Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether Bobcat Company and Doosan Bobcat improperly restrict owners and independent repair businesses from fully repairing compact loaders, excavators, utility vehicles, and other Bobcat equipment by limiting access to diagnostic software, calibration procedures, controller programming, and return-to-service functions.
What Equipment Owners Report
Owners and independent repairers report:
- Being able to view fault codes but not perform all dealer-level repair functions.
- Needing authorized software to calibrate hydraulics, controls, or safety systems.
- Being unable to activate or configure replacement electronic components.
- Paying dealership fees for resets or programming after replacing the failed part.
- Waiting days or weeks for dealer technicians.
- Losing work because compact equipment remained unusable.
- Being unable to use a preferred independent mechanic.
- Learning about software-dependent repair requirements only after a breakdown occurred.
Why Equipment Owners Should Be Concerned
Bobcat compact equipment is widely used by landscapers, contractors, farmers, rental businesses, and owner-operators. These machines may be essential to a small business’s daily operations.
Access to fault codes alone may not be enough to provide a meaningful right to repair. If only authorized dealers can complete calibration, programming, module pairing, or return-to-service procedures, owners may remain locked into Bobcat’s dealer network despite having purchased the equipment outright.
Potential Claims May Include
- Unfair and deceptive trade practices
- State consumer or small-business protection violations
- Failure to disclose repair restrictions
- Breach of contract
- Breach of express warranty
- Breach of implied warranty
- Unlawful tying of equipment and repair services
- Monopolization or attempted monopolization
- Unjust enrichment
Signs You May Be Affected
You may be affected if:
- You own or lease a Bobcat skid-steer loader, compact track loader, excavator, utility vehicle, or similar machine.
- Your mechanic could read a fault code but could not complete the repair.
- Your machine required dealer-only calibration, programming, or activation.
- You paid a dealer to clear codes or restore the equipment to service.
- Your business lost income while waiting for authorized repairs.
- You rented replacement equipment because your Bobcat remained unavailable.
- You were told that only a Bobcat dealer could complete the electronic portion of the repair.
If you have encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.