see what happens.
Thanks for the feedback so far I appreciate it.
Also, what do you guys think about Kubota's? Are their four wheel drive models any good? We need a 4-wheel drive model for mowing the ditches and a 1/2 cu.yd. bucket on the front for loading bulk material like mulch and river rock.

the smart thing to do would be to talk to the manager calmly and tell him that this is unacceptable and dangerous. Maybe he(she) doesn't know what the repair guys are doing. I am sure you can come to some sort of arrangement.

 

[Captante]

the smart thing to do would be to talk to the manager calmly and tell him that this is unacceptable and dangerous. Maybe he(she) doesn't know what the repair guys are doing. I am sure you can come to some sort of arrangement.

Good advice!

 

[JPS35]

You may want to consider this:

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/lo...ion-in-springfield-lawn-mower-injury-case.csp

 

[bbhaag]

the smart thing to do would be to talk to the manager calmly and tell him that this is unacceptable and dangerous. Maybe he(she) doesn't know what the repair guys are doing. I am sure you can come to some sort of arrangement.

That will be my first approach. I'm pretty level headed in these types of situations.

You may want to consider this:

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/lo...ion-in-springfield-lawn-mower-injury-case.csp

Yeah that's what scares the shit out of me. One of my employees loses a digit, limb, or god forbid something worse happens. Then they or their family sues us, the dealer, and the manufacturer for a large sum of money.

 

[Pick2]

Don't forget to mention ... OSHA
It is illegal to disconnect or bypass any equipment's safety devices.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Administration

 

[Alpha One Seven]

You should have just done that repair yourself, it probably takes a full 5 minutes to swap out a switch.

 

[bbhaag]

You should have just done that repair yourself, it probably takes a full 5 minutes to swap out a switch.

Yeah hindsight is always 20/20 right....
When you're on your back staring up at the underside of your tractor with cables, springs and wires going everywhere it's a little bit more intimidating than you would think. Changing oil and greasing zerks is one thing but this was a little bit beyond my expertise.
That's when I called the authorized dealer to come and fix it because I expected them to know what they are doing and I expected it to be done right. Turns out hindsight can be 20/20 when it comes to calling the dealer as well.

 

[danzigrules]

something else is going on there. those bullet connectors that are jumpered together are not going to go on that switch. the boot is made to protect the connections on the switch, and the bullet connectors are insulated from shorting out. so they don't go inside the boot.

 

[pcgeek11]

something else is going on there. those bullet connectors that are jumpered together are not going to go on that switch. the boot is made to protect the connections on the switch, and the bullet connectors are insulated from shorting out. so they don't go inside the boot.

I agree that looks like it was bypassed long ago as the jumper wire insulation is also cracked and showing copper. What I see is that the switch was bypassed long ago and became disconnected. The Dealer only reconnected the bypass. None of that is recent work.

What is that stray wire with the boot over by the switch? It isn't connected to anything.

 

[feralkid]

I agree that looks like it was bypassed long ago as the jumper wire insulation is also cracked and showing copper. What I see is that the switch was bypassed long ago and became disconnected. The Dealer only reconnected the bypass. None of that is recent work.

What is that stray wire with the boot over by the switch? It isn't connected to anything.

The mechanic could have rigged that bypass from some old wire lying around the shop.

Or from the very same wire that originally went to the interlock on the very same tractor.

 

[ultimatebob]

If they give you shit, threaten to call corporate, then do it if they don't change their tune. I'm sure Ford would be interested in their dealers rigging safety features.

Ford corporate would be good if you don't make headway with the dealer, but the "consumer action desk" of your local news station would be even better.

Those guys LOVE stories of crooked auto mechanics doing unsafe repairs. Bonus points if you have kids that ride the tractor... and you send some pictures of them riding the tractor with you along with pictures of the shotty repair job. The "Unsafe tractor repair shop threatens children safety!" headlines practically write themselves

 

[pcgeek11]

The mechanic could have rigged that bypass from some old wire lying around the shop.

Or from the very same wire that originally went to the interlock on the very same tractor.

Possibly... I wonder what the third stray wire is for?

Regardless of if it had been previously bypassed or not doesn't matter. It left the repair shop in that condition and should not have.

 

[zinfamous]

That is unconscionable. I can't imagine not reporting them to corporate for this, unless you deal directly with the owner/management and it is determined to be one bad apple, rather than a history of shady repairs.

Since they are the only game in town, have your neighbors had any issues with their repairs and/or should you at the very least mention it to them to check out their own equipment?

 

[Raizinman]

I own a large Ford tractor. I also had starting issues which was tied into a few of the safety switches as yours probably is too. The Ford tech came out on multiple times to adjust all the switches but within a week or two, the problem returned. Finally, one tech came out, made some adjustments and then the problem did not return. Weeks and weeks went by with the problem solved. I finally delved into the repair and found that they jumpered two of the safety switches. I called the Ford dealership and spoke to the service manager. I explained what happened. He apologized and said that he would pick up the tractor right now and fix it right and for free, which he did.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Ford corporate would be good if you don't make headway with the dealer, but the "consumer action desk" of your local news station would be even better.

Ford Corporate would be step 2 and the local news would be step 3.

Step 1: Go to dealer, demand major ass-kissing and some serious compensation. If they're reluctant to roll over and let you have your way with them, make sure they know how you'll handle step 2 and step 3. Keep records of who you talk to and exactly what is said.

Step 2: If you don't get satisfaction go to Ford Corporate and let them know what happened and that you were rebuked when trying to give the dealer an honorable way out without things becoming ugly and public. They should most definitely smack the holy hell out of the dealer and offer you something good for your discretion in not proceeding directly to step 3.

Step 3: If Ford Corporate stiffs you, then and only then make it public. Don't play that card first, see what you get offered to keep things quiet.

 

[bbhaag]

Just a quick update so as not to leave you guys wondering how the out come went. In a knee jerk reaction on Saturday I emailed NH corporate explaining the situation and my disappointment on how it was fixed. I also attached the image from above so they could see it as well.
I received a call from NH corporate this morning and they wanted to know if the situation had been handled or if they should intervene on my behalf. I told them to wait so I could call the dealer and give them a chance to rectify the situation. I then called the dealer and expressed my unhappiness with how the NSS was repaired and the manager said he would be out by the end of the day to get it repaired correctly.
He arrived later in the day and within 15 minutes had it working correctly. The repair he did looks questionable though but unless I unravel the electrical tape to get a better look all I can do is wait and see if it holds up. The NSS was not replaced just the wiring was redone leading into it.
I asked him why it was not done correctly the first time when they had the tractor for a week in the shop and to that he had no response. Needless to say this late summer/fall when we go looking for a new tractor NH will not be on the list to consider.