John Deere Company

Stephen Newell

New member
I wanted to let everybody know my experiences with the John Deere Company. It's a long story but I will condense it as much as possible. I purchased a new 2210 tractor in 2003. From the first day the tractor made a peculiar popping noise from the rear axle. I returned it to the dealer and they told me it was a normal noise for the tractor and to just ignore it. At that time it only happened occasionally. Then in 2005 the noise became more frequent and louder. I then had the tractor inspected by an independent mechanic and he believed the transmission was defective. He also could not believe that I was told to ignore the noise. The tractor at that time had only 280 hours on it. He said it should have never made any noise. I contacted the dealer again where I purchased the tractor and they gave the run around and told me to get in touch with John Deere. I attempted to contact John Deere and got nowhere so I notified John Deere Credit about the situation and they would not talk to me or answer my letters. Finally in 2006 the noise sounded like gears breaking off in the rear axle. At that time I was afraid of using the tractor for fear of doing much more severe damage to it. Finally feed up I sent John Deere Credit a letter notifying them I would suspend payments on the tractor until they would at least talk to me about the defective tractor they sold me. I did not hear from them until June 2007 when they repossessed the tractor and planned to sell it. In December 2007 I finally was able to contact the corporate office of John Deere where they gave me more run-around. They called me and told me there were a few things they could do if I were sill in possession of the tractor, but since I did not have it anymore they couldn't do anything. At that time they still had the tractor at the John Deere dealership where I originally purchased it from. The tractor has since been taken somewhere and I'm sure it has been sold. I'm out $7000.00 in payments and have nothing. I have never even heard of anyone being treated so bad by a large company as I have been treated by John Deere. My advice is for everyone to steer clear of John Deere.
 
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Nicahawk

Guest
First of all let me welcome you. This is great forum with very knowledgeable folks. I'm new here also and appreciate the work that must be required to keep this running smoothly. Really sorry to hear about your JD experience. I'm sure some dealerships are better than others, but I'm surprised the the entire company let you down. How does orange sound next time?
 

PBinWA

Member
Sorry to here about your problems Stephen.

Did you contact your local Better Business Bureau? If they aren't able to help you then perhaps you should talk to a lawyer to see what your recourse is under the law.

There are fairly well established methods for resolving these sort of disputes. As far as I know, withholding payments is not one of them.

Good luck with your resolution. Keep us up to date on this.
 

Dougster

Old Member
I wanted to let everybody know my experiences with the John Deere Company. It's a long story but I will condense it as much as possible. I purchased a new 2210 tractor in 2003. From the first day the tractor made a peculiar popping noise from the rear axle. I returned it to the dealer and they told me it was a normal noise for the tractor and to just ignore it. At that time it only happened occasionally. Then in 2005 the noise became more frequent and louder. I then had the tractor inspected by an independent mechanic and he believed the transmission was defective. He also could not believe that I was told to ignore the noise. The tractor at that time had only 280 hours on it. He said it should have never made any noise. I contacted the dealer again where I purchased the tractor and they gave the run around and told me to get in touch with John Deere. I attempted to contact John Deere and got nowhere so I notified John Deere Credit about the situation and they would not talk to me or answer my letters. Finally in 2006 the noise sounded like gears breaking off in the rear axle. At that time I was afraid of using the tractor for fear of doing much more severe damage to it. Finally feed up I sent John Deere Credit a letter notifying them I would suspend payments on the tractor until they would at least talk to me about the defective tractor they sold me. I did not hear from them until June 2007 when they repossessed the tractor and planned to sell it. In December 2007 I finally was able to contact the corporate office of John Deere where they gave me more run-around. They called me and told me there were a few things they could do if I were sill in possession of the tractor, but since I did not have it anymore they couldn't do anything. At that time they still had the tractor at the John Deere dealership where I originally purchased it from. The tractor has since been taken somewhere and I'm sure it has been sold. I'm out $7000.00 in payments and have nothing. I have never even heard of anyone being treated so bad by a large company as I have been treated by John Deere. My advice is for everyone to steer clear of John Deere.
Sorry to read of your bad fortune, but I think your post is a few years too late for anyone to help you here. I would have been independently and aggressively investigating the noise back in 2003 and 2004 when your tractor was still under warranty and you had some good legal leverage. Armed with the right info and your warranty, you probably could have taken it to another JD dealer and gotten it resolved at that time. Sounds like your big mistake was trusting your local JD dealer's word instead of your gut instincts. :eek:

But the last thing you ever want to do is stop making your payments out of frustration over dealer inaction. That is a very risky thing to do regardless of the validity of your claim or your frustration level. You had better be damn frustrated and fully prepared to give up your tractor and considerable equity should you lose with that approach. After so many years and payments, you will almost certainly lose the battle and war with that dubious tactic. :(

I think your story serves far better as a warning to all to resolve such issues aggressively and in a timely manner (i.e., while still under warranty and in possession of other legal rights) rather than it is a good reason to steer clear of John Deere. :eek:

Dougster
 

OhioTC18

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
But the last thing you ever want to do is stop making your payments out of frustration over dealer inaction. That is a very risky thing to do regardless of the validity of your claim or your frustration level. You had better be damn frustrated and fully prepared to give up your tractor and considerable equity should you lose with that approach.

Exactly. The dealer network and JD Credit are two separate entities. One couldn't care less about problems with the other. If you fail to make payments, you'll lose the tractor, as you know now.
 

larryRB

Member
plus,
you destroy your credit rating and trying for something in the future will either not go at all, or you will pay exhorbitant interest rates
 
D

Deerlope

Guest
I would take all my documentaion and go see my attonery general.
 

Mark777

Member
Sorry Stephen but I can’t buy into your story.

I have seen, on occasion, where an individual uses a public forum to point the finger at the alleged business or company that’s responsible for their current problems and circumstances…the mud has been slung and the accused has no recourse unless, by dumb luck, they happen onto this web-site.

If I am wrong then say so here and now, otherwise I doubt seriously there will ever be post number 2 by Stephen Newell as he has used this perfect venue to slander.
 

Stephen Newell

New member
Orange is better

Hi Nicahawk,
Since John Deere stole my tractor, I've set upon a project to restore a Kubota B5200 tractor that is 20 years old and worn out. It was a very good tractor but needs a lot of work and I thought I was better off replaceing it. I tried John Deere because it seem like the parts for Kubota were over priced. Over the last few months, I've done a minor overhaul on the engine on the Kubota and got it running but it still needs a lot more work. It has set for four years and the fuel injectors seem to be clogged and doesn't atomize the fuel very well. I will have to find out how to clean them. It also has a hydraulic leak on the front loader. I probably will have to have somebody else fix that. I don't have the tools or the talent to tackle that job.
 

Mark777

Member
Stephen,

I sincerely apologize for my previous post as it was to determine if you were an actual member or a person who uses a forum to complain and then leave…never to be heard from again. It does happen and, lately, frequently (but not here). I do hope you get some satisfaction, legal help and perhaps recourse for what you’ve invested in and the monies lost.

Good luck with the Kubota.
 
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Nicahawk

Guest
Hi Nicahawk,
Since John Deere stole my tractor, I've set upon a project to restore a Kubota B5200 tractor that is 20 years old and worn out. It was a very good tractor but needs a lot of work and I thought I was better off replaceing it. I tried John Deere because it seem like the parts for Kubota were over priced. Over the last few months, I've done a minor overhaul on the engine on the Kubota and got it running but it still needs a lot more work. It has set for four years and the fuel injectors seem to be clogged and doesn't atomize the fuel very well. I will have to find out how to clean them. It also has a hydraulic leak on the front loader. I probably will have to have somebody else fix that. I don't have the tools or the talent to tackle that job.
Stephen, there are members here that have a world of experience with all kinds of repairs, troubleshooting, etc., all you have to do is ask. I have to agree with some of the other posts about how you handled your JD problem, but it's a learning curve and I'm sure you learned from your experience. Keep trucking and get that orange machine humming. Borrow tools from friends, and not holding back on trying to fix things yourself because of lack of experience, just ask questions here, and there will be a lot of good help coming your way. I'm 64 and ask for help all the time. No one person has all the answers, but as a collective group, someone here will be able to help. Good luck with your repairs.
 

Wannafish

Member
Hi Nicahawk,
Since John Deere stole my tractor, ".

While posting you may want to consider that, when you continue to state that John Deere stole your tractor, to some of us it appears you tried to steal THEIR tractor by not making payments.

Nikahawk made a suggestion you borrow tools from friends. Hopefully you haven't told them the story or they may be reluctanct to loan you tools due to worrying about getting them back. In a lot of peoples minds, if you won't make payments to keep something you bought, you might not care about something that isn't yours either.

I have had extensive dealings with both John Deere and John Deere Credit. Not all of them were pleasant but I was able to work thru them and end up satisfied. The trick here is to work thru them - not just throw your hands up and threaten them ("fine - if you're going to do what I tell you to do, I'm not making any more payments"). J.D. is a stand up company that I feel tries their best to keep it's customers happy and it's bottom line in the green.

After saying all that:hide: , I'd like to wish you the best in whatever path you are proceeding down. I hope it goes well.
 

Dougster

Old Member
Sorry Stephen but I can’t buy into your story. I have seen, on occasion, where an individual uses a public forum to point the finger at the alleged business or company that’s responsible for their current problems and circumstances…the mud has been slung and the accused has no recourse unless, by dumb luck, they happen onto this web-site. If I am wrong then say so here and now, otherwise I doubt seriously there will ever be post number 2 by Stephen Newell as he has used this perfect venue to slander.
Stephen, I sincerely apologize for my previous post as it was to determine if you were an actual member or a person who uses a forum to complain and then leave…never to be heard from again. It does happen and, lately, frequently (but not here). I do hope you get some satisfaction, legal help and perhaps recourse for what you’ve invested in and the monies lost.
Don't feel so bad Mark. You were only echoing the feelings of most active members here when a brand new member's initial post is a rant against a manufacturer cut and pasted here on NTT after posting the same rant 20 minutes earlier as a brand new member on that other tractor forum (and quite possibly others that I did not check). This all looks like a classic case of unconfirmable anti-manufacturer spam and forum baiting/trolling.

I think that only time will tell if this gentleman becomes an active contributor here and elsewhere or if this is essentially a one-shot deal. If this was not spam and not intended merely to bait us, I would suggest that Stephen complete his profile and introduce himself by means of a proper introductory post with pix. It would certainly add a lot of credibility to, and sympathy for, his reported plight.

Dougster
 

Mith

Active member
Stephen, it sounds like a catalog of errors on both JD's part, and unfortunately, your own. Sadly, having let it go on for such a long time, and letting the warranty expire you are pretty much condemned to not getting much out of Deere. Ceasing payments was the final nail in the coffin, at that point they still own the tractor, your payments until that date were essentially rent for the tractor.


Hopefully you'll stick around and post pictures of your Kubota. I have undertaken many jobs I wouldn't have thought I could do with the help of forums like this one. Hopefully the Kubota will prove to be a more satisfying experience.
 

Stephen Newell

New member
I must appoligize to everyone. I've had computer problems and have been offline for a while. I will soon reply to everybody's messages.
Thanks, Steve
 

Milwaukee

Member
That ok we do have computer problems.

Sorry to hear that. I am surprise they change their way how it run. i remember long time ago like 5 to 10 years they would do anything but now they try avoid to pay that problem.

Kubota is very nice and overbuilt which would last forever if keep maintained.

What state you in? Maybe we can come to look at it see if it easy to fix but to me it sound big job but easy to replace parts.
 

Stephen Newell

New member
I don't know how to reply to each message individually to I will put this reply in one message.
PBinWA I haven't contacted the Better Business yet. The only thing I can accomplish there is to file a complaint. I did briefly hire a lawyer. Since John Deere didn't answer any of my letters and I didn't have a recording of phone calls the lawyer could do nothing. Withholding payments were done only as a last resort. I made 14 payments on the tractor after I found out it was defective. I continued to make payments while I tried to find someone at John Deere that cared. I only stopped payment on the tractor only when it became more than obvious that John Deere was going to do nothing.
Dougster In 2003 and 2004 the noise the transmission was making was very minor. You had to try very hard just to hear it. In 2005 the noise became louder and more frequent suggesting there was a real problem and something not to be ignored. I then had an independent mechanic look at the tractor and contacted the dealer with the results before the warranty expired. If I was retired I could have been more aggressive in resolving this situation. At this time there was only a couple of weeks left on the warranty. There was not enough time to locate another John Deere dealer and start over especially since the dealer told me to contact the John Deere Company instead. I lost a lot of time in this pursuit. The dealer would have had some clout. I was just ignored. Trusting the dealer was a big mistake, but I trusted the company too. I contacted the local John Deere representative, John Deere Credit and the corporate office in North Carolina and they all let me down. I felt like I was in a lose lose situation anyway. If I paid off the tractor it would have been up to me to pay nearly $3000.00 for a major repair. Making further payments on the tractor was just throwing good money after bad. If John Deere does business like this, I'm probably better off without it.

larryRB After all the misery I've experienced with the John Deere Company I don't plan to finance anything else again. I will replace the tractor with a used tractor. The tractor will likely be a fixer upper but at least I won't be buying a brand new fixer upper. So far John Deere hasn't put anything on my credit. If they do I post my side of the story next to it. It's unfortunate these corporations can trample all over their customers and make the customer look like they are the ones that are crooks.
Deerlope Years ago I had another situation where I contacted the attorney general and they wouldn't get involved in a small case and suggested I file a civil suit. It would cost me a fortune in legal fees to pursue this. It's already cost me $550.00 in legal fees and all the lawyer did is make a few phone calls.
Wannafish I don't know how better to describe what was done to me, "that they stole the tractor". If John Deere would have repaired the tractor, I would have paid every penny for it. Instead they choose the let me make as many payments as they could get and take the tractor back and sell it to somebody else. I agreed to pay for the tractor when I financed it but John Deere had an obligation to provide me with a tractor free of defect. The way I look at it they breached the agreement first. I believe I was much more than patient with them. The only way I could have won is not to have bought the tractor in the first place.
Dougster You are right that I copied and pasted the thread. I don't have access to a DSL line where I live. I tried to post the original message live but I lost the internet connection before I could complete it. I then wrote the thread on a word page so I could copy and paste it. Just getting started at tractor forums, I posted the thread on more than one to see which was the best for me. The thread I posted is a true story. I have no affiliation with a tractor manufacture or dealer. I repair and remodel houses for a living. I don't even know somebody that sells tractors or I would have gotten advice on the tractor earlier. I'm at a point right now where I could use more advice. I need to buy a tractor to replace the John Deere. I have a Kubota tractor that was a good tractor, but it seems like the parts to maintain it are too cost prohibitive. Perhaps all tractor parts are expensive, I don't know.
Mith Nicahawk The Kubota will be helpful to me for some things but it is a 2wd tractor and the front axles are inadequate for the front loader that is on it. I keep breaking off king pins because of the weight. I've almost completed the restoration, however I'm not going to replace the decals on it. I purchased Valspar paint from the local tractor supply and didn't have very good results with it. I put 4 coats of paint on the floorboard, letting it dry 4 or 5 days between coats. I let the paint dry two weeks before I reassembled the tractor and within 10 hours of use I have bare metal showing through the paint. .





 
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