Caterpillar

I purchased a new truck in 2008. The Truck has been in the shop 10 times in the year 2011. The truck is currently in the shop now for repairs that were estimated at $2,500 and are now at $3,800. I do not have the finances to pay the repairs and I am not getting a remedy from Cat, Peterbuilt, or the finance company. As a result, I have been off work for over a month and I am in jeopardy of losing the truck that was purchased through the TERP program. I need assistance expeditiously!

I purchased a 2008 Peterbilt and took delivery in June 2009. This truck (DPF) has caused me nothing but trouble and money. It has been in the shop for 2 turbos, DPF failure (the entire element was changed), 3 ARDs, inline fuel filters, various sensors, all 6 fuel injectors, all more than once. Down time is unbelievable! The warranty, 60 months, 500,000 miles covers nothing at all to do with emissions. The government has forced CAT to produce a motor. They did and now they don't even stand behind it. If it wasn't ready to be marketed, then CAT has a responsibility of not selling it. The light that imitates the regen doesn't work 99% of the time and that guarantees a trip and a few days at a CAT repair shop.

CAT decides, after the fact, to get out of the engine making business. A little too late for all of us that have spent 125,000 for a truck worth nothing. Yet we still have to make a payment. They need to be held accountable. Would you want your family in a car driving next to a truck that derates and then looses power? Which means no steering, no brakes! This is what it has come to. It is time for the government to make a recall of these trucks, remove the DPF and acknowledge that the industry is not ready for this. You cannot make a diesel run cleaner than a car. It is not possible. It is like comparing a man to a woman or having a man impregnate another man, it is not possible. See my point? Seriously unhappy consumer. I am willing to take it all to the bank to hurt CAT the way they hurt me financially! Bring it on.

We purchased this generator for our factory by paying more than $60000 or Rs 3800000. And within 2 years we have paid almost 30% of its price for its maintenance and faulty parts.

This is a blood sucking machine and company. Its customer service in India is zero level. Caterpillar Business partner in India which is Tractors India Private Limited (TIPL), is very poor in its service. We have to wait for weeks to get a faulty part replaced even after paying hefty amount. Our factory sits idle because of this faulty stupid product and suffered huge losses. There is no response from the company. They are too big so they won't get affected but in long term- truth prevails.

A sincere request: do not purchase Caterpillar products in India for 1) customer service zero. 2) stupid careless business partners like TIPL. 3) expensive and non-available parts 4) Cummins are 500% better than them. Our business houses have more than 10 generators of different brand since years and all are very good. This is the blood sucking machine.

In 2007, we purchased 4 brand new 2008 Kenworths with the C15 Cat engines with the extended Cat warranty. Two were purchased off the lot and two were special ordered for heavy haul. All trucks have had regeneration problems, one in particular was constantly in the shop and is still having issues. Two of the trucks are still under 500,000 and the two heavy haul trucks are both still under 300,000. At around 300,000, the actuator bolts (we have not idea what the heck those are) failed on one of the trucks purchased off the lot, and also broke the cam shaft as a result of this happening. We called the dealer, and were told that the other three trucks had the upgraded bolts.

Approximately 3 yrs later, the second truck purchased off the lot had the same thing happen to it. In addition to this, the bearings failed in the fan clutch but the driver caught it before it went through the radiator. At this point, we went into the dealership in person and inquired as to any recalls on these issues. We were told once again that the heavy haul trucks had the upgraded bolts, and the fan issue was just an isolated incident, and were informed at this time that Cat would not replace any of these bolts until they failed. This is an ongoing problem that Cat is aware of.

At the time I am writing this, I am sitting in the parking lot of a truck stop in Texas in my heavy haul truck with the upgraded bolts that have failed. We have been informed that in this area, it will be at least 4 weeks before anyone can even look at a truck with engine problems. My truck has 284237 miles on it. The second heavy haul truck has not had this problem yet. It has 274567 miles. But it was in the shop less than two weeks ago having a new radiator and fan clutch assembly installed after the bearing failed and put the fan through the radiator. We were informed at this time by the warranty department that the fan assembly is not part of the engine but in fact, part of the chassis (go figure). This cost us almost $6000.

With time lost, towing bills, lost freight and repairs not covered under warranty for one reason or another, it has cost our company several hundred thousands of dollars. We are now starting to lose customers because we cannot provide dependable service. What good is the extended warranties if they will not stand behind their products. We understand that they were hit with massive government mandates and EPA and CARB standards that they were forced to comply with in a short amount of time. But that doesn't give them the right to not stand behind their equipment.

We have proudly owned Cat engines in our trucks for several years. It saddens us to see Cat engines fall to such low standards.

I purchased a new C13, 2008 International truck and have had nothing but trouble with the regen system and turbo on it. Over the years, it has literally cost me 10's of thousands of dollars in repairs. It seems that no one wants to stand up and take ownership for a product that is clearly not working properly. The small amount reimbursed under warranty is nothing compared to what were the ongoing problems. I am at the point now where I have got to sell it as I certainly can't afford the repairs to keep it on the road. Over a 28 year period, I have always bought Caterpillar, shovels, backhoes, track loads, rubber tired loaders and packers, it looks like that will change.

I have a C-7 cat 100,000 in the past few years. I have about 12,000 dollars from new ECM to injecters, now the #6 injecter has gone out for the second time in less than a year. I was told it was covered at no cost to me then called back and told that the pump had failed and metal put in the fuel system and the #6 injecter was no longer covered, and all the injecters and the pump at a cost to me of $7000 dollars. Can you help please?

In June of 2010 the turbo blew on the Caterpillar engine of my Peterbilt. The truck was towed into Dodge city, Kenworth. A new air-to-air turbo and new air filters were installed, totaling a nearly $6,000 in payment. In November of 2010, the shaft of the turbo broke in half. I paid for another turbo for $1,900. I was informed today, February 12, 2011, that it will not be covered under warranty! They said (CAT) a foreign object, went through the turbo.

How would this happen with a new air-to-air and air filters? What is the point in having a warranty when CAT will not stand behind it. This is the 5th truck I have owned with a CAT engine and will definitely be the last, especially being out $3,500 in work and $2,500 in repairs.

In Feb 2009 I bought a 2009 International 9900i, with a C-15 Cat engine. I have broken down about 14 times since then with re-gen problems. I have sent many e-mails and pictures to Cat & International reps. I was given a small amount of money from both companies to compensate me fofr my extra meals & motels. Since I have been having these re-gen problems, my bank account has been in the red & my line of credit is at it's limit of $70,000.00. This truck is going to bankrupt me & I may lose my home.

How many thousands of C-15 Caterpillar regeneration engines are out there that Cat cannot or will not fix?

I have ten of them with a 48 month and 600,000 miles warranty and they refused to cover anything under that warranty. These are Peterbilt trucks with 300,000 miles. Either Cat blames Pete or Pete blames Cat and I get the shaft. I agree with a class-action suit. This has been going on since June of 2007.

In the first six months, these ten trucks accumulated 147 days of down time. I paid tow bills, drivers, motels, and lost revenue to the tune of a $120,000. It hasn't gotten any better. Cat did offer $20,000 if I would agree to not join any class-action suit which I declined.

We bought two Peterbilt trucks with the newest tech and they have been nothing but problems. ECM and Regen, my trucks, spend more time in the shop than on the road, and you get the same pat answers from Caterpillar. And then they need a service update and the Cat dealers don't have the parts. It's time for a class action suit. I lost work and money.

I bought a peterbilt truck with a caterpillar engine. The engine has been nothing but serious problems since new and the waranty is almost up and the problem still isnt fixed. Caterpillar told me theres nothing they can do but the engine that they provide is worthless. I paid top dollar thinking I bought the best engine when clearly it wasnt.

I have a Peterbuilt tractor that has a caterpillar motor in it, I have had to have the same kind of work done on this motor 3 times, does this constitute lemon law or is there something different for the truck.

On May 18, 2006, I was experiencing power failure. It was then that I sought Quinn Power Systems Caterpillar of mechanical sevicing. My Truck is a Peterbuilt 2006 model 379, the engine is a caterpillar product.

First Incident:

I was informed the injectors on the truck had malfunctioned and that the replacement of the injectors were under warranttee. So, I preceed to leave Quinn, Having driven about 55 miles I again begain to experience power failure and had to return to Quinn for servicing.

Second incident:

Upon returning to Quinn, I reported I was having the same problems with power failure. Only to be informed that the same injectors had failed again.

Having replaced the injector again Quinn released the truck. Having driving about 20 miles away from Quinn Power System Caterpillar I again underwent power failure, immediately I return to Quinn only to have the truck stall in front of the service gate.

Third Incident:

Upon returning for a third time, I was again told that the injector where failing, at this time I requested that the computer be check-out at this time I was informed that authorization had not be authorized at this point. I preceed to ask why and to this day no answer.

Having been out of work for 03 weeks I preceeded to call Peterbuilt of Shrevport, LA were I initially purchased the truck to request assistance; only to be informed that because the facility was in California that they were unable to assist in the repair.

I then call the Caterpillar Sevice Help Center on to be directed to Mr. David Jin who has been and obsticle.

On May 30, 2006, I inquire about the fuel analyzes results only to be informed that results were normal. At this time I requested a copy of the results and latter fax a copy to Peterbuilt of Shrevport.

Finally, On June 02, 2006, I was directed to come into the office for a meeting with Steve Proffitt only to be informed that a foriegn substance produce from later testing results.
Mr. Proffitt preceeded to inform me that the forgien substance was the cause of power failure, as well as, informed me that the warrantee was void and that I would have to cover all cost involved in the repair. I was at lost,

I requested the results from the analyzes, only to be denied. I then ask why? You gave the results from the first test. He then stated He couldn't.

I proceed to request a report on all the work that had been to my truck Mr. Proffitt only provided me a partial report. I ask what would the cost of the repairs be, Mr. Proffitt was not aware. I preceed to ask if Mr. Proffitt had tested the injectors, the filters or the stacks at which time Mr. Proffitt state No! I asked how I could go from nomal to negative and I am waiting for an answer.

I purchased a boat September 1998 equiped with two Caterpiller diesel engines. On April 29, 2002 an exhaust valve in one engine broke caused by obvious defective material used in the manufacture of this engine. Since we were on our way to the Bahamas we the boat was delivered to the service location Pantropic in Miami on May 1, 2002. We live two hundred miles from this location. The entire engine was removed and dissassembled and replaced with a new short block.

We are 1-1/2 years passed the expressed warranty.I was advised Caterpillar would, as a good will jester, cover the cost of the parts but not any labor. Caterpillar will not respond to the suggestion of a "Implied Warranty".Today is June 1,2002 and The boat is still in Miami.