# John Deere Company



## Stephen Newell

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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## Live Oak

Sorry to hear of the bad experience you had Stephen. Did you try taking the tractor to another Deere dealer for a second opinion?


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## JDFANATIC

Nice first post. If real, I'm sorry to hear about it. I've had the exact opposite experience with my dealer and John Deere. On my one tractor that developed a problem (700 hrs. and 10-years old), everything was made whole without one cent of my participation. Why don't you post the serial number of this tractor so we can check it out?


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## Morgan

My thoughts are for anybody that is in that possition is if you are told that something you think is not normal is normal ask them to put that in writing, then you have it documented otherwise its your word against theres. Salesman will tell people anything to keep a sale and who knows a salesman may have told him something like that however I dont think a shop manager would tell anybody something like that as there money comes from the shop and they would get paid to fix the new tractor from the factory so they had everything to gain by fixing it and nothing to loose.


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by JDFANATIC _
> *Nice first post. If real, I'm sorry to hear about it. I've had the exact opposite experience with my dealer and John Deere. On my one tractor that developed a problem (700 hrs. and 10-years old), everything was made whole without one cent of my participation. Why don't you post the serial number of this tractor so we can check it out? *


 My tractor had less than 350 hours on it at the time they stole it. The serial number of the tractor is LV2210H212622


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by TF Admin _
> *Sorry to hear of the bad experience you had Stephen. Did you try taking the tractor to another Deere dealer for a second opinion? *


 I took the tractor to a independent mechanic for a second opinion. This mechanic was a John Deere mechanic that had worked for the dealer before opening his own business. Then I contacted the dealer where I purchased the tractor from. They put me in touch with the local John Deere representative. I contacted him as well as John Deere Credit and let them know the situation. Nobody from John Deere would give me the time of day. I sent John Deere Credit a letter letting them know I would stop payment on the tractor unless they would talk to me. They called a few times to harassed me over the lack of payments but when I asked them if they would fix the tractor, they hung up on me.


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## Lamar Holland

you have posted this story on several other nets word for word. Only thing I can ask is stick around and answer some questions, don't take off like the other nets as it makes you look like a troll or instigator


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## JDFANATIC

Tomorrow I'll run the S/N and post my findings.


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by Lamar Holland _
> *you have posted this story on several other nets word for word. Only thing I can ask is stick around and answer some questions, don't take off like the other nets as it makes you look like a troll or instigator *


 The John Deere Company has swindled me out of thousands of dollars. The only thing left for me to do is spread the word around so maybe somebody else won't be a victim.


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## JDFANATIC

Stephen,

The S/N does match. You purchased this tractor on May 16, 2003. It has never had any warranty work done on it. If your story is indeed correct (there are quite a few holes in it), my advice would be to contact the dealer that repo'd it and work things out. The reason I say this, is that the way Deere works, there is an escrow system with each dealer. If a tractor is repo'd, Deere (corporate) gets their money from the dealership's escrow account. The dealership is left with the tractor, that may or may not be worth what they lost in the escrow account.

This is why there is a big hole in your story. No dealership I know of would want to have a broken tractor that they can't sell without putting labor and materials into and at the same time cost them additional funds from their escrow account.

As for the problem you allege, there are many 2210s out in the field (it was one of Deere's best sellers and continues today into the 2305 model) and the only problems I have ever heard of (or on Deere DTAC's) are lack of maintenance (did you do the 50 hr servicing, and the 250?) or abuse such as using the 3PH/rear PTO with an implement that has too long of a drive shaft.

Just giving up on your tractor, having it repo'd, killing your credit rating, etc, when there were a slew of other options sounds plain weird.


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by JDFANATIC _
> *Stephen,
> 
> The S/N does match. You purchased this tractor on May 16, 2003. It has never had any warranty work done on it. If your story is indeed correct (there are quite a few holes in it), my advice would be to contact the dealer that repo'd it and work things out. The reason I say this, is that the way Deere works, there is an escrow system with each dealer. If a tractor is repo'd, Deere (corporate) gets their money from the dealership's escrow account. The dealership is left with the tractor, that may or may not be worth what they lost in the escrow account.
> 
> This is why there is a big hole in your story. No dealership I know of would want to have a broken tractor that they can't sell without putting labor and materials into and at the same time cost them additional funds from their escrow account.
> 
> As for the problem you allege, there are many 2210s out in the field (it was one of Deere's best sellers and continues today into the 2305 model) and the only problems I have ever heard of (or on Deere DTAC's) are lack of maintenance (did you do the 50 hr servicing, and the 250?) or abuse such as using the 3PH/rear PTO with an implement that has too long of a drive shaft.
> 
> Just giving up on your tractor, having it repo'd, killing your credit rating, etc, when there were a slew of other options sounds plain weird. *


The tractor was returned to the dealer for warranty work within a month of purchase. It probably doesn't show up in the system because they declined to address the popping noise the rear axle was making. The other work was on the front loader, which I suspect was adjustments. The bucket would not lock in place when you would back drag with it. They made it better but it still would not hold sometimes. The dealer that repo'd the tractor is the same dealer that sold me the tractor in the first place. The manager has made it clear he will not do anything for me. He is trying to wash his hands of the situation. Any time I contact him he tells me that he repo'd it for John Deere Credit and it's between me and them. I never intended for the tractor to be repo'd. All I wanted is for John Deere to make the tractor right and I would pay for it. They went through the court to repossess the tractor stating to the judge that continued use of the tractor would depreciate the value of the tractor. As soon as they got the tractor in their possession John Deere sent me a letter stating that they were going to sell the tractor and if I wanted to know how much they sold it for, it would cost $25.00. I sent the Judge a copy of the letter and asked him to stop the sale of the tractor until the case was heard in his court. I then found the address of the corporate office of the John Deere Corporation in Raleigh NC and sent them a letter telling them my story. In about a week they called me and gave me more run-around. They told me if I was in possession of the tractor there were a few things they could do but since I didn't have the tractor anymore they could do nothing. At that time the tractor was still sitting on the dealer lot where they put it when they repo'd it. Shortly after they dropped the law suite and the tractor disappeared from the lot. Just for the record, I never gave up on the tractor. I've been trying to get John Deere to warranty this tractor since 2005. The independent mechanic was giving me a rough estimate of nearly $3000.00 to make it right. I could not justify paying for a new tractor and then having a major repair to pay for. I had to wonder what else was going to break on it. I attempted to find others that had a similar problem with the 2210 and could only find many complaints with the PTO. The PTO on my 2210 worked fine but it leaked oil around the seal worse that a 20 year old Kubota tractor I have. 
I realize the dealer is most responsible for the problems I had with the tractor, but the local John Deere Representative, John Deere Credit and the Corporate Office all knew what was going on before the tractor was sold. 
What is weird is how I've been treated by everybody. I expected better from a company that has been around as long as John Deere.


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## JDFANATIC

Stephen,

Here we have only one side of the story (I'm really trying not to doubt you), and there is much that makes little sense. The dealership you purchased this from owns six dealerships, or at least dealerships at six different locations. They are not small cheese. I cannot imagine a dealership this successful not taking care of business . . . i.e. their customers. When you combine this with the escrow account that I posted above, what is the motivation?

Your last post mentioned a leak at the pto. My 2210 recently experienced this (and yes, I did know that 6' Landpride rake was too large for the tractor; especially because I had to operate it at the full lift position for long periods of time). The fix? Reseal the toplink plate, a few bolts, some RTV sealant, and a little adjustment of the height upper limit, and we were back in business.

And there is NO warranty history on the Deere Intranet about your tractor.

Tell us about your service history (50 & 250 hrs).


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## poonstang90lx

Stephen, 
I am sorry that you have had this trouble with your tractor . Please keep us posted, I would like to know about your service schedule with this tractor.


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by JDFANATIC _
> *Stephen,
> 
> Here we have only one side of the story (I'm really trying not to doubt you), and there is much that makes little sense. The dealership you purchased this from owns six dealerships, or at least dealerships at six different locations. They are not small cheese. I cannot imagine a dealership this successful not taking care of business . . . i.e. their customers. When you combine this with the escrow account that I posted above, what is the motivation? Your last post mentioned a leak at the pto. My 2210 recently experienced this (and yes, I did know that 6' Landpride rake was too large for the tractor; especially because I had to operate it at the full lift position for long periods of time). The fix? Reseal the toplink plate, a few bolts, some RTV sealant, and a little adjustment of the height upper limit, and we were back in business.
> And there is NO warranty history on the Deere Intranet about your tractor. Tell us about your service history (50 & 250 hrs). *


I moved into the area where I live in 1986 and this John Deere dealership was there when I arrived. I guess this is probably what did me in. I took them at their word. The only experience that I had with a tractor was with a Kubota tractor. It was a fine tractor but they charged an exorbitant price for the parts to maintain it. I thought I would give John Deere a try. The Kubota was a 2wd tractor and I needed a 4wd tractor. When I returned the John Deere tractor to the dealership I expected them to take care of it. When I went to pick up the tractor and it was still making the noise, I asked the man from the service department about it and he said "Have you ever had a tractor like that". I said no. He said "These tractors just make a little noise and not to worry about it". He also said something to the effect that if it got worse or cause me any problem to bring it back. I took him at his word and let them deliver the tractor back to me. I had never been on or around a tractor with a hydrostatic transmission. 
As for motive for what they did to me, I got the impression from from the dealer manager that it would cost them to fix the tractor. His initial responce was that maybe they could do a three way split on the cost to repair it, splitting the cost between John Deere, the dealer and me. He never made the offer and later told me to contact John Deere. I did just that and got nowhere. When they repo'd the tractor I briefly hired a lawyer to try to represent me. She hit the same brick wall that I did. She told me that they were not willing to negotiate. They expected to sell the tractor for much more than I owed on it and if I wanted the tractor I would have to pay what they wanted, regardless of condition. 
As for the maintenence, I changed the oil on the engine and transmission myself at or around the 50 hr. initial break-in. After that I changed the engine oil twice a year. The transmission I changed the oil once after that as maintenence and once again at the request of the independent mechanic. I was going to have him tear into the tractor to find the exact cause of the problem. He had me drain the fuid and pour it through a strainer and check it for metal bits. There was metal in the oil but he said it was within normal amounts. I did not know to or check the oil for metal on earlier oil changes.


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## JDFANATIC

Well it sounds like you did everything (service-wise) by the book. I'm not defending the dealer, and again we have only one side of the story, but if it transpired as you say, then you were unfortunate. As for the noise at the dealer and he telling you it was within reason -- who knows -- perhaps it did sound OK. If he thought otherwise, Deere would have paid for the teardown or whatever was required, not the dealer. In fact, they can and do make money on warranty service.

I will say, the way you handled the financial end wasn't the best, and the results will haunt you for a long time.


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## Stephen Newell

> _Originally posted by JDFANATIC _
> *Well it sounds like you did everything (service-wise) by the book. I'm not defending the dealer, and again we have only one side of the story, but if it transpired as you say, then you were unfortunate. As for the noise at the dealer and he telling you it was within reason -- who knows -- perhaps it did sound OK. If he thought otherwise, Deere would have paid for the teardown or whatever was required, not the dealer. In fact, they can and do make money on warranty service.
> 
> I will say, the way you handled the financial end wasn't the best, and the results will haunt you for a long time. *


I really don't know how I could have handled the financial situation any different. I was stuck with a defective tractor and John Deere didn't care. I made 14 payments on the tractor while I attempted to find somebody at John Deere to intervene. If I had more free time I maybe could have found somebody to sell the tractor to, but how do you sell a tractor that sounds it has gears are breaking off ?. In hind site I should have stopped payment on the tractor as soon as I found out it was defective, but I felt like I had an obligation to John Deere to get them to warranty the tractor. I still can't believe the way I was treated by John Deere.


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

Stephen, That is horrible, why should they be so proud of themselves, when all they do is ignore your calls and turn their back on you when all you want is a repair for your deere.


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## Simpleprestige

Its your own perrogotive, I spelled that wrong, but I would seriously think about consulting a lawyer to see if they think you have a case and maybe, if what you say is true, you will be able to hold up in court and possibly get monetary help for your suffering.

I still find it very hard to beleive you were treated like this.


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## Stephen Newell

I'm having a lot of trouble finding a lawyer that can give me advise on anything. Over the years I've been to a half dozen or so for different things. They charge a lot of money and do nothing. It seems like they are not willing to give a person advise to handle a situation themselves. They are only interested in someone that is willing to pay them thousands of dollars to represent them. The lawyer I hired in the John Deere case charged me $550.00 just to make a few phone calls. It would be far cheaper to let John Deere keep my money and I'm sure John Deere knows it. As I told the lady at the corporate headquarters at John Deere, the only thing I can do now is to spread the word around how they do business. Maybe by posting my story on the internet someone else will not be as trusting as I was. In hind sight I should have drove the dealer crazy with every little knock or ding no matter how insignificant it may have seemed.


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## GreenBeanSC

Il have to say Deere around my parts has some crappy service, most of the boys in the shop are about 19 years old and dont know a thing mechanic wise, they can bolt and unbolt something, but thats about it. Are you sure there wasnt something on your part that you werent doing wrong? If there was something wrong with the rear end, wouldnt there be metal in the oil when you changed and checked it?? You stated it was four wheel drive, ive driven very few compact tractors, but it seems every 4 wheel drive tractor ive driven that wasnt one of the premium models or wasnt a large tractor, no matter how old or new, made a horrible sound when you really get on the brakes and turn a tight turn. Did you have the four wheel drive engaged making tight radius turns??


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## poonstang90lx

> _Originally posted by GreenBeanSC _
> *Il have to say Deere around my parts has some crappy service, most of the boys in the shop are about 19 years old and dont know a thing mechanic wise, they can bolt and unbolt something, but thats about it. Are you sure there wasnt something on your part that you werent doing wrong? If there was something wrong with the rear end, wouldnt there be metal in the oil when you changed and checked it?? You stated it was four wheel drive, ive driven very few compact tractors, but it seems every 4 wheel drive tractor ive driven that wasnt one of the premium models or wasnt a large tractor, no matter how old or new, made a horrible sound when you really get on the brakes and turn a tight turn. Did you have the four wheel drive engaged making tight radius turns?? *


I really don't have a lot of experience with smaller tractors, but every Deere machine that I have ever operated has made that god awful racket when turning, using the brakes. That list includes an old school 4320,4620, and a 4640 all 2 wheel drive. The 8300, 8400, 8420, I operate also make the same racket these machines are all mfwd. I could be wrong but I have always thought that the noises that I hear while turning have to do with the engagement faces in the differential racheting against each other when turning sharply. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I know that every hotrod car I have ever had that was equipped with a ratcheting style locker made noise while turning also.


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## Simpleprestige

I am almost permanently in 4-wheel and I never hear any ratcheting noises unless my elbow knocks the hydro select into neutral. The turning radius is so tight I rarely have to use the brakes though.


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## JDFANATIC

Guys,

This thread should die. While it may sound like the OP was a victim of circumstances, he certainly made a bunch of bad decisions. In the aftermath, Stephen Newell has posted this on every forum you can think of. I think any future potential purchaser will know not to repeat S.N.'s mistakes.

Other than that, I see no reason to bring it to the top.


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## startrotter

Sorry to keep this thread alive by one more post but it's an interesting story. This is the stuff tractorheads read like a soap opera.

Part fact, part fiction - pure JD entertainment. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## Stephen Newell

What Fiction?


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## startrotter

I was hoping there was some fiction there. 

If it's all as you say - JD as a company did nothing wrong and the dealer was probably down right frustrated with you.

Does everything in our society today have to be the problem of a big company or even a small dealership? Can't anyone take responsibility for anything anymore?


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## Simpleprestige

I would appreciate it if one of the moderators could please delete this thread or at least block it. THis type of [email protected]#$%^&* is a recipe for disaster and it is begining to PO alot of people.


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## poonstang90lx

I am sorry that you had the trouble that you had Stephen. I am locking this thread before it gets any more controversial.


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## Farmboy561

Glad you warned me. I was going tomorrow to buy a deere. Going to kubota dealer instead. Thanks!


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