I’ve been looking for a large frame skid steer for about 2 years. Having previously owned a Kubota SVL90-2, I was leaning towards another. This one was to be A/C & high flow where my last 90-2 was an open station standard flow. Having used most brands including Bobcat, Case, Caterpillar, New Holland, & Takeuchi, I am familiar with skids. As is bought 2 tractors previously from local Kubota Dealers & had positive experiences, I assumed Kubota dealers as a whole had a level of integrity that would be higher than an independent dealer, or an Auction Yard. After both reading & seeing first hand the woes associated with a DEF machine that is older, I decided I would prioritize a non-def machine first. I found a half dozen SVL90-2 machines online & started reaching out to find out details. There was one in Virginia, one in Ohio, one in New Hampshire, no one just over 2 hrs. away in Dalton, GA, one in Tennessee, & a machine in Oklahoma. I called about the one in Dalton during the week of Christmas & was told it would not be available until after the first of the year. Asking price was $40k; I offered $35k over the phone & was told by the salesman he would get back with me after the holidays. That call has yet to come in. JD dealer in Dalton, GA. I called about one in Virginia which was at an independent dealer, & found out it had undercarriage issues. Price was $40k & hours were around 1,400. I called about the one in Oklahoma & found out that it was at the Kubota Dealer for that area. After receiving photos & talking with the dealer, I was lead to believe this would be the best choice, as this SVL90-2C HF had 1525 hrs., was a 1 owner machine, & had just been traded in during December 2025 for tax purposes. $39k + shipping to me was the cost. The salesman stated that the machine had been purchased by a smaller dealer which had been bought out by the larger dealer he worked for, so maintenance history wasn’t known, but judging by the photos & how it ran the CTL had been well taken care of. It qualified for KTAC, Kubota Tractor Insurance & KCC Kubota financing, & as I’d purchased 2 tractors previously with these tools, I was inclined to use them again. I sent the down payment on 01/07/2026 & agreed for them to take a week & run it thru their shop to check it out & they would have it ready for transport. I arranged for shipping & it was picked up on 01/15/2026. I received it on 01/23/2026, & upon unloading it determined that it was down on power. I sourced a WSM & reached out to the salesman on 01/25/2026 to ask what they considered running it thru their shop & checking it out, as agreed. He informed me that running it thru their shop meant topping off the fluid levels & the shop found no issues with it when they checked it out. Continued
Sorry for your troubles, and it will serve as a good thread for only purchasing something you have had your hand on.
Besides having a low power issue, the SVL front lights did not function & the auxiliaries did not work- code E:016. After going back & forth for a few days with the salesman & him telling me that the above code meant the machine needed to regen, I had the SVL brought to my local dealer where they performed a cylinder cut out test & diagnosed the low power issue to be due to a dead cylinder. The auxiliaries issues were 2 fold- 1 there was faulty wiring In the right joystick, & 2. Damage to the high flow piping on the left arm that required over $2000 to repair. They also inspected the rest of the machine at my request, & identified $18k worth of repairs in order for it to not have any issues. I shared this estimate with the Oklahoma dealer, & they informed me that they had no responsibility with the machine as it was “as-is”, even through they had ran it thru their shop & even though it qualified for KTAC & KCC. After my previous experiences with local Kubota dealers, I was shocked to say the least. I reached out to their VP & President on Linked In & within 1 day got responses that they would look into the situation & get back with me. A few days passed & their VP reached back out in an email & put me in contact with their General Manager. I spoke with him multiple times over the next couple weeks & in the end, the problem is mine to fix. He informed me that in the fine print of the Purchase agreement, there is a clause that states the purchase of the machine is as-is where is. Sure enough, he is correct. He initially informed me that if I was unhappy with the machine that they would buy it back, but then that changed to they would buy it back if I would purchase another machine thru them. I asked for additional information on one of the 3 machines mentioned, & as of today have yet to get a response. Cost to date- $6,000 down payment 01/07/2026 $1,750- transport from OK to GA. $2,358- monthly payments $360- wrecker service to & from my local dealer. $450- local dealer diagnostics-( they were understanding of the situation & cut me a break of $400 on the shop labor) $400- WSM printing Total- $11,318 This is before any repairs have been made except for the wiring which was repaired during the diagnostic work at the local dealer. I’m sharing this in hopes that others do not wrongfully assume that there’s more integrity with a brand dealer than an independent shop or an auction yard. The independent shop told me flat out that the machine in Virginia needed at minimum a rear bottom idler, for instance. If there is not a warranty period, no matter the situation, you’re on your own if a machine is not as advertised. Good Day.
That is wholeheartedly my intent- to share my misfortune in hopes that others will not take a dealer’s word for any tangible value.
Sad Sany is taking over for that reason salesman want to build company. My dad was 25yrs with Deere parts dept guys as a kid they remember me still later on but past door ol man was no body. Name sells itself don't require effect
That is awful. It appears to me the only possible way to save this is buying something else from the company that mislead you in the first place. You have to also know that the number they give you on another machine is going to be taking into consideration on the 18K in repairs on the one you bought. Assuming that they even give you a number. I feel for your position. You will never be right side up in that machine. I would probably end up in an Oklahoma prison breaking rock with a sledgehammer.
I trust absolutely no one when it comes to used equipment or vehicles. I would only buy something sight unseen if it were a small enough dollar amount I was willing to just throw that money away. A $40K piece of equipment I'm taking a day or two round trip to drive out to see it or buying a plane ticket. Sorry for your misfortune, I guess your only choice is to fix what you can to make it useable and move on.
The machine being discussed was $60,000. So another $20k. I don’t look good in orange or stripes.
You are correct. I hope that others see this & decide not to take a salesman’s word. Because this experience proves that their words are of no value. The only thing of any value is what’s in black & white & signed.
Is there a consumer and corporate affairs office in the city/state the machine came from? If they failed to tell you of known problems or advertised it as having no issues you may have a case to get a full refund. It has nothing to do with warranty or as is where is. It seems highly unlikely they wouldn't have found at least some of the problems when it "went through their shop." Pretty hard to claim ignorance when there's major problems with a machine especially from a dealer familiar with the machine.
I have a special place and word in my heart for salesman that screw me. I feel for you and hope you’re made whole but unfortunately that doesn’t seem likely.
I agree completely but I also know that going for that will involve litigation & the chances are not in my favor. Supposedly the young salesman was the only one to operate it, & how would he know it was low on power if all he did was drive it from the yard to the shop? That was the statement made by the GM that I was in contact with.
Thats 80K !! 2 months or so back, 1 of the local dealers has several 97-2 when the 97-3 came out, from memory, they were priced around 97
$60k is $20k more than the original machine’s cost.
That's just the story the GM is telling you to cover his ***! I guarantee the salesman has run run other machines of the same type. Going through the shop should entail making sure everything works the way it was designed. A consumer and corporate affairs complaint might not need to go to litigation if they determine the dealer was misleading and not truthful about the condition of the machine. $20K in needed repairs aren't minor issues that are easy to miss. The threat of a lawsuit could way just as heavy, if not more on the dealer especially if the problems would be easily apparent by another dealer or someone experienced with that model of machine.
They are a big outfit & have lawyer types for VPs & President roles. I hear you, & I will look into that but I also don’t have $10k to chase $10k. I should have ran the machine before purchasing or bought a machine closer to home.
If they misrepresented the machine giving you your money back might be their best option. Here I think consumer and corporate affairs will go to bat for you if it's clear the company is in the wrong. There was a guy that was refused warranty on a Dodge truck because it was bought at a dealer hundreds of miles away. It was clearly a Dodge warranty issue. He made a big sign saying not to buy there and they don't honor warranties and basically picketed on the boulevard outside the dealer on a very busy freeway. It wasn't on the Dealers property so wasn't illegal. No different than someone in a costume advertising a business. His warranty got approved in record time! It was all over the news.
When someone says they want it run through the shop. I think the assumption is that it is checked to ensure that not only the levels are right but that it is running right. A service tech certainly would have known that it wasn't running right. I agree that fighting would be tough. Those purchase agreements are typically worded pretty tight and take money to fight. The dealer states that running through the shop only means checking the fluids (and you end up with the break down of the word assumption). Maybe mandating at least a minimal warranty would have given you something to go off of. They certainly would have made sure that it really was running right if they had to stand behind it.
They didn't misrepresent anything. They had a machine for sale, the OP bought it. He should probably feel extremely lucky that he didn't get completely scammed by not going to look at it personally. My guess is that shop probably didn't do a single thing more than wash the machine up if they were sending it to someone that hadn't even darkened their doorway to look at it.
Yep, I think they relied on the wording of the purchase agreement, especially when the buyer is not running it before the paperwork is done. I have to believe that they knew it wasn't right or should have known (and if they missed it, they should hold themselves accountable at least to some degree). Typically, at least in my experience when you trade something in, the dealer goes over it closely. Certainly, they would have noticed that one cylinder is dead, but maybe not.
They stated they checked it out & ran it thru their shop & could find nothing wrong with it.
Do you have anything in writing from this conversation? You were told they would "run it through their shop to check it out". No way in hell it was "run through the shop" at a Kubota dealer and they didn't know it had a problem. They shipped it to you and it came off the trailer with a dead hole, not possible they didn't know. You got screwed and they knew it then and they know it now. What to do about it is up to you, but I'd want my money back and nothing less. I sent the down payment on 01/07/2026 & agreed for them to take a week & run it thru their shop to check it out & they would have it ready for transport. I arranged for shipping & it was picked up on 01/15/2026. I received it on 01/23/2026, & upon unloading it determined that it was down on power. I sourced a WSM & reached out to the salesman on 01/25/2026 to ask what they considered running it thru their shop & checking it out, as agreed. He informed me that running it thru their shop meant topping off the fluid levels & the shop found no issues with it when they checked it out. Joe H
That’s exactly why I’m sharing this Joe. Even though I have it in an email, there was a clause in the fine print of the Purchase Agreement that states “as is where is”- I know better but did it anyway. I’m sharing so others don’t make the same mistake I did.
Major problem like a dead cylinder they can't claim they somehow missed it when they "ran it through the shop"! They tried to scam you on a machine with known major issues. Of course they're going to claim ignorance. I think there are consumer protection agencies that can help you. Might be different if it only needed a couple thousand in repairs.
If they had it listed without any defects they're not going to find any defects.
For a reputable dealer to do this, is inexcusable! They have to find a middle ground, without losing their reputation. As Is Where Is, is fine for Joe Blow used equipment but not fine for a Kubota dealer. I would keep working on them. Does go to the idea that you either look at it yourself or a paid tech to look it over. What good is having a Kubota tech or salesman look at a machine, if they don’t know what they’re doing. I believe you got screwed just for that fact. We always say here, if you can’t look at it yourself, get a paid tech to look at it. You did and even at a Kubota dealer no less. I would be pursuing this to fulfillment, no matter what evils come out of me. Think, get a Kubota doll and start sticking needles in it!
Well it's clear they lied to you about the condition, what you can do about is up to you. so maintenance history wasn’t known, but judging by the photos & how it ran the CTL had been well taken care of. They advertised it as in well taken care of when obviously it had a problem. They are a Kubota dealer, they know when a machine is running on 3 cylinders. Does Georgia have a consumer affairs office to deal with this sort of thing? As is where is doesn't cut it when they sell you something with a known by them defect. There is also an assumption of suitable for the intended use when selling. Joe H
Can you name the dealer? Others in the area may need to be careful.
Maybe simply name the town they operate out of, just in case…
For fricksakes don't name the dealer, we know what that causes. The town should be sufficient.
Common--think of it this way, at this very second at least five people are getting shafted somewhere in the lower 48.
They have 10 dealerships in OK according to the GM. This machine was in Arnett.
I think you may share your story on social media that seems to get people's attention and so long as you share all the facts then you're not doing anything wrong and they can't come at you but a trial in the public opinion seems to be the way to go these days
I agree. The other part of this, as long as injectors fix the problem, I still want this machine. A 1,500 hr pre-DEF 90hp machine that is in good shape is what I was trying to buy from the beginning. These dealers really would do better to be honorable instead of deceitful. We will see how this plays out.
Trying to play Devil’s Advocate here. My comment is that only one side of the story is being put forward here. I’m not for a moment saying any of what has been posted isn’t true, only that it’s just one side of the story.
Ok, I see who it is. Not someone I have done business with, so I have no experience with them.
Like I said, "run through the shop" can be very subjective depending on the audience. Hindsight of course, you would be much more specific. I am not as against buying something sight unseen as others are on here. Certainly can be a risk. However, if you take some precautions I think it can work out, has for me. I bought a 590SN from Ziegler Cat in Mn, The machine had 1100 hours on it. I asked for and received their trade eval when they brought it in. I paid Titan equipment (Case dealer) to do the same evaluation that they would do if trading it in and had them send my the docs supporting. Great experience, Cat was professional, the machine was as stated. I bought a 721G from a soybean company somewhere in Iowa. Machine had 1400 hours, I had my local Case dealer confirm the VIN, it was purchased by the company I was buying it from. I paid the local Titan dealer to go over the machine. They also had a service agreement with this customer so I was able to get that info as well. Machine was as it had claimed it to be. Last year I bought a WN ET90 from an independent equipment dealer out of Eastern Washington. I internet checked him to the fullest extent I could. I was more nervous about this, couldn't get a WN dealer to do an inspection on it. I did confirm through WN that it was sold out of Missoula, MT. I asked for and received a boat load of videos and camera shots. Turned out great. Machine was as it was said to be. I try to always have a machine checked out by a third party when I can. It provides more info than I would get had I flown in somewhere to drive it around the yard and the cost is less than showing up yourself. There are lessons to be learned here for many of us, phrases like "run through the shop" or 'have the machine checked out by service need to be followed by specific instructions and written documentation that supports what they said they did.
I was merely saying posting it on social media to get the attention of this particular dealer right now it's just phone calls, emails and some text messages and the fact that the op is too far away to just pop in and make a fuss I feel like these people think that the op is out of sight out of mind but if you blast their name out there on social media maybe they pay a little more attention that was the only reason I suggested it. If nothing else the people that are in said market will know the shady shenanigans that the dealer is implementing in their deals. I would say I have no doubt that if the op was closer they might be acting a little bit different.
Internet, internet review coverage in business good or bad--mostly doesn't make much difference. If reading bad reviews really made a diff by prospective buyers it doesn't factor much with businesses, unless percentage bad is 40% plus. A bad transaction here and there is expected. As KSSS said, a third party inspection is the best bet on a unseen piece, even then buying used is a gamble, crap happens. Not ranking the OP, buying out of area is risky business, some have nothing but good luck others not so much. It's a tough decision hitting the key or signing the check for payment with the thought of {am I doing the right thing}. I don't know about the rest of the folks on here, but for me I want to see/watch the facial expressions of the person I'm dealing with. Texting and Emailing is a cold way to do business. * I'm asked about three to four times a year to go perform a pre-buy look on a truck. Two thirds of the time I tell them to keep looking-unless the price is dropped by X amount of thousands. * Karma--27 years ago I went with three others to look at this large Massy that had a KTA 600 installed in it, high hours pulling a plow. I was really apprehensive, it just didn't sound right, I told the guy looking not to buy. One of the other in group considered himself a Massy guru, didn't think I knew what I was looking at or talking about when I made the comment {it's about ready to drop a valve}. He stepped up and bought it. Got to his place and spent the winter doing some hydraulic repairs/service work and repainting the entire tractor. He sold it out of state. I found out through a very reliable grape vine--while loading it on a lowboy---it dropped a #5 exhaust valve. Crap happens.
My failure was believing the OEM dealer of said machine would be thorough & forthright regarding a machine they were selling. Typically such a tractor or machine would not qualify for KTAC for instance. This has been an expensive lesson that I’ve had to relearn.
That’s the difference in this situation. It was a Kubota, traded in, probably on another Kubota, so they had reason to or had knowledge, that something wasn’t right. If you were to hire an independent Kubota dealer to check it out, it would be a tech from the same dealer, probably. My brother had something like this happen on a SxS and being the computer nerd he was, he made and posted a Tik Tock video and even posted it on You Tube. By the end of the week, they were begging him to get it back to them, so they could fix the damn thing. Know anyone who does the real social media thing?
Perhaps this is fraudulent in some way? Did they misrepresent the machine to the finance company in order to slip it through the cracks? Maybe the finance company would be willing to go after them? Sorry to hear about the troubles
This is more or less what I was alluding to when I suggested blast them on social media they don't want the bad publicity and they don't want their dirty laundry aired for everybody to see cuz it sounds like they got poop stains in their drawers
I think there is more of a burden on a (new) machine dealer to represent the true condition of a used machine especially when it's the brand they sell. They can't claim they don't know how the machine should run or that they didn't know it had a dead cylinder. Running through the shop anyone with even the slightest knowledge of engines should be able to tell it's missing just by driving it in or out of the shop. Perhaps contacting another Kubota dealer would confirm what is expected of an authorized Kubota dealer. Contacting Kubota might not be a bad idea either. It wasn't sold as a machine needing $20K worth of repairs. They tried to hide that fact and that could be fraud.
Ok, I'm missing something here. I've read $18,000 to repair all issues with the machine. You show $11,000 in expenses, but those are just your expenses in buying the machine, and getting it transported, not repairs. The last page, you mention that all it might need is a new injector? I'd like to see the $18,000 list of "all possible problems" and the list of "this makes it run". Buying 1/2 way across the country has its risk and rewards, you better know what you're buying, and you better know who you are doing business with. I guess I'm wanting to know where we lay between $18,000 of making a old machine into a new machine- (which I don't blame the dealer at all for not paying that repair bill), because they sold you a used machine- as is where is. They aren't paying someone else to turn it into a new machine. Or-- its got a bad injector, and "I'm wishing it was a better machine than it is"- for what you paid for it. You're wanting it all your way, and the dealer is so far away from you (which was your choice- not theirs), I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with some other repair place taking them to the cleaners. Pay to fix it, take them up on their offer to trade it for something else they have for sale, or sell it yourself. They did their job as a seller with "as is where is" which you signed. You didn't do your job as a buyer. I think you are being a stand up guy, by posting up here about the problems, and as a warning to people. Thanks for doing that. I'm not sure we've got all the info on what's really wrong, and I've got a hard time seeing how any of that is the dealers fault.
There is also this side--the original owner with a low hour non-def machine {no one wants emissions} trades for tax purpose? Most would rather be shot. The dealer makes a mistake on not inspecting before trade-in then finds issue after the fact. Put's out on the market "as is where is", and only 1525 hours???? They were going to be upside down on a trade-in, seen this scenario many times in truck market.
The dealer said they would run it through the shop and check it out. How do they explain they missed a dead cylinder? Was everybody at the dealer completely deaf/blind? I can see some things needed repair being missed or not reported but a dead cylinder would be very obvious.
A disgruntled owner bringing a newly purchased machine into a shop or dealer is pretty much a sure way to come up with a sky high bill. I worked in a shop long enough; "New purchase, make a list of everything wrong with this" means pick it apart and come up with a long list - great fun!
There are legitimate call outs on the estimate. 1. The A/C is barely functioning; the system need to be serviced. There is a filter missing so likely everything is clogged completely. 2. The HF circuit doesn’t work; there are hard parts in there to correct it. Roughly $3,000 worth of parts & labor. 3. The tracks are still together but there are some serious cuts in them that will warrant replacement before too long. Overall the machine looks great but there are a host of issues when you start looking over it.
Unfortunately the AC on these machines "barely functions" even when new. There's no comparison to the AC in a Case, Bobcat, or Cat for example. The Kubota's AC from new is even worse than the Takeuchi CTLs. The -3 Kubota CTLs have a sealed cab and a much better HVAC system but all the -2 and older Kubota machines were poor right from new.
Update- It was a faulty injector. I attempted to modify one of the old injectors but finally decided to just buy the CAT adapter & move on. Strange enough, besides the faulty #4, injectors 1 & 2 failed testing. It’s clear now why the dealership advocates for swapping them out in sets rather than individually. Accessibility.
I contacted multiple local shops & after waiting 2 weeks & 2 others that either stopped engaging or did not have the Kubota software, a local company helped get it back together & perform the injector programming. He also recommended doing a forced regen which we did. It was also apparent that the PO did not keep up on maintenance so I went ahead & sourced all the items to do a 1,500 hr service. I had to change the engine oil anyway after doing the injector swap. Here’s where I stand- $10,103- down payment & monthly payments on a “$40k machine.” $7,603.32- Injectors, labor, manuals, maintenance items & servicing. Still outstanding- • A/C system needs to be serviced. • High Flow Circuit does not function. • tracks
Well that is better than rebuilding the engine. I have never bought a used machine where the dealer hadn't serviced the machine prior to reselling it. When I trade something back, a service is part of the trade number as a deduction from the value. Back to the "run it through the shop" would certainly mean to me that it was at least serviced. Pretty clear that dealer did absolutely nothing to that machine besides maybe wash it and resell it. They said it was well maintained (somewhere in here I believe that was said). It clearly wasn't maintained looking at the filter in the photo. Not that I need to worry about that dealer selling me anything, but hard to believe they run that many stores and this is how they conduct themselves. I guess just because they are big doesn't mean they are competent.
Don't spend a lot of money cleaning the A/C . After all is said and done, it will not work worth a cr-p anyway.
Shenanigans--there isn't a dealer that doesn't or hasn't performed shenanigans when it comes right down to it. It definitely was {as is}, it's always about the money and nothing but the money. * Years ago a shop called me on the weekend {back in 70's working foreign} wanting a fuel pump for a Audi 100 continuous injection. Sold them one, next get a call about where the fuel pump relay is located. Was headed home so stopped by with a new relay and showed them it was located under topside of left dash in corner. Pump ran-engine started, next thing that happened was he hooked the old pump to 24V-fried it then put it in a bag to return old parts to customer. nice honest guy.
While your at it check the fuel filler neck for rust inside it. They had problems and a different neck to fix it. It will ***k up that system.
Not saying the way the dealer treated you was right, but I don't expect the AC to work on any older used vehicle or equipment I buy, just seems to be the way it is. As for the tracks, I personally would rather it come with old tracks (reflected in the price) and I can put what I want on it. Anyone selling a used machine with "new tracks" most likely put on the cheapest made in China crap available and you'll be throwing tracks and cussing within a few weeks time. Not sure what to tell you on the high-flow, most likely something simple electrical related. Regardless, I always budget a few thousand dollars for repairs on any used equipment I buy. Even when you check them out thoroughly there are always some hidden thing you miss.
Regardless of whether the HVAC filter was present or not, the evaporator is dirt plugged, period. It is a crap design. The filter(s) are not directly ducted to the HVAC inlet. This thread covers it, as does the link in post 2 of this thread. HeavyEquipmentForums
And, the fuel water separator inlet elbow plugs easily. I added a Napa 3972 inline after clearing out the inlet. Like in this thread. HeavyEquipmentForums
As far as new tracks go I was very happy with Mcclaren industries for my T550. I bought OEM for the sprockets though as I heard the steel hardness is better. North America - Sales Division for North America Phone:+1-866-826-2456 (Toll Free USA)Fax:+1-310-212-6444 Email [email protected] Website https://www.mclarenindustries.com
I would agree with that, though I feel like it should have been noted and mentioned when they "ran it through the shop". That goes for the high flow issue, too. It sounds like there should have been a discussion about what "running through the shop" meant to each party. In my mind, it means verifying all functions work as they should and checking fluids at a minimum. Kinda sounds like they just washed it and sent it out.
The ac didn't work on my 19 or my 21 cat 259d3 when I bought them and didn't find out until the first real hot day