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Be careful Kawasaki mule pro fxt owners or potential owners

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    Be careful Kawasaki mule pro fxt owners or potential owners

    I had an issue with my 2015 mule pro fxt that could have potentially killed someone. I have attached what I sent Kawasaki to describe my issue. Of course they said it is not a manufacturer defect but I beg to differ. If you are in the market for a UTV and have any rodents in the area steer clear of this model. I have had nothing but issues with rats causing damage to this vehicle. The box where the computer is stored is basically a rat hotel. This is just a warning of what could potentially happen with this utility vehicle.

    To whom it may concern:

    I purchased a 2015 Kawasaki Mule Pro FXT (s/n JKBAFSC12FB503115) in July 2015 from McAllen Motorsports in McAllen, TX. I purchased the extended warranty when I purchased the vehicle. The mule has been relatively reliable with a couple of only a couple of issues until January 28, 2017. The issues that happened prior to this date were a branch/stump came through the passenger side floorboard narrowly missing my foot and a limb getting caught between the passenger side back tire and the fender cracking the entire plastic fender well near the battery box. These accidents were unfortunate and should be expected when floor boards and fender are made of plastic.
    On January 28, 2017 my brother was in process of pulling the mule out of the garage at our ranch and the following chain of events occurred. When he started the mule everything appeared to functioning normally then he placed the machine in reverse and all hell broke loose. The machine went to full throttle without his foot on the gas pedal. When the machine went to full throttle it hurdled the mule out of the garage toward my nephew and his car narrowly missing my nephew. The mule then slammed into his car (2012 Ford Focus SEL) cratering the rear driver side door with the deer feeder that was in the receiver hitch on the mule (see attached pictures). My brother did his best to try and stop the mule from going backward so fast by pressing on the brakes and pulling the emergency brake but the accident could not be avoided. The collision moved the Ford Focus at least 1.5 feet to the side of where it was parked. The distance from where the mule started from the garage to where the Ford Focus was struck is approximately 30 feet. We looked to see if something could have got caught behind the gas pedal and noticed that the throttle cable had snapped. Knowing that the mule still had factory warranty we decided to take it to McAllen Motorsports in McAllen, TX. We could not figure out what had happened with the vehicle to cause it to throttle up and cause the accident.
    On January 31, 2017 the mule was taken to the shop at McAllen Motorsports in McAllen, TX. They stated that they would look at it and see what had caused the damage. I got a phone call from Rick at the shop asking me to come back and look at what they found. I drove back to see what they had found. They showed me that a rag had gotten into the opening between the front drive shaft a group of cables causing them to all get wrapped around the front drive shaft. This caused the throttle cable to snap and pull the throttle to full. It is possible that a rat drug the rag into the opening, however the close proximity of the cables to the drive shaft contributed to the accident (see attached pictures). The shop stated that this would not be covered under warranty because the rag caused the issue. I explained to the general manager that I do not want the mule anymore because someone could have been seriously injured or even killed because the mule had accelerated when the cables were pulled. They stated that they could not do anything for me and that I was basically on my own to get it fixed because none of the repairs would be covered under warranty. I am very disappointed with McAllen Motorsports because they totally disregarded my safety concerns. I had asked to speak to the owner who could have either helped me out or offered to call to Kawasaki to explain what had happened. The owner didn’t have the decency to hear me out or offer any assistance and had the general manager (GM) explain to me that they could offer no assistance. I was even more enraged when I was charged $101.21 to have them show me the rag caught in the driveshaft when they only partially removed a skid plate on the bottom of the machine. I paid the fee and asked the GM for the Kawasaki customer service number. I spoke with Judy Marquez with customer service and she was helpful and listened to my concerns. I was e-mailed forms to fill out to document my concerns.
    I was able to take pictures to show how the cables (I am not sure which cables are tangled) are wrapped around the front drive shaft. I have attached the photos to this document. At this point the mule still has all the cables wrapped around the drive shaft , it also has a broken throttle cable, and damage to the frame and cross member from the collision which would have been avoidable if the mule wouldn’t have gone to full throttle when the cables became wrapped around the axle. I am not sure what it would cost to fix it, but I do not think I should be required to pay for the repairs.
    I have two young children age 7 and age 10. If one of them had been standing by the Ford Focus when it came flying out of the garage they could have been pinned between the mule and the Ford Focus causing severe injuries or even death. It was very fortunate that no one was injured and that this incident will point out a design flaw that can be remedied by running the wires and cables through a different opening or in a conduit.
    Action required from Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA
    The incident that happened on January 28, 2017 is totally unacceptable and points out a major design flaw with this model. I feel that if the cable and wires would have been better secured or run in a different manner then I would not have had this issue. I cannot have the liability of someone getting injured or killed on my property by faulty equipment. This situation could happen to anyone at any time since the rag was in an area that was not possible to see without jacking the Mule Pro up. I have owned a 2007 Kawasaki Mule Trans 4X4 since 2007 and it has been very reliable and is built to do ranch work, however I cannot say the same about the Mule Pro FXT. It is unrealistic to jack up the Mule Pro every time it will be used to check for a rag or other foreign object. The rag was only found at the shop after the bottom skid plate was removed. The reality is that I have had the 2007 mule parked in the same garage as the Mule Pro since 2007 and have never had a similar incident. I think the 2007 was designed to be used in a ranch setting and I thought the Mule Pro would be similarly reliable.
    I am requesting that Kawasaki take the Mule Pro back due to the mechanical issues and be given the credit that I have paid on the Mule Pro towards a Mule Trans 4X4. I think this is a reasonable request due to the damage that was caused to the Mule Pro from the collision.
    I have not taken to social media to bash your products and have not consulted a lawyer (even though I had thought about it after being treated so badly by McAllen Motorsports). I am giving your company a chance to make things right. I have not repaired the mule and have it available in case any Kawasaki representative wants to inspect the damage. Any assistance with this matter will be greatly appreciated.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    #2
    Oh boy

    Comment


      #3
      long read - so at the end of the day rats got into the unit and screwed stuff up ?

      Comment


        #4
        I own a pro fxt. That why I always kept it in garage until I got a sea container at the ranch two days ago. Field mice love chewing wires. My buddy parked his Terry's for 12 hours and nice ate the wire harness. Twice. Lol

        Comment


          #5
          Maybe they will send you a sea container full of cats!!![emoji2]


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

          Comment


            #6
            You can't complain about floor boards when you're driving over limbs and stuff. Go around. I would bet that the Manual will say to not drive over debris.

            A rag could've blown in there while driving or, like you say, be dragged in by a rat. Neither scenario causes Kawasaki to be liable.

            It sucks, but that's the reality. Thankfully no one was injured as a result.

            Comment


              #7
              I understand rats due damage, however the mule going to full throttle when the wires wrapped around the front axle is what I am concerned about. I will fix it and redneck engineer something to keep the wires and hoses away from the axle.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by TKK View Post
                long read - so at the end of the day rats got into the unit and screwed stuff up ?


                I fell asleep 4x's reading it but that was the conclusion I got too.

                Sorry to hear the OP's bad experience and I know several people that own them and work the do do out of them and haven't had a single problem. A buddy of mine has like 7k miles on his amd has pulled a 16 stock trailer with 3 cows in it about 3 miles down the road to another pasture of his.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                Comment


                  #9
                  That sucks and glad nobody was hurt.

                  Love my FXT and hopefully she keeps on truckin without any problems.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Mikege1174 View Post
                    I understand rats due damage, however the mule going to full throttle when the wires wrapped around the front axle is what I am concerned about. I will fix it and redneck engineer something to keep the wires and hoses away from the axle.
                    That is genuinely concerning. Should be a relatively easy fix though.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Understand your frustration but how is this kawasakis fault? Glad everyone is ok.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I think the floorboard had a recall. Dads was just in for some recall concerning floor. As for rats/mice , that **** just happens in the country. You just need to check under your hood to see if they have built a nest. If you see signs , do a more in depth inspection

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Well it should be cheap. I have cash. PM me I'll take the chance on it.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            So the skid plate had to be removed to see where the rag was? In other words the skid plate did it's job protecting that area. Kawasaki can't keep rats out of your garage.

                            Sorry about the bad luck buddy.

                            Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I'm sorry for the problems, but I don't see how any of that is kawasaki fault. I love my fxt.

                              Comment

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