Class Action Claims Bobcat Loaders Prone to Catching Fire

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Bobcat Company is facing claims that its model year 2014 to 2017 Skid-Steer, Compact Track, and Mini Track loaders contain a manufacturing defect that causes them to catch fire. A Minnesota landscaping company filed a proposed class action against the manufacturer alleging that the defendant has, since 2014, designed its loaders without a protective shield between the drive belts and fuel components in the engine compartment, exposing the fuel lines to friction and wear from the “rapidly spinning” belts located just inches away. The complaint alleges the absence of a shield can cause the casing around the fuel lines to degrade and rupture, allowing fuel to leak out and ignite, “consuming the affected Loaders in flames.”

The plaintiff claims it purchased a 2015 model year Bobcat T650 Compact Track Loader in October 2016 and had been using it for routine farm work when it caught fire. According to the suit, the loader had not yet reached the recommended number of hours before its first maintenance.

The complaint claims Bobcat advertises its loaders as “tough, agile, and versatile” machines that are manufactured with “superior design that outperforms other brands.” Contrary to those claims, the lawsuit argues, the loaders were defectively designed and cannot be used for their intended purpose without presenting a hazard to their operators and bystanders.